Enter any address in Wilson County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent type of flood event in Wilson County, NC, with 49 occurrences recorded in the last 30 years. Tropical storms and hurricanes have also impacted the county, with 7 and 6 events respectively. Recent flash flooding events include those on June 16, 2025, and August 8, 2024, which brought heavy rains and downed trees.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a significant number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $26,648 and an average water depth of 2.6 feet. Zone X_SHADED also shows a high average payout of $49,902, though with fewer claims and an average water depth of 2.0 feet. Properties located in Zone A and Zone X_SHADED may warrant particular attention due to these claim statistics.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
33 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Wilson County, North Carolina has recorded 64 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 49 flash floods and 2 river or area floods. The county has received 28 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1968–2026)
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 |
| Tropical Storm Eta | Severe Storm | Nov 12, 2020 |
| 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 | Jun 16, 2025 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2025 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 30, 2022 | 0.75M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 11, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 11, 2020 | 15.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 16, 2025
A southward moving cold front out of Virginia stalled out near the North Carolina border. Storms from the late evening on the 15th persisted into the early morning hours of the 16th along and south of the front, producing isolated flash flooding. The stalled boundary then fueled additional numerous showers and storms in the afternoon and evening hours of the 16th along small scale boundaries. S...
Flash Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene weakened to a strong tropical storm on the morning of 27 September across northeast Georgia. Helene continued to track to the west and northwest into the Tennessee Valley. Widespread rainfall totals of 2-4 inches of rain fell over central North Carolina, along with wind gusts of 25-45 mph. Additionally, four tornadoes occurred, with the strongest an EF3, touching down over Rock...
Flash Flood — Aug 8, 2024
Tropical Depression Debby slowly made its way through Florida, off the South Carolina coast, then back inland through the western Piedmont of North Carolina during the evening hours of 8 August 2024. Ahead of the storm, numerous feeder bands brought periods of heavy rain to central North Carolina, resulting in widespread 4-6 inch rainfall amounts across the western Piedmont, with higher amounts...
Flash Flood — Sep 23, 2023
Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall across southeastern North Carolina. Ophelia tracked north-northwest into the northern Coastal Plain of central North Carolina by midday, then into eastern Virginia by the early evening hours. Widespread rainfall to the north and west of Ophelia led to numerous flash flood reports in Wake, Wilson, and Halifax Counties during the morning and early afternoon ho...
Tropical Storm — Sep 30, 2022
Hurricane Ian made landfall along the South Carolina coast near Georgetown during the early afternoon hours of September 30, 2022. Widespread wind gusts over tropical storm force and heavy rainfall occurred across much of central North Carolina through the afternoon and evening hours. There were numerous reports of wind damage and power outages as a result of the storm.
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 Wilson 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 Wilson 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.