6 flood insurance claims·$6,153 paid·2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Yadkin County, North Carolina. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall dominates Yadkin County, accounting for nearly two-thirds of recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside general floods and tropical storms. Recent recorded events include significant flooding on January 9, 2024, driven by a deep upper-level trough and strong southerly wind flow that carried deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into the region. Flash flooding also occurred on May 18, 2024, from showers and thunderstorms triggered by an upper-level trough, and again on August 8, 2024, from the remnants of Hurricane Debbie.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones with low average recorded water depths. Specifically, Zone V recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $2022 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $2110 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Property owners and real estate agents working in these identified zones should pay the closest attention to these historical flood patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1999, with 1 claims and $3,401 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
21 NOAA storm reports from Yadkin County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the North Carolina flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Tropical Storm Eta | Nov 12, 2020 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Feb 6, 2020 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
38 since 1996: 24 flash floods and 13 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2024 | $30,000 |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 29, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Nov 12, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | $145,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 18, 2024. An upper level trough passed across the central Appalachians during the afternoon and evening of May 18th, triggering widely scattered showers and thunderstorms to the north of a stationary front stretching across northern North Carolina. Upper level winds ahead of the trough were light. Moisture was abundant, with precipitable water values ranging from 1.2 to 1.3 inches across northwest North Carolina, while su…
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 1.2 inches to nearly…
Flash Flood · Aug 8, 2024. The remnants of Hurricane Debbie moved north toward the area on August 8th, 2024. A strong southeast flow of wind on the system's northern extent, along with wet soils due to heavy rainfall, helped to cause downed trees and power lines over portions of North Carolina. Winds gusted to at least 30 to 35 mph in parts of the area with stronger gusts suspected close to 45 mph. The strong winds continued into the mornin…
Flash Flood · Oct 29, 2020. Widespread amounts of three to five inches of rainfall were observed across the mountains and foothills during the 24-hour period ending with the passage of Tropical Storm Zeta across the lower mid-Atlantic region. Despite its rapid speed across the region, the storm brought two to three inches of rain across portions of Wilkes and Surry Counties during a single hour, resulting in widespread flooding of many cree…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Yadkin County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.