Flood history · Gulf Shores, AL 36542
Flood insurance claims in Gulf Shores, AL 36542
9,453 claims since 1978 and $216.0 million paid. Here's what the public record shows, and how to check a specific address.
Claims by year
Every NFIP flood insurance claim reported in ZIP 36542 since 1978.
What the record says
Almost all claims here (92%) were on properties in high-risk zones (A or V). In those zones, federally regulated lenders require flood insurance.
Losses are spread across many events; the largest, Hurricane Ivan, accounts for 30% of claims.
1,064 claims were filed in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is tidal water overflow: coastal surge and high tides.
Baldwin County* takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System (class 7), which can lower flood insurance premiums by up to 15% in high-risk zones.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004 | 2,796 | 30% |
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005 | 1,411 | 15% |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998 | 1,285 | 14% |
| Hurricane Sally | 2020 | 979 | 10% |
| Hurricane Opal | 1995 | 882 | 9% |
| Tropical Storm Isidore | 2002 | 418 | 4% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Baldwin County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
23 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Baldwin County since 2000.
Check a specific address in Gulf Shores.
ZIP-level history is the backdrop. See the official FEMA flood zone, ground elevation and next steps for one property, free.
Sources: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) and Disaster Declarations Summaries, FEMA NFIP Community Status Book; place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Data as of 2026-10-09. Payments are net building + contents payments in dollars at the time paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims are grouped by the ZIP code reported on the claim. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA. Information only; not an official flood zone determination or insurance advice.