1 flood insurance claims·$11,853 paid·2 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 Garza 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 and heavy rainfall dominates the flood risk profile in Garza County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 21 flash flood events, alongside 7 general flood events and 1 tropical depression.
Recent occurrences illustrate these patterns. In August 2022, a stationary upper-level storm system brought near-record moisture levels to West Texas, producing torrential rain that saturated soils and inundated area roadways, stopping traffic. In April 2025, a combination of a cold front, an upper-level storm system, and an unstable atmosphere fueled severe thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall and flash flooding across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program records show limited claims activity, with a single claim filed in Zone A resulting in an average payout of $11,853 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Property owners located within Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood risk and mitigation options.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
14 NOAA storm reports from Garza County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1992, 2 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 | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Hurricane Alex | Jun 30, 2010 |
| 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.
29 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 1, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 31, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jun 4, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 29, 2025. A cold front moved into the South Plains region on the afternoon of the 29th which fueled severe thunderstorm development along with flash flooding produced by heavy rainfall. A large upper level storm system was moving southeastward into western New Mexico with a weak short wave trough moving over West Texas. Lift from these features combined with the southward moving cold front to initiate thunderstorms across t…
Flash Flood · Apr 24, 2025. Another day of widespread severe thunderstorms occurred on the afternoon and evening hours of the 24th. Persistent but weak southwesterly flow aloft increased on the 24th which allowed supercell thunderstorms to produce giant hail. Increased low level southeasterly winds also allowed these thunderstorms to produce numerous tornadoes. Thunderstorms initially developed late in the afternoon along a dryline along the…
Flash Flood · Jun 1, 2023. Rich moisture, a weak upper level disturbance, and several low-level boundaries worked in concert to bring torrential rainfall to portions of the south-central and southeastern South Plains on the first. One of the primary factors, in addition to the plentiful moisture, was a low-level boundary, originating from thunderstorm activity that affected the Texas Panhandle the previous evening into the overnight hours,…
Flash Flood · Aug 31, 2022. An upper level storm system became nearly stationary, centered close to El Paso, which allowed extremely moist air to continue to be pumped up into West Texas on the 31st. The near record moisture levels, along with the nearby upper level low, and weak daytime heating, initiated a round of westward-moving showers and thunderstorms that dumped torrential rain in spots adding to the already saturated soils. A number…
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 Garza 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.