Is Wayne County, TN in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Wayne County's flood hazard at the 47.7th 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 1.3 times a year. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 445 homes FEMA counts inside Wayne County's mapped flood zone, 45 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 10.1% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Wayne County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.7% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Wayne County ranks
Wayne County sits at rank 1706 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2038 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 15,974 people live in Wayne County, Tennessee, spread over 734.109 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Wayne County
Across all of Wayne County's 7,846 residential structures, 56 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 Wayne 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.