Enter any address in Vance County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Vance County, NC. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 16 flash flood events, alongside 5 hurricane events, 2 flood events, and 1 tropical storm. For example, on May 29, 2025, storms produced rainfall rates of 3 or more inches per hour, leading to flash flooding in areas including Henderson.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone X have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $30,524. Claims have also been filed in Zone A, Zone X_Unshaded, and Zone V. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone V, as well as those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) or located near rivers and streams, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Vance County, North Carolina has recorded 24 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 16 flash floods and 2 river or area floods. The county has received 23 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 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 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | Hurricane | Oct 10, 2018 |
| 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 | May 29, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2025 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 24, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 11, 2018 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 8, 2016 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Mar 20, 2003 | — |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Sep 18, 2003 | 369K |
Flash Flood — May 29, 2025
Storms over South Carolina in association with a mid-level system tracked into central North Carolina in the afternoon and evening hours. The storms initially produced a wind damage and isolated hail threat. Thereafter, the event evolved into a flash flood threat, with training and back building storms resulting in 3 or more inches per hour rainfall rates from Albemarle to Greensboro to Burling...
Flash Flood — Aug 11, 2025
A weak frontal zone was oriented southwest to northeast across central North Carolina. Scattered showers and storms developed during the late afternoon and evening within a highly anomalous moisture environment. Some training storms led to several instances of flash flooding over the eastern and northeastern Piedmont, especially across Wake County.
Flash Flood — Sep 24, 2024
A stalled frontal boundary over central North Carolina slowly edged northward into Virginia. That northward movement combined with forcing aloft to produce scattered to numerous showers and storms in the evening and into the early morning hours of 25 September. Severe gusts occurred in Randolph County, as well as flash flooding over the northern and northeast Piedmont.
Flood — Jun 17, 2020
A slow moving upper-level low combined with a surge of warmer and more moist air that moved over a cooler air mass near the surface produced multiple rounds of rain, showers, and thunderstorms across the Coastal Plain and the northeast Piedmont of North Carolina during the morning hours. Widespread rain fell across the area during the previous day or two saturating the soil and raising stream a...
Flash Flood — Jun 17, 2020
A slow moving upper-level low combined with a surge of warmer and more moist air that moved over a cooler air mass near the surface produced multiple rounds of rain, showers, and thunderstorms across the Coastal Plain and the northeast Piedmont of North Carolina during the morning hours. Widespread rain fell across the area during the previous day or two saturating the soil and raising stream a...
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 Vance 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 Vance 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.