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 Parmer 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 risk profile of Parmer County, accounting for the majority of recorded flood events over the last 30 years compared to general floods.
Recent history demonstrates this pattern, notably during rounds of torrential rain and flash flooding on November 2, 2024, and from slow-moving, intense rainfall systems on June 3, 2023. These episodes stem from moisture spreading from eastern New Mexico and localized upslope flow near the state line, producing efficient, heavy rainfall.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties vulnerable to intense convective rainfall rates and rapid runoff during severe weather events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4 NOAA storm reports from Parmer County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Ice Storm | Dec 12, 2000 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
15 since 1996: 11 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 2, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 24, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Oct 7, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Sep 18, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jul 2, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 23, 2007 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 5, 2025. During the afternoon and evening hours of the fifth, an intense supercell thunderstorm moved over the South Plains region of West Texas, producing several tornadoes over portions of Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock Counties. This thunderstorm also produced widespread damage from very strong straight-line winds and large hail across western and southwestern portions of the City of Lubbock (Lubbock County) before it ex…
Flash Flood · Nov 2, 2024. Several rounds of thunderstorms occurred throughout the day on the second. Lift from an approaching mid-level disturbance sparked rapid thunderstorm development as it overspread a moist and unstable atmosphere spreading back into eastern New Mexico. Several of these storms became strong to severe early on, while torrential rain led to areas of flash flooding. The thunderstorm activity in eastern New Mexico quickly…
Flood · May 24, 2023. Very intense thunderstorms developed in northeast New Mexico on the afternoon of the 24th and moved southeastward through the evening and overnight hours. Surface heating boosted instability ahead of a complex of thunderstorms moving from eastern New Mexico into the South Plains. Very large hail, damaging winds, and flooding were reported from late on the 24th into the early morning hours on the 25th. Scattered su…
Flash Flood · Jun 3, 2023. Upslope flow and weak surface convergence along a dryline near the Texas/New Mexico state line allowed for scattered thunderstorms to develop late in the afternoon into the evening on the third. Weak mid level winds and a moist atmosphere created a favorable environment for efficient rainfall producing storms. While the storms did produce some large hail and damaging wind gusts, the primary threat from the storms…
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 Parmer 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.