2,405 flood insurance claims·$190.8M paid·10 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 Hardin 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.
Frequent flash flooding from severe weather systems dominates the recorded flood history of Hardin County, supplemented by broader floods and tropical events. According to the NOAA Storm Events Database over the last 30 years, the county experienced 47 flash flood events, 6 general floods, 2 tropical storms, and 2 hurricanes. Recent documented events include flash flooding on May 16, 2024, and May 13, 2024, caused by a stationary upper trough that brought multiple days of heavy rain and squall lines. Additional flash flooding occurred on November 9, 2024, when moisture from a stalling frontal boundary and Tropical Storm Rafael streamed north into Southeast Texas.
NFIP claims data demonstrates that flood impacts extend across multiple zones, with the highest concentration of historical claims in Zone X and Zone A. Specifically, Zone X recorded 1,192 claims with an average payout of $103,728 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches, while Zone A recorded 819 claims with an average payout of $104,928 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Homeowners and real estate professionals working with properties in these higher-claim zones, as well as unshaded and shaded Zone X areas, should pay close attention to historical water depths and claim frequencies when evaluating local flood risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
30% of Hardin County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,176 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 5 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 2017, with 851 claims and $155.1M paid, the year of Hurricane Harvey.
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.
10 NOAA storm reports from Hardin County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storms Marco And Laura | Aug 23, 2020 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 22, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Oct 22, 2015 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
57 since 1996: 47 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2024 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Dec 26, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 13, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 10, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 9, 2024 | $75,000 |
| Flash Flood | Nov 9, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 29, 2024. Short waves traversed the region during the afternoons at the end of May. This occurred while the area was at peak afternoon heating each day which set the stage for severe thunderstorms to develop.
Flash Flood · Apr 29, 2024. A line of thunderstorms moved across Southeast Texas causing another round of heavy rain and severe weather. This produced more flooding in areas that had not completely drained from rain earlier in the month.
Flash Flood · Dec 26, 2024. A series of short waves moved across the region during late December causing multiple rounds of severe weather and flooding. One long lived tornado formed southeast of Houston and moved into deep southeast Texas before crossing into Louisiana.
Flash Flood · May 16, 2024. An upper trough parked over the region for near a week. Short waves kept traversing the base of the trough for the duration of the event causing several days of unsettled weather. Some days produced severe squall lines with numerous reports of damage.
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 Hardin 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.