10 flood insurance claims·$57,753 paid·1 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 Gaines 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 thunderstorms dominates the flood character of Gaines County, accounting for 67 out of 68 recorded flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent NOAA storm data records multiple flash flood events driven by upper-level troughs and rich sub-tropical moisture systems, including events in June 2023, October 2023, and November 2024. These weather systems produced widespread severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, large hail, and localized flash flooding across west Texas.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed in specific risk areas, including Zone A with 7 claims averaging a $9,544 payout and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch, and Zone UNKNOWN with 3 claims averaging a $5,017 payout and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone A or unmapped areas should pay the most attention to these flood risks, as localized storm runoff can still generate damaging water depths.
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 1 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 4 claims and $11,207 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.
23 NOAA storm reports from Gaines County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1992, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Ice Storm | Dec 12, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
68 since 1996: 67 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Nov 17, 2024 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 3, 2023 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2021 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 22, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2019 | $4,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2018 | $6,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Nov 17, 2024. A large trough over northern Mexico moved into the southern Great Plains from the evening of November 27 into the morning of November 28. This system caused high winds across the Guadalupe Mountains. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms formed ahead of this trough, producing areas of flash flooding, hail, and damaging wind gusts.
Flash Flood · Oct 3, 2023. An anomalous late-season severe weather setup developed across the southern Great Plains during the start of October. A large slow-moving trough across the Four Corners combined with very rich low-level moisture to produce widespread severe weather and localized flash flooding, especially across portions of southeast New Mexico and west Texas.
Flash Flood · Jun 2, 2023. A large closed upper-low was located over the northern Great Plains with a shortwave trough to the south within the sub-tropical jet stream. These features helped bring rich moisture and instability into the region. Widespread strong to severe thunderstorms developed across much of the region. The Permian Basin and the Stockton Plateau were the two main areas of note. Severe winds, large hail. and a brief tornado…
Flash Flood · May 15, 2021. An upper level trough was centered over California and Nevada. A dryline was present across West Texas. High moisture and instability were present east of the dryline. High wind shear was also across the area. Upper level disturbances moved over the area which helped to increase atmospheric lift. These conditions resulted in thunderstorms with hail, strong winds, and flash flooding across West 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 Gaines 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.