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

County · Flood risk

Check any address in Highlands County

Quick facts

Homes on the tax roll

44,384

Residential parcels on the Florida Department of Revenue roll

FEMA flood map in effect

Nov 2015

First flood map 1983

Flood insurance discount

10% off

Highlands County, Community Rating System Class 8

Most flood claims in one storm

65

Hurricane Irma 2017, 33 paid

Homes with water, FEMA aid

624

Aid registrations reporting water inside, Hurricane Irma 2017

Sinkhole reports

20

1 confirmed by the state

Past storms in Highlands 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 Highlands County
StormClaimsPaidAid, water inside
Hurricane Irma 20176533624
Hurricane Ian 20223227249
Hurricane Milton 20246557

Frequently asked questions

Do I need flood insurance in Highlands 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 Highlands County took effect on November 18, 2015. 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 Highlands County last updated?

The flood map in effect for Highlands County took effect on November 18, 2015. The county's first flood map dates to February 16, 1983.

Is there a flood insurance discount in Highlands County?

Highlands County is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 8, which takes 10% 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 Highlands County the most?

By National Flood Insurance Program claims across Highlands County, the worst recent storms were Hurricane Irma 2017 (65 claims, 33 paid), Hurricane Ian 2022 (32 claims, 27 paid), and Hurricane Milton 2024 (6 claims, 5 paid). After Hurricane Irma 2017, 624 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 Highlands County?

The Florida Geological Survey has 20 subsidence reports on file for Highlands County, 1 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.

Highlands County sits on the Lake Wales Ridge in south-central Florida, with Sebring, Avon Park, and dozens of lakes.

Highlands County has about 44,400 homes on the state tax roll. The FEMA flood map in effect for Highlands County took effect on November 18, 2015; the county's first flood map dates to 1983. The storm that left the most flood insurance claims in the county was Hurricane Irma 2017, with 65, followed by Hurricane Ian 2022 with 32. Highlands County is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 8, which takes 10% 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 Central Florida are Hurricane Matthew 2016, Hurricane Irma 2017, Hurricane Ian 2022, Hurricane Nicole 2022, Hurricane Helene 2024, and Hurricane Milton 2024.

Search any address in Highlands 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 (final 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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