Enter any address in Union County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Union County. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 55 flash flood events, resulting in two fatalities. Recent examples include flash flooding on September 9, 2023, caused by a nearly stationary storm cluster, and August 8, 2024, following the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. Tropical cyclones also contribute to flood risk, with four such events noted in the same period.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A experienced the highest average payouts and water depths, with 29 claims averaging $24,552 and 0.6 feet of water. Zone X and X_Unshaded also saw claims, with average payouts of $12,962 and $13,831 respectively. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in any flood zone with a low elevation or without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) documented, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
20 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Union County, North Carolina has recorded 83 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 55 flash floods and 24 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Hurricane | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Dorian | Hurricane | Sep 1, 2019 |
| Hurricane Florence | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2018 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 2.00M |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 2023 | 5.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2022 | 0.50K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 10.00K |
Flash Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flash Flood — Aug 8, 2024
The remnants Tropical Storm Debby made landfall in the Florida Big Bend on the 5th, lifted steadily northeast across southeast Georgia before turning north through the South Carolina coastal plain and the North Carolina Piedmont on the 7th and 8th. Rainfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches with locally higher amounts resulted in flash flooding across portions of western North Carolina. In addition, ve...
Flash Flood — Sep 9, 2023
Scattered slow-moving thunderstorms developed across the North Carolina Piedmont during the afternoon and evening. One evening storm cluster became nearly stationary across Union County, resulting very heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
Tropical Storm — Sep 30, 2022
Very gusty winds developed over the North Carolina Piedmont as Tropical Cyclone Ian made a second landfall as a minimal hurricane near Myrtle Beach during the afternoon of the 30th. Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph, with occasional gusts as high as 50 mph resulted in dozens of trees blown down throughout the area. Multiple trees fell on structures and vehicles, especially in the Charlotte ar...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Union County, North Carolina:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Union County, North Carolina that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.