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How Much of a State's Flood Record Comes From One Storm?
Updated November 2026
We added up all 1,997,182 National Flood Insurance Program claims on this site, across 9 states, to see how much of a state’s flood record comes down to a single storm. The answer ranges from 7% in Illinois to 37% in New Jersey.
A few storms make up much of the record
The ten biggest named events below account for 32% of every claim in these states. That matters when you read a county’s total: a large number can mean one catastrophe rather than steady, repeated flooding. A county page’s year chart shows which of those you are looking at.
| Event (FEMA name) | Year | State | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005 | Louisiana | 176,276 | $13.35B |
| Hurricane Harvey | 2017 | Texas | 91,872 | $9.04B |
| Hurricane Sandy | 2012 | New Jersey | 74,983 | $4.37B |
| Hurricane Sandy | 2012 | New York | 57,405 | $4.22B |
| Hurricane Helene | 2024 | Florida | 54,676 | $6.49B |
| Hurricane Ian | 2022 | Florida | 47,556 | $4.87B |
| Hurricane Ike | 2008 | Texas | 44,095 | $2.23B |
| Mid-summer severe storms | 2016 | Louisiana | 30,019 | $2.53B |
| Hurricane Irma | 2017 | Florida | 28,756 | $985.5M |
| Tropical Storm Allison | 2001 | Texas | 26,821 | $978.1M |
Counted per state, so one storm that crossed state lines can appear more than once. Dollars are nominal.
State by state
| State | Claims | Biggest single event | Its share | Peak year share | Peak month | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 202,340 | Hurricane Sandy (2012) | 37% | 37% 2012 | October | 10% |
| Louisiana | 485,743 | Hurricane Katrina (2005) | 36% | 39% 2005 | August | 27% |
| New York | 175,430 | Hurricane Sandy (2012) | 33% | 33% 2012 | October | 30% |
| Texas | 394,204 | Hurricane Harvey (2017) | 23% | 24% 2017 | August | 51% |
| North Carolina | 109,593 | Hurricane Florence (2018) | 14% | 15% 2018 | September | 19% |
| Florida | 448,618 | Hurricane Helene (2024) | 12% | 18% 2024 | September | 15% |
| Missouri | 51,304 | Midwest Flooding (1993) | 12% | 18% 1993 | April | 14% |
| Pennsylvania | 77,060 | Tropical Storm Ivan (2004) | 11% | 14% 1996 | September | 29% |
| Illinois | 52,890 | Mid-spring storms (2013) | 7% | 10% 2008 | July | 24% |
Claims outside the high-risk zones
Lenders generally require flood insurance only in A and V zones, yet the share of claims rated in moderate- or low-risk zones runs from 10% in New Jersey to 51% in Texas. A zone is a rating at the time of the policy and not a promise about the future. The flood zone guide explains where the line falls.
Claims by decade
| Decade of loss | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 76,239 | 4% |
| 1980s | 244,584 | 12% |
| 1990s | 359,975 | 18% |
| 2000s | 536,771 | 27% |
| 2010s | 546,662 | 27% |
| 2020s | 232,951 | 12% |
The 2010s have 546,662 claims. The 2020s are only partly complete at 232,951 so far. These counts are not a clean measure of whether flooding is getting worse, since they also move with the number of policies in force and with where people have built.
How far to trust this
These are insurance claims, so they count insured buildings that reported a loss and not floods themselves. FEMA leaves many claims without an event name, which means the shares for named storms are lower bounds. Data is as of 2026-09-08. More in reading NFIP claims data and on the about page.
More guides
- Which FEMA Flood Zones Require Flood Insurance?
- How to Check if a House Has Flooded
- Reading NFIP Flood Claims Data
- Average Flood Insurance Claim Payout by State
- Flood Insurance Coverage Limits: What NFIP Pays For
- Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Flood Damage?
- Flood Insurance Waiting Period: The 30-Day Rule
- How to File a Flood Insurance Claim, Step by Step
- Does Flood Insurance Cover Basements?
General information, not insurance, legal or real-estate advice. Rules and programs change — confirm details with FEMA, your insurer, or a licensed professional.