Enter any address in Van Buren County, Tennessee to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Van Buren County. Between 2004 and 2024, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 18 flash flood events and 3 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on July 28, 2024, and October 6, 2021, which also saw damaging winds, hail, and a tornado.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $42,270 and an average water depth of 0.4 feet. Claims in Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded were less frequent and involved lower average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in any zone without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
4 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Van Buren County, Tennessee has recorded 21 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 3 river or area floods. The county has received 20 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 22, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornado | Severe Storm | Aug 7, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 19, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2003 |
| Severe Storms And Tornados | Severe Storm | Nov 9, 2002 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 6, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 6, 2021 | 5.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 25, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 24, 2010 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2009 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2009 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2009 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2005 | 1K |
Flash Flood — Jul 28, 2024
Summertime thunderstorms impacted Middle Tennessee on July 28, 2024. One of these typical summertime storms produced heavy rain in Macon County, causing flooding in the Lafayette area.
Flash Flood — Oct 6, 2021
Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours on October 6th and lasted well into the evening hours. Multiple reports of damaging winds, flash flooding, some hail, and even a tornado were received.
Flood — Apr 23, 2017
Widespread showers and thunderstorms spread across Middle Tennessee in the early morning hours on April 22 and continued into the next day on April 23. One supercell thunderstorm developed and tracked across Wayne, Lawrence, and Giles Counties, producing many reports of large hail and wind damage. Heavy rainfall from all of the showers and thunderstorms also produced widespread reports of flood...
Flood — Dec 25, 2015
Barely over one day after a major tornado outbreak affected Tennessee and surrounding states, another round of severe storms with one tornado, wind damage, large hail, and flooding impacted Middle Tennessee on Christmas Day. One brief EF1 tornado touched down in Shelbyville, TN in Bedford County, causing minor damage.
Flash Flood — Jan 24, 2010
As a storm system moved west to east across Middle Tennessee, a large area of showers with embedded thunderstorms developed which produced hail, flash flooding across the Cumberland Plateau Region, and a weak tornado in Robertson County.
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 Van Buren County, Tennessee:
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 Van Buren County, Tennessee 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.