119 flood insurance claims·$3.9M paid·6 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 Jones 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 severe thunderstorms and slow-moving cold fronts dominates the flood risks in Jones County, Texas. Over a 30-year period, NOAA records indicate 27 flash flood events, 11 general flood events resulting in two deaths, and one tropical depression.
Recent events illustrate these hazards. In May 2021, a slow-moving cold front dropped two to four inches of rain north of Interstate 20, flooding several regional roads. In September 2020, heavy rainfall from a Canadian cold front and upper-level low flooded low-water crossings, U.S. 277, and Lake Stamford. During this September 2020 event, two occupants drowned while attempting to cross a flooded low-water crossing on Red Mud Creek. Another severe thunderstorm event occurred in June 2025, producing large hail and damaging winds.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows varying impacts across zones. Zone A accounts for 64 claims with an average payout of $58,501 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Zone X_SHADED recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $34,086 and an average water depth of 10 inches. Zone X recorded 10 claims with an average payout of $23,927 and an average water depth of 3 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED saw 24 claims averaging $8,499 with an average water depth of 2 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN logged 17 claims averaging $6,951 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners and real estate agents with properties in Zone A and shaded or unshaded Zone X areas should pay close attention to these historical payout and water depth averages when assessing risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
30% of Jones County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
91 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 4 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 2007, with 30 claims and $1.9M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding and Tropical Storm Erin.
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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Jones County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
24 federal disaster declarations since 1990, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 10, 2018 |
| 335 Fire | Apr 13, 2018 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 17, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
39 since 1996: 27 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 31, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Sep 9, 2020 | — · 2 killed |
| Flash Flood | Sep 8, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Sep 21, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Oct 17, 2018 | $6.2M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 8, 2025. The combination of a strong upper level area of low pressure and a cold front resulted in numerous severe thunderstorms across the Big Country during the late afternoon and night time hours. Also, extreme surface instability and strong wind shear helped produce supercell thunderstorms and significant severe weather. The severe storms produced very large hail and intense damaging winds including significant wind da…
Flood · May 31, 2021. A slow moving cold front interacted with a very warm and moist airmass across the region and produced very heavy rainfall mainly along and north of I20. About 2 to 4 inches fell mainly along and north of a line from Sterling City to Brownwood and flooded several roads across the region.
Flood · Sep 9, 2020. An unusual strong Canadian Cold Front and an upper level low parked across the Four Corners resulted in very heavy rainfall in a short period time and a few severe weather reports in portions of the northern Big Country. This heavy rain flooded low water crossings and even U.S. 277 across the region and caused Lake Stamford to flood. Two occupants in a vehicle went missing on September 9. They both drowned as t…
Flash Flood · Sep 8, 2020. An unusual strong Canadian Cold Front and an upper level low parked across the Four Corners resulted in very heavy rainfall in a short period time and a few severe weather reports in portions of the northern Big Country. This heavy rain flooded low water crossings and even U.S. 277 across the region and caused Lake Stamford to flood. Two occupants in a vehicle went missing on September 9. They both drowned as t…
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 Jones 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.