FloodMaps
Map of FEMA flood zones in Alachua CountyTap the map to explore

County · Flood risk

Check any address in Alachua County

Quick facts

Homes on the tax roll

80,201

Residential parcels on the Florida Department of Revenue roll

FEMA flood map in effect

Sep 2021

First flood map 1984

Flood insurance discount

25% off

Alachua County, Community Rating System Class 5

Most flood claims in one storm

82

Hurricane Irma 2017, 67 paid

Homes with water, FEMA aid

683

Aid registrations reporting water inside, Hurricane Irma 2017

Sinkhole reports

82

2 confirmed by the state

Past storms in Alachua County

National Flood Insurance Program claims and FEMA aid registrations that reported water inside the home, for the whole county.

Flood claims and FEMA aid by storm in Alachua County
StormClaimsPaidAid, water inside
Hurricane Irma 20178267683
Hurricane Debby 202421216
Hurricane Helene 202420184

Frequently asked questions

Do I need flood insurance in Alachua County?

Lenders require flood insurance on a federally backed mortgage when the building is in one of FEMA's high-risk zones, the ones starting with A or V. The map that sets those zones in Alachua County took effect on September 24, 2021. Outside those zones insurance is optional, but claims come from moderate- and low-risk zones too, so it's worth checking the zone and the floor height of the exact home.

When was the FEMA flood map for Alachua County last updated?

The flood map in effect for Alachua County took effect on September 24, 2021. The county's first flood map dates to September 28, 1984.

Is there a flood insurance discount in Alachua County?

Alachua County is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 5, which takes 25% off National Flood Insurance Program premiums for policies inside the high-risk flood zone. Classes run from 10 to 1, and each step down adds 5% off.

Which storms flooded Alachua County the most?

By National Flood Insurance Program claims across Alachua County, the worst recent storms were Hurricane Irma 2017 (82 claims, 67 paid), Hurricane Debby 2024 (2 claims, 1 paid), and Hurricane Helene 2024 (2 claims, 0 paid). After Hurricane Irma 2017, 683 FEMA aid registrations in the county reported water inside the home. Claims only count insured homes, so the real number of flooded homes is higher.

Are there sinkholes in Alachua County?

The Florida Geological Survey has 82 subsidence reports on file for Alachua County, 2 of them confirmed as true sinkholes. Most reports were never verified, and a report near a home doesn't mean the ground under it is unstable. The full report lists the nearest ones.

Alachua County is in north-central Florida, home to Gainesville and the University of Florida, with Paynes Prairie and many sinkhole lakes.

Alachua County has about 80,200 homes on the state tax roll. The FEMA flood map in effect for Alachua County took effect on September 24, 2021; the county's first flood map dates to 1984. The storm that left the most flood insurance claims in the county was Hurricane Irma 2017, with 82, followed by Hurricane Debby 2024 with 2. Alachua County is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 5, which takes 25% off National Flood Insurance Program premiums for policies inside the high-risk flood zone.

Away from the coast, flooding comes from rain: rivers that rise for days after a tropical storm, lakes and low basins that fill, and closed depressions that drain slowly into the ground. The storms we track for Northeast Florida are Hurricane Matthew 2016, Hurricane Irma 2017, Hurricane Ian 2022, Hurricane Nicole 2022, Hurricane Idalia 2023, Hurricane Helene 2024, and Hurricane Milton 2024.

Search any address in Alachua County for a free report: its FEMA flood zone and whether insurance is required, its risk level, and its floor height against the flood line. The full report adds a 0 to 100 risk score, the flood insurance cost, the home's record in each storm we track, and a PDF to share.

Compiled by FloodMaps from FEMA, state, and county records. Data dates: 2026 county tax roll (preliminary values); flood claims and FEMA aid for storms from 2016 through Hurricane Milton (October 2024); FEMA map dates and insurance discounts as of October 8, 2026.

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