Flood history · Banner Elk, NC 28604
Flood insurance claims in Banner Elk, NC 28604
85 claims since 1994 and $3.1 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 28604 since 1978.
What the record says
About 36% of claims here were on properties rated outside high-risk zones (zones X, B or C). A lower-risk zone on the map is not a guarantee.
One event dominates the record: Hurricane Helene accounts for 48% of all claims in this ZIP code.
Flooding here is recent: 48 claims (56%) were in the last 10 years.
The most commonly recorded cause is rivers, streams or lakes overflowing.
Watauga County * takes part in FEMA's Community Rating System (class 8), which can lower flood insurance premiums by up to 10% in high-risk zones.
Biggest flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024 | 41 | 48% |
| Tropical Storm Ivan | 2004 | 15 | 18% |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018 | 1 | 1% |
| October severe storms | 2015 | 1 | 1% |
| Hurricane Michael | 2018 | 1 | 1% |
Flood zone at time of claim
NFIP communities
Federal disaster declarations in Avery County
Flood, hurricane and storm declarations since 2000.
13 flood, storm or hurricane declarations for Avery County since 2000.
Check a specific address in Banner Elk.
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.
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