Enter any address in Jim Wells County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood hazard in Jim Wells County, with 64 events recorded in the last 30 years. Recent examples include heavy rainfall in July 2023 that caused flooding of roads near San Diego. Tropical Storm Harold also impacted the region in August 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that while Zone A areas have the highest number of claims, properties in shaded and unshaded Zone X areas have experienced higher average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X_SHADED and Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
30 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Jim Wells County, Texas has recorded 79 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 64 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 30 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Hurricane Hanna | Hurricane | Jul 25, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Jun 19, 2018 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
| Hurricane Alex | Hurricane | Jun 30, 2010 |
| Tropical Storm Alex | Hurricane | Jun 27, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 19, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 22, 2023 | 10.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 22, 2023 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Jul 7, 2023 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2021 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2021 | 10.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jul 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 26, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jun 19, 2024
Tropical Storm Alberto was a very broad and unorganized storm that developed across the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Alberto eventually made landfall between the hours of 4-7 AM on June 20, 2024 near Tampico, Mexico. The system brought a variety of hazards to the region, including storm surge, heavy rains, strong winds, and a couple isolated tornadoes. Significant coastal flooding, around 3 to ...
Flood — Aug 22, 2023
Tropical Storm Harold moved west across south Texas on the 22nd. An area of low pressure developed over the central Gulf of Mexico on the 21st. A large area of high pressure over the central United States into the northern Gulf Coast steered the system quickly westward toward the Middle Texas coast. The low strengthened into Tropical Storm Harold by the early morning hours of the 22nd. Harold i...
Tropical Storm — Aug 22, 2023
Tropical Storm Harold moved west across south Texas on the 22nd. An area of low pressure developed over the central Gulf of Mexico on the 21st. A large area of high pressure over the central United States into the northern Gulf Coast steered the system quickly westward toward the Middle Texas coast. The low strengthened into Tropical Storm Harold by the early morning hours of the 22nd. Harold i...
Flood — Jul 7, 2023
A slow moving upper level disturbance interacted with deep moisture over south Texas to produce thunderstorms over the inland Coastal Bend during the early morning hours of the 7th. Thunderstorms producing locally heavy rainfall remained over the inland Coastal Bend for several hours. Rainfall amounts ranged from 4 to 8 inches from north of Alice southwest to near Benavides. This caused floodin...
Flash Flood — Jul 7, 2023
A slow moving upper level disturbance interacted with deep moisture over south Texas to produce thunderstorms over the inland Coastal Bend during the early morning hours of the 7th. Thunderstorms producing locally heavy rainfall remained over the inland Coastal Bend for several hours. Rainfall amounts ranged from 4 to 8 inches from north of Alice southwest to near Benavides. This caused floodin...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Jim Wells County, Texas:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Jim Wells County, Texas that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.