32 flood insurance claims·$223,240 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 Franklin 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 storms dominates the flood character of Franklin County, supported by historical records showing 52 flash flood events, 4 general floods, and 2 tropical storms over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall from slow-moving systems can quickly overwhelm local drainage and cause sudden inundation.
The threat is demonstrated by events such as the September 2021 storms, which brought widespread rainfall of 3 to 6 inches—and localized totals of 6 to 8 inches over a few hours—causing road closures and flash flooding across the region.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay close attention to properties located across multiple designated zones where historical claims have occurred. NFIP data shows claims spanning several zones, including Zone A with 15 claims averaging a 1-inch recorded water depth and $7,527 payout; Zone X with 12 claims averaging a 5-inch recorded water depth and $11,534 payout; unshaded Zone X with 4 claims averaging a 4-inch recorded water depth and $2,076 payout; and Zone V with 1 claim averaging a 4-inch recorded water depth and $39,867 payout.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
20% of Franklin County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
20 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 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 2019, with 4 claims and $41,976 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.
14 NOAA storm reports from Franklin County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Tennessee flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Apr 25, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Feb 28, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And High Winds | Jan 17, 1999 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 23, 1998 |
| Severe Winter Ice Storm,flash Flooding | Feb 9, 1994 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
58 since 1996: 52 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 31, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 19, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 24, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Dec 25, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 30, 2013 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2025. Isolated flash flooding in southern middle Tennessee.
Flash Flood · Mar 31, 2021. Two thunderstorm complexes moved through southern middle Tennessee during the early and mid morning hours of the 31st. Rainfall of 1.5 to 4.25 inches were reported during this time, resulting in flash flooding of a few roads.
Flash Flood · Sep 19, 2021. Showers and thunderstorms repeatedly moved across Northern Alabama and Southern Middle TN on the 19th and 20th. Numerous roads were closed in Lincoln County, with widespread rainfall amounts of 3-6 across much of the area. Portions of NW Madison received 6-8 over a few hours, leading to flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Mar 24, 2020. Multiple supercell clusters developed in northern Mississippi and western Tennessee during the late afternoon hours, which moved east across southern middle Tennessee during the mid evening hours. One of these storms produced an EF-1 tornado in Franklin County. Several reports of wind damage were received. Also, several reports of flash flooding were received in Franklin County following the thunderstorms and i…
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 Franklin 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.