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

County · Flood risk

Check any address in Polk County

Quick facts

Homes on the tax roll

284,068

Residential parcels on the Florida Department of Revenue roll

FEMA flood map in effect

Dec 2016

First flood map 1983

Flood insurance discount

20% off

Polk County, Community Rating System Class 6

Most flood claims in one storm

376

Hurricane Milton 2024, 324 paid

Homes with water, FEMA aid

2,681

Aid registrations reporting water inside, Hurricane Irma 2017

Sinkhole reports

300

6 confirmed by the state

Past storms in Polk 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 Polk County
StormClaimsPaidAid, water inside
Hurricane Irma 20172421712,681
Hurricane Ian 202213366847
Hurricane Milton 20243763242,083

Frequently asked questions

Do I need flood insurance in Polk 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 Polk County took effect on December 22, 2016. 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 Polk County last updated?

The flood map in effect for Polk County took effect on December 22, 2016. The county's first flood map dates to January 19, 1983.

Is there a flood insurance discount in Polk County?

Polk County is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 6, which takes 20% 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 Polk County the most?

By National Flood Insurance Program claims across Polk County, the worst recent storms were Hurricane Milton 2024 (376 claims, 324 paid), Hurricane Irma 2017 (242 claims, 171 paid), and Hurricane Ian 2022 (133 claims, 66 paid). After Hurricane Irma 2017, 2,681 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 Polk County?

The Florida Geological Survey has 300 subsidence reports on file for Polk County, 6 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.

Polk County is inland between Tampa and Orlando, with Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, and hundreds of lakes.

Polk County has about 284,000 homes on the state tax roll. The FEMA flood map in effect for Polk County took effect on December 22, 2016; the county's first flood map dates to 1983. The storm that left the most flood insurance claims in the county was Hurricane Milton 2024, with 376, followed by Hurricane Irma 2017 with 242. Polk County is in FEMA's Community Rating System at Class 6, which takes 20% 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 Polk 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.

Nearby counties

Florida Flood News & Updates