McDowell County flood history
North Carolina · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 111 flood insurance claims in McDowell County, North Carolina since 1978. The NFIP paid $8.4 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 2024, with 55, mostly from Hurricane Helene.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 68 claims, and the average paid claim was $123,647.
36% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 0.7% of homes in McDowell County, North Carolina had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (138 of 20,783 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 24% (109 of 463).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 2 flood-related disaster declarations covering McDowell County, North Carolina. The most recent was EM-3617-NC (Hurricane Helene), declared September 26, 2024.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 55 | $7.7 million |
| 2021 | 4 | $46,049 |
| 2020 | 1 | $55,074 |
| 2018 | 8 | $241,637 |
| 2016 | 1 | $7,372 |
| 2014 | 6 | $3,604 |
| 2013 | 6 | $63,599 |
| 2012 | 1 | $3,591 |
| 2010 | 1 | $11,411 |
| 2008 | 1 | $0 |
| 2004 | 7 | $153,571 |
| 2001 | 1 | $0 |
| 1999 | 1 | $0 |
| 1996 | 1 | $9,812 |
| 1995 | 4 | $0 |
| 1994 | 6 | $25,103 |
| 1992 | 1 | $0 |
| 1990 | 1 | $33,314 |
| 1989 | 1 | $207 |
| 1983 | 3 | $12,104 |
| 1981 | 1 | $0 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024 | 55 | $7.7 million |
| Hurricane Zeta | 2020 | 1 | $55,074 |
| Tropical Storm Ivan | 2004 | 1 | $0 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 138 residential NFIP policies in McDowell County, against 20,783 residential buildings (0.7%). Of the 463 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 109 have an NFIP policy (24%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
What flood insurance costs in McDowell County
On June 30, 2026, 114 NFIP flood insurance policies were in force in McDowell County, North Carolina. For the 83 single-family homes among them, the typical (median) yearly cost was about $1,440; the average was $1,670.
| Rated flood zone | Policies | Typical yearly cost, single-family home | Average cost | Average building coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-risk zones (A and V) | 84 | $1,690 | $1,910 | $193,000 |
| Moderate- and low-risk zones (B, C and X) | 30 | $1,210 | $1,200 | $234,000 |
Cost here is what FEMA's data lists as the policy cost: the premium plus the reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge. It covers single-family homes only (not condos, apartments or businesses), with costs rounded to the nearest $10 and shown only where at least 20 homes back the figure. Your own price depends on your building and the coverage you choose; see how flood insurance is priced. Private flood insurance isn't included.
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3617-NC | Sep 26, 2024 | Hurricane Helene | No |
| DR-1871-NC | Feb 2, 2010 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | No |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of North Carolina.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- NFIP Redacted Policies (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP policies in force on June 30, 2026 (a policy counts if its term covers that date and it wasn't cancelled), downloaded 2026-10-08. Policy counts are FEMA's insured units, so a condominium association policy counts each unit. Costs are FEMA's "policy cost" (premium plus reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge) for single-family homes only. Policies FEMA's data doesn't place in a county count toward the state only.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.