25 flood insurance claims·$648,003 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 Lee 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 dominates the flood risk profile in Lee County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 51 flash flood events resulting in two deaths, alongside two tropical storm events and one general flood event. Severe weather events have included heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding, such as the storms on May 26, 2016, driven by an upper-level trough and outflow boundaries. Tropical systems also impact the area, notably when Hurricane Harvey moved inland and brought heavy flooding to the region in August 2017.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that flood risks extend across multiple zones. Zone X recorded 10 claims with an average payout of $48,088 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 9 claims averaging $32,162 with an average water depth of 2 inches, while Zone A logged 6 claims averaging $25,545 with an average water depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay close attention to properties across all mapped and unmapped zones, as historical claims and average water depths demonstrate that flood risks exist outside of traditional high-risk flood areas.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 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 2017, with 12 claims and $271,004 paid, the year of Hurricane Harvey.
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.
14 NOAA storm reports from Lee County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1987, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 30, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 22, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
54 since 1996: 51 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 3, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Aug 26, 2017 | $250,000 |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 26, 2017 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2016 | — · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Apr 18, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 30, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2015 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Jun 16, 2015 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 August 26th. The cent…
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 August 26th. The cent…
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.
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 Lee 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.