26 flood insurance claims·$830,131 paid
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 Fayette County, Tennessee. 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 summer thunderstorms and heavy rainfall events dominates the flood history of Fayette County, accounting for 26 of the 33 total flood events recorded over the last 30 years alongside 6 general floods and 1 tropical storm.
Local flood impacts are frequently driven by slow-moving frontal boundaries and saturated soils, as demonstrated when a strong cold front produced flash flooding and thunderstorms on February 23, 2019, and when persistent rainfall over saturated ground caused widespread flooding on March 1, 2018.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 11 claims averaging an $8,801 payout and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X recorded 11 claims with an average payout of $90,317 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 4 claims averaging a $9,297 payout and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated special flood hazard areas and moderate-to-low risk zones should pay close attention to these historical payout and water depth patterns when assessing property risk.
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 4 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 2010, with 3 claims and $80,828 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes.
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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Fayette County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Tennessee flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1994.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jul 18, 2023 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 25, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 3, 2022 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 27, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Mar 2, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Apr 25, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
33 since 1996: 26 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2016 | — |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2013 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 21, 2023. During the pre-dawn hours on July 21, 2023, an elevated east-west boundary was positioned across the Memphis Metropolitan area. Moderately strong low-level moisture transport across this boundary resulted in back-building storms and locally heavy rainfall. WSR 88D estimated over four inches of rain occurred across northeast Shelby County during the pre-dawn hours while a Mesonet station near Collierville reported…
Flash Flood · Feb 23, 2019. A strong cold front produced a line of thunderstorms that caused flash flooding, some wind damage and funnel clouds to portions of west Tennessee during the afternoon and early evening hours of February 23rd.
Flood · Feb 21, 2018. A prolonged period of rainfall was generated along the backside of a slow moving cold front across portions of West Tennessee during the late evening hours of February 21st continuing into February 22nd. Another round of rain moved through parts of West Tennessee during the late evening of February 22 into the morning hours of February 23rd. Areal flooding was common across West Tennessee during this period with m…
Flood · Mar 1, 2018. Persistent moderate to heavy rain fell over already well saturated soils and caused additional flooding over parts of southwest Tennessee during the morning hours of March 1st.
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 Fayette 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.