Enter any address in Lee County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent type of flood event in Lee County, TX, with 51 occurrences recorded by NOAA over the past 30 years, resulting in two fatalities. These events can be triggered by various atmospheric conditions, such as the interaction of outflow boundaries with upper-level troughs, as seen on May 3, 2019, and May 26, 2016. Tropical Storm Harvey also impacted the region on August 26, 2017, contributing to flood conditions.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone X have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $32,058 for an average water depth of 1.3 feet. Properties in unknown zones also show a significant number of claims. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and unknown zones, should pay close attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
14 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lee County, Texas has recorded 54 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 51 flash floods and 1 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1987–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Hurricane | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 30, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | May 22, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 3, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 26, 2017 | 250.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 26, 2017 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2016 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Apr 18, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 30, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jun 16, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 13, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2015 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — May 3, 2019
Convection from the previous day left a number of outflow boundaries across South Central Texas. These interacted with a mid to upper level shortwave trough to trigger thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced tornadoes, large hail, damaging wind gusts, and heavy rain that led to flash flooding.
Flood — Aug 26, 2017
Hurricane Harvey moved onshore as a Category 4 hurricane over San Jose Island east of Rockport during the late evening of August 25th. Harvey moved inland entering southern DeWitt County during the morning of August 26th as a Category 1 hurricane. It continued to weaken as it moved farther inland eventually reaching south central Gonzales County as a tropical storm during the late evening of A...
Tropical Storm — Aug 26, 2017
Hurricane Harvey moved onshore as a Category 4 hurricane over San Jose Island east of Rockport during the late evening of August 25th. Harvey moved inland entering southern DeWitt County during the morning of August 26th as a Category 1 hurricane. It continued to weaken as it moved farther inland eventually reaching south central Gonzales County as a tropical storm during the late evening of A...
Flash Flood — May 26, 2016
An upper level trough moved out of the southern Rockies and provided sufficient lift to form thunderstorms along a dryline in west Texas. These storms moved into South Central Texas and were further enhanced by an outflow boundary that moved out of north Texas. Some of these storms produced large hail, damaging wind gusts, and heavy rain that led to flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Apr 18, 2016
Persistent southeasterly flow in the low levels increased surface dewpoint temperatures to the middle 60s across South Central Texas. This allowed a deep upper level low and surface cold front to cause thunderstorms that produced locally heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding. A few storms also produced large hail.
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 Lee 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 Lee 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.