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 Pecos 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 overwhelmingly dominates the flood profile of Pecos County. According to NOAA Storm Events Database records from the past 30 years, the county has experienced 119 flash flood events compared to only 2 general flood events.
Recent weather patterns illustrate this active threat. For instance, shortwave troughing and upslope flow generated scattered thunderstorms that produced localized flooding across Pecos County on June 5, 2025. Similarly, atmospheric disturbances and frontal boundaries triggered widespread thunderstorm activity that resulted in flash flooding events on May 29, 2025.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated in low-lying areas or near terrain prone to rapid runoff during intense convective storms, as flash flooding represents the primary and most frequent flood hazard in the region.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
30 NOAA storm reports from Pecos County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1989, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Wildfires | Aug 30, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| 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.
121 since 1996: 119 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 26, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2025 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 22, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2025 | $55,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2025 | $50,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 29, 2025. A disturbance in the quasi-zonal/northwesterly flow aloft, a dryline, and a cold front moving across the northern Permian Basin allowed for the development of scattered thunderstorms across Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. Thunderstorm coverage continued to increase into the afternoon and evening, and a number of storms became severe. The strongest storm of the day was in Dawson and Howard counties. This storm…
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 · Apr 26, 2025. Strong to severe right-moving supercells would be focused along a stalled frontal boundary across Southeast New Mexico and the higher elevations of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico during the afternoon and evening.
Flash Flood · Jun 23, 2025. A monsoonal weather pattern resulted in scattered thunderstorms across the region. Slow-moving thunderstorms resulted in localized flash flooding in some locations.
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 Pecos 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.