3 flood insurance claims·$5,051 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 Gray 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 heavy rainfall events dominates the flood history of Gray County. Over the last 30 years, the National Centers for Environmental Information recorded 14 flash flood events and 3 general flood events. Heavy rainfall tied to severe storms frequently triggers these conditions. For instance, heavy rainfall caused flooding in the county on May 22, 2023, following storm development across the south-central and southeastern Texas Panhandle. Additionally, multiple rounds of thunderstorms between June 2 and June 4, 2023, brought slow-moving storms, residual outflow boundaries, and heavy, long-lasting rainfall to the region.
Federal insurance claims data shows historical payouts in both high-risk and moderate-to-low-risk zones. Properties located in FEMA-designated Zone A recorded two claims with an average payout of $2,525 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone X recorded one claim with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within Zone A, where historical claims indicate a higher potential for financial loss and structural water accumulation during heavy precipitation events.
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 2 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 2010, with 1 claims and $3,656 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.
7 NOAA storm reports from Gray County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Rest Area Fire | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Mcclellan Fire | Apr 17, 2018 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
17 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2025 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 22, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Aug 16, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2021 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2016 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 29, 2025. A cold front moved through the combined Panhandles early in the morning of April 29th. Storms developed ahead of the front and some produced severe hail and wind. Heavy rainfall led to some flash flooding. As a weather disturbance crossed the region during the afternoon of April 30th, a few storms became strong to severe.
Flash Flood · May 22, 2023. Early in the afternoon on the 22nd, multiple storms developed across the south central to southeastern Texas Panhandle. Some of these storms produced hail up to 1.5 and some heavy rainfall causing flooding in Gray County. Later in the afternoon a supercell developed over Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle with another supercell forming in southwest Kansas before moving into the central and eastern portions of…
Flash Flood · Jun 4, 2023. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms the 2nd through the 4th brought high winds, flooding, and some landspout tornadoes to the combined Panhandles. June 2nd brought high winds and flooding to both the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle. The moisture continued into the 3rd and 4th but with slower moving storms and residual outflow boundaries from the 2nd storms produced heavy long lasting rainfall, as well as landspout torna…
Flood · Aug 16, 2021. An upper level low was centered in central Oklahoma within a trough that extended from the Great Lakes to West Texas. The trough combined with abundant monsoonal moisture, modest instability, and wind shear led to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms that developed in the Texas Panhandle during the afternoon hours. Some of these storms produced hail up to 1 inch in diameter and some minor nuisance flooding. H…
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 Gray 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.