145 flood insurance claims·$1.6M 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 Midland 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 profile of Midland County, Texas, accounting for 197 out of 200 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside one recorded fatality.
Recent occurrences documented by NOAA illustrate this pattern. In June 2025, a weak trough and monsoonal moisture produced slow-moving thunderstorms that caused localized flash flooding. Shortly after, in July 2025, anomalous moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, combined with frontal boundaries and subtropical moisture plumes, triggered tropical downpours and additional flash flooding across the area.
NFIP claims data demonstrates that flood risks extend beyond designated high-risk areas. While Zone A properties account for 81 claims with an average payout of $16,918 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, Zone X properties also recorded 36 claims with an average payout of $15,214 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties in both Zone A and Zone X, as both zones experience measurable flooding with identical average water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2% of Midland County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
83 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 2010, with 23 claims and $484,540 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.
93 NOAA storm reports from Midland County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
19 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 |
| Ceed Fire | May 24, 2011 |
| Hickman Fire | Apr 9, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Bates Field Fire | Apr 3, 2011 |
| Greenwood Fire | Mar 20, 2009 |
| Price Fire | May 1, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
200 since 1996: 197 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2025 | $40,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2025 | $175,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2025 | $80,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2024 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2024 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 30, 2025. A slow-moving cold front ahead of an approaching shortwave trough resulted in numerous thunderstorms across the Permian Basin. Flash flooding and damaging winds were reported in some locations.
Flash Flood · Jun 26, 2025. A weak trough west of the region and continued monsoonal moisture resulted in afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Localized areas of flash flooding and severe microbursts occurred in regions with slow-moving, strong thunderstorms.
Flash Flood · Jul 3, 2025. Anomalously high moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry encouraged the development of tropical downpours across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. These downpours resulted in Flash Flooding for portions of the area.
Flash Flood · Jul 1, 2025. A weak frontal boundary across the region with a broad subtropical moisture plume led to the development of scattered showers and thunderstorms with localized areas of 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 Midland 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.