569 flood insurance claims·$7.6M paid·6 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Brazos County, Texas. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from severe weather events dominates the flood history of Brazos County, accounting for 46 out of 53 total recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 4 general floods and 3 tropical storms. Recent historical records illustrate this pattern, including severe storms in April and May 2024 that produced widespread flash flooding and significant damage, as well as a slow-moving thunderstorm system in October 2018 that dropped 4 to nearly 10 inches of rain across the Brazos River Valley.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risks extend well beyond high-risk flood zones. Zone X properties recorded the highest claim volume with 273 claims, averaging a payout of $16,802 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. Zone A properties experienced 210 claims, with an average payout of $27,804 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Additional claims occurred in unshaded Zone X, shaded Zone X, and unknown zones, which averaged lower payouts and 1 inch of recorded water depth.
Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated flood hazard areas and moderate-to-low risk zones should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns, as properties outside high-risk zones frequently experience damaging water levels.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
25% of Brazos County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
283 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 8 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2016, with 74 claims and $3.0M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
12 NOAA storm reports from Brazos County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1991, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 22, 2016 |
| Hurricane Ike | Sep 7, 2008 |
| Hurricane Gustav | Aug 27, 2008 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
53 since 1996: 46 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2024 | $400,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2024 | $400,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 14, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 13, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 25, 2017 | $15.0M |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2016 | $100,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 6, 2025. Thunderstorms produced large hail and flash flooding across portions of southeast Texas.
Flash Flood · Apr 28, 2024. Evening through overnight storms produced a lot of flash flooding, a couple tornadoes, some winds damage and some hail.
Flash Flood · May 16, 2024. On the evening of May 16, a derecho moved into SE TX. This resulted in extensive wind damage across much of the Greater Houston area, including much of Downtown Houston. Maximum wind gusts were estimated to have reached over 100 mph. Additionally, the system produced two tornadoes and widespread flash flooding. Power outages resulting from the derecho lasted multiple days for hundreds of thousands of people.
Flood · May 1, 2024. A series of wind and heavy rain events hit the area in late April and early May leading to significant damages. These entries include cumulative dollar damage estimates primarily from the flood events as reported by the counties.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Brazos County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.