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 Knox 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 weather events dominates the flood risk profile in Knox County, Texas, supported by 17 recorded flash flood events compared to 10 general flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent weather patterns illustrate this severe storm hazard. In May 2023, repeated rounds of heavy rainfall caused flash flooding across portions of the county. More recently, in June 2024, multiple rounds of heavy rainfall from the 10th into the morning of the 11th led to significant urban and river flooding across Knox and Baylor Counties.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties in low-lying areas, locations prone to rapid surface runoff, and urban sites susceptible to intense rainfall accumulation during severe weather outbreaks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5 NOAA storm reports from Knox County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1989, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 10, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Swenson Fire | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
27 since 1996: 17 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 27, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Jun 11, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2018 | — |
| Flood | May 23, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2010 | — |
| Flood | Oct 16, 2006 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 27, 2024. A widespread, long-duration and historic severe weather and tornado outbreak occurred from the late morning through late evening on the 27th. In all, 32 tornadoes affected portions of the WFO Norman Forecast Area, the third most in a single day during the period of reliable record. This included six significant (EF-2+) tornadoes and one violent (EF-4) tornado that struck Marietta (Love County). ||Synoptically, a s…
Flood · Jun 11, 2024. Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall from the 10th into the morning of the 11th led to urban and river flooding across portions of western-north Texas. The most significant flooding occurred across Knox and Baylor Counties.
Flash Flood · May 7, 2023. A subtle/low-amplitude trough helped to trigger scattered strong to severe storms across western-north Texas/far southwest Oklahoma on the 7th. A few reports of damaging wind and large hail were noted. Repeated rounds of heavy rainfall across portions of Knox County, Texas lead to reports of flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Sep 21, 2018. Abundant moisture from the gulf and a remnant tropical system converged with a front coming in from northwest early on the morning of the 21st resulting in widespread heavy rain and numerous reports of flash flooding across central and south central Oklahoma and western north Texas through the day.
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 Knox 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.