2,456 flood insurance claims·$107.7M paid·8 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 Guadalupe 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 intense thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Guadalupe County, accounting for 95 out of 103 recorded flood events and 8 deaths over the last 30 years, alongside 7 general floods and 1 tropical storm. NOAA storm records illustrate this pattern, noting that heavy rainfall driven by moist airmasses and shortwave troughs triggered flash flooding on June 12, 2025. Another significant excessive rain episode occurred on October 14, 2021, when a weather pattern involving a cold front, low pressure, and the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Pamela caused considerable flash and river flooding.
NFIP claim data demonstrates that flood risks extend beyond high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 1,729 claims with an average payout of $51,468 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X recorded 361 claims averaging $47,600 with an average depth of 15 inches, shaded Zone X recorded 220 claims averaging $51,674 with an average depth of 14 inches, and unshaded Zone X recorded 140 claims averaging $49,407 with an average depth of 9 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in both designated high-risk flood zones and moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas should pay close attention to these historical payout and water depth averages when evaluating property risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
17% of Guadalupe County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
2,089 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 13 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 1998, with 876 claims and $61.2M paid, the year of Tropical Storm Charley and Flooding 10/18/98.
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.
26 NOAA storm reports from Guadalupe County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Oct 22, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| Tropical Storm Alex | Jun 27, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
103 since 1996: 95 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2025 | $2.5M |
| Flash Flood | Oct 14, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 28, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 26, 2017 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 10, 2017 | — · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2016 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 12, 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 5, 2025. Precipitable water values over South-Central Texas remained near record levels, and a mid-level anticyclonic circulation continued over Central Texas providing lift to generate thunderstorms. These storms were efficient rain making storms leading to another night of excessive rainfall. Parts of Burnet and Travis Counties received 12-16 inches of rain in approximately six hours that led to deadly flash flooding. Ei…
Flash Flood · Oct 14, 2021. A complicated weather pattern developed over South Central Texas when a dryline and cold front moved out of West Texas as an upper level low moved into the Central Plains. At the same time the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Pamela moved across northern Mexico. The airmass over the region was warm and moist with near record precipitable water values. This set up led to an excessive rain episode with considerable fla…
Flash Flood · Mar 28, 2018. A cold front moved into a warm, very moist airmass over South Central Texas and generated thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced large hail and heavy rain. The heavy rain led to localized flash flooding. Rainfall totals in worst hit counties ranged from 4.09 to 5.72 inches.
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 Guadalupe 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.