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How often floodwater reaches Apex homes

For Apex, NC: the facts behind the questions callers ask most, in plain words.

In Apex, 4% of homes were built before 1980, compared with 35% across North Carolina.

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  • Water removal, drying and repair

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Technical drawing of flood damage restoration: flooded basement cleanup, storm water cleanup and crawl space water removal.
Flood Damage Restoration covers flooded basement cleanup, storm water cleanup and crawl space water removal.

Your call, step by step

  1. Call (833) 728-2327

    Tell the person who answers what got wet and where the water came from. Calls are answered 24/7.

  2. Stop the source

    You get help shutting off the water or the power to a wet room while the crew is on the way.

  3. Inspection and written estimate

    Moisture readings, photos and a written estimate come before any work begins.

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A guide for water damage restoration in Apex and the towns around it.

25% of homes in Apex are rented.

What the flood figures say for Apex

Wake County logged 67 days with flash flood or flood reports from 2016 to 2025, according to NOAA storm reports, so heavy rain is the flood risk to watch in Apex. NOAA climate normals show about 13 days a year with an inch of rain or more, and the county has had 5 major disaster declarations for floods and storms since 2000. Tropical storms add rain at times, though FEMA's National Risk Index puts yearly hurricane loss at 5 per $100,000 of building value here, against 50 for North Carolina.

FEMA's figures put Apex a little below its county. The National Risk Index shows yearly inland flood loss of 82 per $100,000 of building value, against 91 for Wake County and 88 for the state. FEMA flood insurance records show 0.7 claims per 1,000 homes in the county from 2016 to 2025 and an average building payment of $32,104, and 0.8% of county homes carry federal flood insurance. Newer subdivisions near creeks and on graded slopes can still take water through crawl space vents and garage doors in a hard storm.

Water that flows in from a yard or street is classed as Category 3 because it can carry soil, runoff and sewage. The restoration crew removes wet insulation, drywall and carpet and disinfects before drying, and a flooded crawl space needs its own drying. Homeowners and renters policies exclude flood, and only a flood policy pays. If storm water reaches a home in the Apex area, ask whether flood damage restoration covers the crawl space as well as the rooms above.

Flood and weather figures for Apex

The city of Apex counts about 67,765 residents, by the Census; the figures below are its own.

14% of homes in Apex sit in larger multi-unit buildings, compared with 14% across North Carolina.

Expected inland flood losses in Apex's ZIP codes run about $82 a year per $100,000 of building value, against $91 across Wake County.

Weather records near Apex's ZIP codes show about 67 nights a year at or below freezing.

  • 25,148 Housing units
  • 4% Homes built before 1980Wake County: 19% Apex4%Wake19%NC35%
  • 67,765 Residents
  • 25% Homes that are rentedWake County: 36% Apex25%Wake36%NC34%
  • 14% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsWake County: 24% Apex14%Wake24%NC14%
  • 82 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueWake County: 91 Apex82Wake91NC88
  • 67 Nights a year at or below 32 degreesWake County: 70 Apex67Wake70NC70
  • 1% Homes built before 1950Wake County: 3% Apex1%Wake3%NC8%
  • 1% Mobile and manufactured homesWake County: 3% Apex1%Wake3%NC11%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.

Getting ready in Apex

Apex's housing is young, with 4% of homes built before 1980, but newer subdivisions still take on water. NOAA's climate normals show 13 days a year with an inch of rain or more. Graded lots settle in their first years, and new mulch beds can trap water against a foundation. Before the next storm, clear the downspouts and extend them well past the foundation. Fill any spot where soil has sunk toward the walls.

If your home has a basement or crawl space with a sump pump, pour a bucket of water into the pit to test it. A battery backup keeps it running when storms cut the power. Clear and cover basement window wells, and move papers, photos and electronics off lower floors. Look up your address on the FEMA flood map, especially near a creek or a retention pond. Only 0.8% of Wake County homes carry federal flood insurance, and FEMA notes a 30-day waiting period before a new flood policy takes effect.

When water does get in, shut off power to wet rooms, take photos and call. Storm water jobs start with extraction and moisture readings. Wet carpet drying can work after a clean supply-line leak, but storm water is Category 3, so the pad usually comes out. Water removal in Chapel Hill follows the same steps.

Getting your paperwork ready in Apex

Before storm season, look up your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to see its flood zone, and keep a copy. Walk through the house with your phone and record each room, including the basement, the furnace and the water heater. Keep your policy numbers, the main water shutoff location and the breaker panel location written down somewhere you can reach without power. Move papers, photos and electronics off basement floors. If a flood comes, those records make cleanup and any claim faster, and they help the restoration company see what the rooms looked like before the water. Floodwater that reached hardwood or laminate usually means floor water damage repair after drying.

What Apex callers ask about floods

What does a FEMA flood risk rating mean for my Apex home?

FEMA's National Risk Index rates counties and census tracts for hazards such as riverine and coastal flooding, from very low to very high, using expected losses and community factors. It describes the area, not one house: a low lot or a basement can flood in a lower-rated area. Check your own FEMA flood zone too.

How do I keep storm water out of a Apex basement?

Most basement water from storms comes from runoff at the foundation. Point downspouts away from the house, keep the yard sloping away, test the sump pump and its backup, and seal cracks and window wells.

Is flood cleanup different from other water damage?

Yes. Outside floodwater is Category 3 under the IICRC S500 standard, so carpet, pad, insulation and drywall below the water line are removed rather than dried, and hard surfaces are disinfected. Sewage and chemicals in floodwater are why the crew wears protective gear.

What should I do after floodwater gets into my Apex home?

Keep out of the water until the electricity to the area is off. Floodwater counts as contaminated, so wear boots and gloves if you must go in. Photograph the water line, then call for extraction and drying; soaked porous materials below the line are usually removed.

Where can I check the flood zone for a Apex address?

On the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov: type the address to see its flood zone and the map's date. FEMA's National Risk Index adds a county and ZIP view of expected flood losses. A low-risk zone is not a no-risk zone; water from heavy rain still reaches basements outside mapped flood areas.

Other guides for Apex

Apex guides on costs, first steps and floods

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