21 flood insurance claims·$669,650 paid·3 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 Erath 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 driven by slow-moving summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Erath County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA recorded 36 flash flood events resulting in 3 deaths, alongside 8 general flood events. Recent history underscores this hazard, including a May 31, 2024 event where saturated ground from above-normal monthly rainfall allowed a second round of overnight thunderstorms to trigger flash flooding. Similarly, persistent showers from a slow-moving upper-level trough produced heavy rain and flooding across the region during the first week of September 2020.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property damage extends beyond high-risk areas. Zone X properties recorded 14 claims with an average payout of $42,180 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Meanwhile, Zone A properties logged 6 claims with an average payout of $34,279 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X shaded recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $0 and an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties in both designated high-risk zones and moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas, where localized heavy rainfall frequently leads to property damage.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 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 2015, with 8 claims and $446,214 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds 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.
10 NOAA storm reports from Erath County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1990, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 22, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Mar 7, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
44 since 1996: 36 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Sep 2, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2019 | $10,000 · 3 killed |
| Flood | May 31, 2016 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2016 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2016 | — |
| Flood | May 13, 2015 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 6, 2025. From the July 4th weekend into the early part of the following week, a weak upper trough lingered over North and Central Texas, triggering several days of scattered showers and thunderstorms. A saturated atmosphere combined with slow storm motions resulted in numerous flash flooding events throughout the region, particularly in Central Texas.
Flash Flood · May 31, 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…
Flood · Sep 2, 2020. An upper level trough moved very slowly from the Rockies into the Plains during the first week of September, resulting in several days of showers and thunderstorms. Many storms became strong with gusty winds and hail, but the primary result was heavy rain and flooding. Unfortunately, a couple died in Temple Texas in a house fire that was started by lightning.
Flash Flood · Apr 24, 2019. Storms which developed along a slow-moving cold front produced pockets of wind damage along with areas of flooding across the region Tuesday night into Wednesday. Three members of a family drowned in a flash flood when they drove their vehicle across a flooded road in Erath County.
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 Erath 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.