Is Madison County, NC in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Madison County's flood hazard at the 46.8th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.4 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Madison County's flood-insurance compliance gap
Out of 371 homes FEMA counts inside Madison County's mapped flood zone, 74 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 20% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Madison County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Madison County compares nationally
Madison County sits at rank 1735 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1705 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Madison County, North Carolina covers 449.615 square miles and counts roughly 22,352 residents.
Checking a specific address in Madison County
Across all of Madison County's 10,653 residential structures, 108 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Madison County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.