17 flood insurance claims·$587,394 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 Freestone 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 storms and slow-moving weather systems dominates the flood risks in Freestone County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 44 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 8 general flood events and 1 tropical storm. Recent impacts include heavy rainfall and training thunderstorms produced by a slow-moving front and upper trough in April 2025, as well as an upper-level low and remnant mesoscale convective vortices that caused multi-day flash flooding in June 2025.
Federal insurance data reveals that property damage occurs across both mapped high-risk and lower-risk areas. Homeowners in Zone X have filed 7 claims with an average payout of $76,334 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 6 claims averaging $42,437 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Zone A accounts for 3 claims with an average payout of $13,326 and an average water depth of 3 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN records 1 claim averaging $4,539 with a 2-inch average water depth. Residents in both designated special flood hazard areas and moderate-to-low risk zones should pay close attention to these patterns, as claims and standing water depths demonstrate vulnerability outside traditional flood zones.
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 6 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 2019, with 4 claims and $131,960 paid.
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.
22 NOAA storm reports from Freestone County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Jul 5, 2024 |
| 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 And Flooding | Oct 30, 2013 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
53 since 1996: 44 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 12, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 9, 2024 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Jul 7, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 30, 2025. A slow moving front and an upper trough generated scattered thunderstorms on April 29, and widespread showers and thunderstorms on April 30, across much of North and Central Texas. Some of these storms became severe with large hail and damaging winds, but the most impactful weather was flash flooding due to the slow movement of the front and the resulting ���training��� of thunderstorms along and near…
Flash Flood · Jun 12, 2025. An upper level low and remnant MCVs produced several rounds of heavy rain and training storms that produced flash flooding for a few day across the region, mainly across Central Texas.
Flash Flood · Apr 28, 2024. A shortwave trough, dryline, and Pacific front all worked together to produce multiple rounds of thunderstorms Friday April 26 through Sunday April 28. All modes of severe weather took place across the region, along with multiple instances of flash flooding. 11 tornadoes occurred across McLennan, Hill, and Navarro counties on April 26th, and another 4 tornadoes occurred in Milam, Limestone and Freestone counties o…
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.
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 Freestone 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.