38 flood insurance claims·$290,147 paid·3 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 Menard 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Menard County, accounting for the vast majority of historical flood events over the past 30 years compared to standard river floods and tropical depressions. Recent storm activity includes devastating and historic flash flooding in northern and northeast portions of the Northwest Hill Country on July 4th, driven by abundant tropical moisture and slow-moving thunderstorms that produced rainfall totals of 10 to 16 inches and localized amounts near 25 inches. Additional rounds of flash flooding and flooding occurred in late May when an upper-level low-pressure system and stationary front produced severe thunderstorms across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 22 claims at an average payout of $12,924 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Properties designated as Zone UNKNOWN logged 11 claims averaging $7,586 with an average water depth of 2 inches, while Zone X properties recorded 5 claims averaging $10,213 with an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within high-risk Zone A and unmapped or unknown zones, as these areas have experienced the most frequent and costly flood claims.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Menard County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
22 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 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 1980, with 11 claims and $75,856 paid.
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.
10 NOAA storm reports from Menard County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1993, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jul 2, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 10, 2018 |
| Wildfires | Aug 30, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
43 since 1996: 36 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 26, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 20, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 26, 2025. The combination of an upper level area of low pressure and a stationary frontal boundary in the area, resulted in many rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms across west central Texas during late May. In addition, strong to locally extreme surface instability along with strong vertical wind shear assisted with the development of severe thunderstorms. A few of the severe storms produced very large to giant size…
Flash Flood · May 26, 2025. The combination of an upper level area of low pressure and a stationary frontal boundary in the area, resulted in many rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms across west central Texas during late May. In addition, strong to locally extreme surface instability along with strong vertical wind shear assisted with the development of severe thunderstorms. A few of the severe storms produced very large to giant size…
Flash Flood · Nov 20, 2025. The combination of well above normal moisture and a weak storm system brought considerable to catastrophic flash flooding in Menard County due to excessive heavy rainfall.
Flash Flood · Jul 13, 2025. The combination of deep tropical moisture and a weak upper level area of low pressure produced heavy rainfall and flash flooding across portions of the Northwest Hill Country and Heartland.
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 Menard 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.