2 flood insurance claims·$642 paid·4 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 McMullen 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 history of McMullen County, supported by 22 flash flood events compared to 7 general flood events over the last 30 years. Tropical disturbances and heavy regional rainfall frequently overwhelm local watersheds, resulting in significant overflow along major river systems. For example, a tropical low-pressure system in August 2022 generated a major flood wave along the Nueces River that impacted the county from August 17 through the 24th. Similarly, heavy rains across the Upper Nueces River watershed led to major river flooding that reached the county during the latter half of October 2018.
Historical National Flood Insurance Program records for the county include two claims filed in Zone A, with an average payout of $642 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Property owners and real estate agents with interests near rivers, particularly the Nueces River corridor and surrounding watersheds, should pay the closest attention to flood risks in this region.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6 NOAA storm reports from McMullen County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Hurricane Hanna | Jul 25, 2020 |
| Tropical Storm Alex | Jun 27, 2010 |
| 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.
29 since 1996: 22 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 18, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 15, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Sep 20, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Oct 20, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Oct 2, 2017 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2015 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Aug 18, 2022. Very heavy rainfall occurred over Webb and Duval Counties associated with a tropical low pressure system on the 15th and 16th. Flood wave that originated in San Casamiro Creek in Webb County flowed into the Nueces River, Major river flooding occurred from southeast La Salle County through McMullen County to Live Oak County from the 17th through the 24th.
Flash Flood · Aug 15, 2022. As the tropical disturbance moves west into the Brush Country on the 15th, bands of showers and thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall. This caused flash flooding in the Laredo area and over portions of the Brush Country. Rainfall estimates of 5 to 8 inches were widespread across the Brush Country with localized amounts of 10 to 15 inches over western Duval County and southwest Webb County.
Flood · Sep 20, 2018. Heavy rains across Nueces County caused major flooding along Oso Creek on the 16th. Heavy rains across the Brush Country led to flooding along the Nueces River by the latter part of the month. Nueces River reached major flood stage near Tilden on the 21st.
Flood · Oct 20, 2018. A couple of episodes of locally heavy rain on the 7th and 15th over the Upper Nueces River watershed provided periods of major flooding on the Nueces River. The flood wave reached McMullen County during the latter half of the month of October.
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 McMullen 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.