370 flood insurance claims·$10.4M paid·5 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 Cooke 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 dominates the historical flood profile of Cooke County, accounting for 66 recorded events and 4 deaths over the last 30 years, alongside 10 general flood events. This risk was demonstrated during the large storm complex on the evening of October 24, 2025, driven by an upper-level low that brought severe weather and isolated instances of flash flooding across North and Central Texas.
NFIP claims data demonstrates that flood risk extends across multiple designated zones, led by Zone A with 256 claims averaging $33,486 and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 33 claims with an average payout of $41,845 and an average water depth of 8 inches, while Zone X shaded recorded 18 claims with an average payout of $30,709 and an average water depth of 9 inches. Unshaded Zone X properties experienced 40 claims averaging $20,037 with an average water depth of 4 inches, and properties with unknown zones recorded 23 claims averaging $22,823 with an average water depth of 7 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, which accounts for the vast majority of historical insurance claims, as well as properties in shaded and unshaded Zone X areas where significant average water depths and payouts still occur.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Cooke County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
314 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 10 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 2007, with 124 claims and $6.3M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Cooke County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2007 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
76 since 1996: 66 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Oct 24, 2025 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 24, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 12, 2024 | $6,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 10, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Oct 24, 2025. An upper-level low brought two main rounds of thunderstorms to North and Central Texas during the last week of October 2025. The first, and most severe, was a large storm complex on the evening of October 24, followed by isolated activity on the afternoon of October 25. Severe weather primarily consisted of thunderstorm wind damage and isolated instances of flash flooding.
Flash Flood · May 30, 2024. Another complex of thunderstorms moved southeast through North and Central Texas during the day on May 30, producing scattered wind damage and severe hail along with some flash flooding. A second round of storms initiated along the dryline Thursday evening, producing more severe weather and flash flooding overnight into the early morning hours of May 31. After above normal rainfall throughout the month, grounds we…
Flash Flood · May 12, 2024. A pair of shortwave troughs generated two rounds of thunderstorms; one on May 11 and the other on May 12. Most storms occurred on Sunday as the second and stronger disturbance moved overhead. Some storms became severe producing hail up to golf ball sized, but flash flooding became the main impact with the later round of storms on May 12th, especially in Central Texas.
Flash Flood · May 9, 2024. Severe thunderstorms impacted counties along the Red River and in the northeastern portions of North Texas on May 8th. Hail up to golf ball size was the main impact, but 2 small tornadoes occurred in rural parts of Lamar County. On May 9th, scattered thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front as a shortwave trough moved overhead. These storms produced large hail up to softball size (in Hill County), d…
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 Cooke 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.