Enter any address in Bowie County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Bowie County, TX. Between 1996 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 83 flash flood events, alongside 6 general flood events and 1 tropical storm. Recent examples include flash flooding on April 4th and June 3rd, 2024, associated with stationary fronts and mesoscale convective systems.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $22,428 and water depths averaging 2.7 feet. However, properties in Zone X have seen higher average payouts ($31,947) and significantly deeper water (8.0 feet), despite fewer claims. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in any zone without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) or with a history of claims, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
38 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Bowie County, Texas has recorded 90 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 83 flash floods and 6 river or area floods. The county has received 27 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1966–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Hurricane | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storms Marco And Laura | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
| Wildfires | Fire | Aug 30, 2011 |
| Hurricane Ike | Hurricane | Sep 7, 2008 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 20, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Dec 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 5, 2025
A stationary front extended across portions of Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas during the early morning hours on April 4th, but lifted north into Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas during the day. This was in response to an intensifying low level jet that developed ahead of a large upper trough that extended from the Intermountain West into the Plains, which provided the necessary l...
Flash Flood — Apr 4, 2025
A stationary front extended across portions of Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas during the early morning hours on April 4th, but lifted north into Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas during the day. This was in response to an intensifying low level jet that developed ahead of a large upper trough that extended from the Intermountain West into the Plains, which provided the necessary l...
Flash Flood — Jun 3, 2024
A linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) advanced southeast into the Ark-La-Tex from Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours on June 3rd. A pocket of strong instability was present ahead of the line, where MLCAPE values ranged from around 2500 to 3500 J/kg range and surface dew points were in the 70s. Instability along with strong large-scale ascent associated with a vorticity maxima ...
Flash Flood — Apr 20, 2023
An upper level low pressure system shifted east from Montana east into the Dakotas on April 20th, with the attendant trough extending southward through the Rockies before ejecting east through the Central and Southern Plains during the afternoon and evening. A strong southerly low level flow ahead of this trough ushered very warm and humid air back north into the Four State Region on the 19th-2...
Flash Flood — Oct 4, 2023
A prolonged period of very heavy rainfall along with severe thunderstorms occurred on October 4th-5th across parts of Northeast Texas. Showers and thunderstorms with 1-3 inch per hour rainfall rates trained in the vicinity of a warm front, which was oriented across the Ark-La-Tex and in adjacent portions of Southeast Oklahoma and Northeast Louisiana. Deep convergence of moisture along the bound...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Bowie County, Texas:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Bowie County, Texas that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.