77 flood insurance claims·$1.5M 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 Montague 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 storms dominates the flood risk profile in Montague County, supported by 34 flash flood events compared to 9 general flood events over the last 30 years. Slow-moving fronts, upper-level troughs, and training thunderstorms frequently drive these localized hazards.
Recent events illustrate this pattern. On April 30, 2025, a slow-moving front and upper trough generated widespread showers and severe thunderstorms that caused significant flash flooding across the area. Earlier that month, on April 19, 2025, multiple upper-level shortwaves interacting with a cold front and dryline produced severe storms, flash flooding, and tornadoes.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties in FEMA Zone A experienced the highest volume of claims with 42 filings, averaging $18,679 per claim and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Zone X properties recorded 19 claims with an average payout of $31,616 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 11 claims with an average payout of $22,662 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED logged 5 claims averaging $11,321 with an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Homeowners and real estate professionals in Zone A and unshaded or moderate-risk zones alike should pay close attention to these historical flood and payout patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11% of Montague County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
47 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 4 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 2015, with 16 claims and $426,631 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding.
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.
22 NOAA storm reports from Montague County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1981, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
| 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: 34 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 30, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Apr 20, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Nov 8, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 8, 2024 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 23, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 30, 2025. A slow moving front and an upper trough generated scattered thunderstorms on April 29, and widespread showers and thunderstorms on April 30, across much of North and Central Texas. Some of these storms became severe with large hail and damaging winds, but the most impactful weather was flash flooding due to the slow movement of the front and the resulting ���training��� of thunderstorms along and near…
Flood · Apr 20, 2025. Multiple upper level shortwaves moved overtop the Plains contributing to the development of severe storms near and along a cold front and dryline on and off between the 18th and 20th. Large hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes were all observed, particularly on the 19th. A total of 12 tornadoes occurred along and east of Highway 281 causing considerable damage: 1 EF-2, 5 EF-1s, and 6 EF-0s.
Flash Flood · Apr 19, 2025. Multiple upper level shortwaves moved overtop the Plains contributing to the development of severe storms near and along a cold front and dryline on and off between the 18th and 20th. Large hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes were all observed, particularly on the 19th. A total of 12 tornadoes occurred along and east of Highway 281 causing considerable damage: 1 EF-2, 5 EF-1s, and 6 EF-0s.
Flash Flood · Nov 8, 2024. An upper level storm system brough scattered strong to severe storms that produced large hail, wind damage, and flash flooding for areas near and west of I-35 on both the 7th and 8th. The largest observed hail was the size of golf balls and was reported in Young County.
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 Montague 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.