Enter any address in Watauga County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events are the most frequent type of flooding recorded in Watauga County over the past 30 years, with 86 occurrences. Other flood types, including general floods and one tropical storm event, have also been documented. Recent flood events occurred in January 2024, associated with a deep upper-level trough and strong southerly winds carrying moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $42,604 and an average water depth of 3.0 feet. Zone X also shows a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $24,185 and an average water depth of 2.8 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood zone designations, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
69 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Watauga County, North Carolina has recorded 151 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 86 flash floods and 64 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2026)
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 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred | Hurricane | Aug 16, 2021 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 12, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 12, 2025 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Dec 29, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 29, 2024 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 250.00M (2 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Dec 26, 2023 | 0.00K |
Flood — Dec 29, 2024
A negatively-tilted trough passed from the western Gulf coast region early on the 29th northeast to the lower Ohio River Valley late in the day. This track resulted in strong southeasterly wind flow along the central Appalachians, carrying deep Atlantic moisture across the Blue Ridge on a 40 to 45 knot low level jet. Precipitable water values reached as high as 1.3 inches, which is around the...
Flash Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, September 26, and moved quickly northward into the southeastern states, and then turned slightly northwestward towards the southern Appalachian Mountains overnight into Friday morning, weakening as it moved over land. Helene���s intensity and fast forward motion led to impacts being felt well inlan...
Flash Flood — Sep 25, 2024
A nearly stationary front that extended south from West Virginia into Western Virginia and North Carolina Piedmont served as the focus for thunderstorm development during the afternoon of September 25. Some clearing allowed for an increase in instability, but not quite enough to support widespread severe thunderstorms. Favorable upper level divergence was also present over the area as an upper...
Flood — Apr 11, 2024
A deep upper level trough was observed situated along the Mississippi River Valley during the morning of April 11th, with deep south-southwesterly windflow ahead of the trough carrying moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward along the Appalachian chain. Southeasterly windflow in the low levels of the atmosphere carried this moisture up the Blue Ridge escarpment, with the orographic lift enh...
Flood — Jan 9, 2024
A deep, negatively tilted upper level trough and associated occluded front passed from the central Mississippi River Valley on January 9th toward the lower New England region by the morning of the 10th. Strong southerly wind flow ahead of the upper trough carried deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward into the Carolinas and the lower Mid-Atlantic. Precipitable water values ranged from ...
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 Watauga 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 Watauga 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.