387 flood insurance claims·$5.4M 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 Potter 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 summer thunderstorms dominates Potter County, accounting for 78 events and two deaths over the last 30 years alongside 23 general flood events. Recent activity includes flash flooding in Amarillo and Canyon driven by an upper-level system on July 24, 2025, and localized flash flooding from efficient rainfall along the I-40 corridor on August 11, 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 143 claims averaging $17,918 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Properties categorized as Zone UNKNOWN logged 137 claims averaging $10,818 with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X properties recorded 73 claims averaging $38,484 with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch, while Zone X shaded areas had 25 claims averaging $5,445 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, and Zone X unshaded areas logged 9 claims averaging $2,963 with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located within Zone A and unmapped or unknown flood zones, as these areas carry the highest concentrations of historical insurance claims and face repeated risks from heavy seasonal rainfall.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
19% of Potter County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
177 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 2 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 1988, with 122 claims and $1.9M 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.
48 NOAA storm reports from Potter County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
19 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 |
| Stone Ridge Fire | May 29, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Willow Creek South Fire Complex | Feb 27, 2011 |
| Hurricane Ike | Sep 7, 2008 |
| Hurricane Gustav | Aug 27, 2008 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
101 since 1996: 78 flash floods and 23 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | $12,000 |
| Flood | Oct 24, 2025 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 24, 2025 | $40,000 |
| Flood | Sep 17, 2025 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 26, 2025. A line of storms moved through the central Texas Panhandle. Ample atmospheric moisture allowed for heavy rain to occur which resulted in localized flooding.
Flood · Oct 24, 2025. An upper level low pressure system moved across the combined Panhandles on October 24th. It combined with sufficient moisture, cold temperatures in the upper atmosphere and enough wind shear to bring a few strong to severe thunderstorms to the region. These storms brought small hail to the region as well as efficient rainfall that led to flooding issues.
Flash Flood · Jul 24, 2025. An upper level system coincided with abundant atmospheric moisture across the Texas Panhandle on the evening of the 24th. This resulted in scattered thunderstorms that eventually grew into widespread thunderstorm activity. A few storms became strong to severe thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall, severe wind gusts, and a localized occurrence of hail up to ping pong ball size. The biggest hazard that occurred…
Flood · Sep 17, 2025. A stalled surface boundary and weak upper level disturbance worked together to form severe storms over the northwest to central Texas Panhandle. A strongly unstable atmosphere along with favorable wind shear was in place, which supported strong damaging winds and very large hail from thunderstorms that developed. Storms developed over the central Texas Panhandle and initially produced small hail and heavy rain, bu…
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 Potter 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.