Hurricane Opal produced 11,998 flood insurance claims in Florida and $389 million in payments. The median paid claim was $15,282.
Around 23.3% of claims filed under this event closed without any payment. That figure excludes records FEMA marks as administrative errors.
Official source figures, as of 14 August 2026. Calculated from National Flood Insurance Program policy records published by FEMA. These are premiums other policyholders paid, not a quote or an offer of coverage.
What the water was
Rainfall accumulation accounted for 42.5% of claims with a recorded cause, and 32.8% of all claims came from properties rated outside the high-risk flood zones.
Where Hurricane Opal hit hardest
| County | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Bay County | 2,980 | $139 million |
| Okaloosa County | 2,858 | $116 million |
| Escambia County | 2,401 | $58 million |
| Santa Rosa County | 1,626 | $36 million |
| Walton County | 930 | $23 million |
| Gulf County | 248 | $5 million |
| Pinellas County | 187 | $2 million |
| Franklin County | 208 | $2 million |
Bay County absorbed the largest share, with 2,980 claims and $139 million paid.
How this compares
Against the $19.33 billion the NFIP has paid in Florida since 1978, Hurricane Opal represents roughly 2.0% of everything ever paid out in the state. See every event ranked.