77 flood insurance claims·$2.1M paid·2 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 Kaufman 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 risk profile in Kaufman County, accounting for 70 out of 86 total recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 16 general flood events. This risk is driven by slow-moving upper troughs, low-pressure systems, and storm boundaries that produce prolonged heavy rainfall. Recent activity includes multiple flash flood events in January and June 2024, as well as July 2025, when saturated atmospheres and slow storm motions triggered widespread flooding across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that property owners in Zone X face significant financial and physical impact, recording 36 claims with an average payout of $39,869 and an average recorded water depth of 25 inches. Zone A properties experienced 31 claims with an average payout of $36,590 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches, while Zone X_SHADED recorded 9 claims averaging $3,767 with an average water depth of 3 inches, and Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $11,768 and an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents should pay the closest attention to properties located in Zone X and Zone A, where claim frequencies and average payout amounts are highest.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
24% of Kaufman County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
41 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 2024, with 9 claims and $292,595 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
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 Kaufman County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1989, 2 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 Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| Hurricane Ike | Sep 7, 2008 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
86 since 1996: 70 flash floods and 16 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jan 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 26, 2024 | $1.0M |
| Flash Flood | Apr 26, 2024 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 26, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2024 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jan 30, 2025. A slow moving upper low generated multiple rounds of rain, some heavy, the night of January 29 into the morning of January 30 across North Texas. Much of the heavy rain and associated flooding occurred in and near the DFW Metroplex.
Flash Flood · Jul 8, 2025. From the July 4th weekend into the early part of the following week, a weak upper trough lingered over North and Central Texas, triggering several days of scattered showers and thunderstorms. A saturated atmosphere combined with slow storm motions resulted in numerous flash flooding events throughout the region, particularly in Central Texas.
Flash Flood · Apr 28, 2024. A shortwave trough, dryline, and Pacific front all worked together to produce multiple rounds of thunderstorms Friday April 26 through Sunday April 28. All modes of severe weather took place across the region, along with multiple instances of flash flooding. 11 tornadoes occurred across McLennan, Hill, and Navarro counties on April 26th, and another 4 tornadoes occurred in Milam, Limestone and Freestone counties o…
Flash Flood · Apr 26, 2024. A shortwave trough, dryline, and Pacific front all worked together to produce multiple rounds of thunderstorms Friday April 26 through Sunday April 28. All modes of severe weather took place across the region, along with multiple instances of flash flooding. 11 tornadoes occurred across McLennan, Hill, and Navarro counties on April 26th, and another 4 tornadoes occurred in Milam, Limestone and Freestone counties o…
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 Kaufman 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.