19 flood insurance claims·$738,287 paid·4 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 Gillespie 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 heavy-rain thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Gillespie County, which recorded 97 flash flood events and 3 general flood events over the last 30 years, resulting in 4 deaths. Severe weather patterns frequently trigger these localized inundations, such as when thunderstorms developed along an outflow boundary in October 2023, and when a weak upper-level trough from the Gulf generated heavy rain in July 2025.
Federal insurance data reflects flood claims across different zones in the county. Zone X properties account for 10 claims with an average payout of $44,338 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone A properties represent 8 claims with a higher average payout of $157,202 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. An additional claim was filed in an unknown zone with an average payout of $650 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zone A) given the significantly higher average claim payouts, while acknowledging that moderate-risk areas (Zone X) also experience damaging flood claims.
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 2026, with 6 claims and $647,302 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.
23 NOAA storm reports from Gillespie County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1991, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Crabapple Fire | Mar 15, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 30, 2023 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
100 since 1996: 97 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 11, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 26, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 21, 2020 | $10,000 · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Apr 3, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 11, 2025. A mid-level shortwave trough moved over Texas and combined with an abnormally moist airmass to generate thunderstorms. These storms were very efficient rain producers dropping locally heavy rain that led to flash flooding. There were also a few severe thunderstorms.
Flash Flood · Jul 9, 2025. A weak upper-level trough moved over Texas from the Gulf providing enough lift to generate isolated showers and thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced locally heavy rain that led to flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 6, 2025. A persistent mid-level anticyclonic circulation remained over Texas and generated thunderstorms over South-Central Texas. Some of these storms produced locally heavy rain that led to flash flooding.
Flash Flood · May 29, 2023. An upper level shortwave trough generated thunderstorms in a very moist airmass. Some of these storms produced locally heavy rain that led to flash flooding.
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 Gillespie 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.