1 flood insurance claims·$390 paid·1 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 Martin 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 heavy rainfall systems dominates the flood character of Martin County, Texas, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 31 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent occurrences illustrate these weather patterns. On May 15, 2020, an upper-level trough moving from the west combined with a dryline, plentiful moisture, and high instability to produce thunderstorms that resulted in flash flooding across the region. A similar regional setup occurred on September 13, 2025, when a nearby trough and a very moist airmass drove a line of showers and thunderstorms across Southeast New Mexico and West Texas, generating multiple reports of flash flooding.
Historical National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records for Martin County reflect minimal claims activity, including a single claim in an unknown zone that resulted in an average payout of $390 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Given the recorded history of 31 flash flood events, homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists monitoring localized storm risks should pay attention to properties vulnerable to sudden, intense rainfall runoff.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7 NOAA storm reports from Martin County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1992, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Price Fire | May 1, 2008 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
31 since 1996: 31 flash floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 13, 2025 | $60,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 13, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 4, 2020 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 7, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 26, 2017 | $200 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 22, 2015 | $750 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Sep 13, 2025. A nearby trough, coupled with a very moist airmass, led to the development of a line of showers and thunderstorms in New Mexico during the morning of the 13th. This line moved across Southeast New Mexico and West Texas throughout the day, strengthening in the afternoon thanks to diurnal destabilization. Additional thunderstorms developed in Southeast New Mexico behind this line in the higher terrain. Though no sev…
Flash Flood · May 15, 2020. An upper level trough moved over the region from the west. A dryline was across West Texas and southeast New Mexico with plentiful moisture east of the dryline. High instability was also in place across the area. These conditions resulted in thunderstorms developing that produced large hail, severe winds, and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Mar 4, 2020. There was an upper level low over far West Texas which provided atmospheric lift. An abundance of moisture was across the area. The lift and moisture combined to produce rain which resulted in flash flooding across the Permian Basin.
Flash Flood · Sep 7, 2018. An upper trough was slowly moving across the Central Plains. A lingering cold front from the previous day was still across the area providing a source of lift along with the upper trough. West Texas was also under a favorable region of the jet stream for lift. There was a plentiful supply of moisture across the area. All of this moisture and lift resulted in flash flooding across portions of West Texas.
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 Martin 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.