Enter any address in Refugio County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding in Refugio County, TX, accounting for 45 events in the last 30 years. Other flood types include general floods, storm surge, tropical storms, hurricanes, and coastal flooding. For example, Tropical Storm Harold brought heavy rain and flooding in August 2023, and Tropical Storm Nicholas caused storm surge and wind gusts in September 2021.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced a high number of claims, with an average payout of $14,809 and an average water depth of 1.2 feet. Properties in Zone X_SHADED have also seen significant payouts, averaging $18,417 with an average water depth of 4.2 feet, despite fewer claims. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_SHADED, as well as those in Zone UNKNOWN, should pay particular attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
21 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Refugio County, Texas has recorded 69 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 45 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 28 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Hurricane | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storms Marco And Laura | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2020 |
| Hurricane Hanna | Hurricane | Jul 25, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
| Tropical Storm Alex | Hurricane | Jun 27, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Aug 22, 2023 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Sep 13, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 13, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jul 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Jul 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Sep 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
Tropical Storm — Aug 22, 2023
Tropical Storm Harold moved west across south Texas on the 22nd. An area of low pressure developed over the central Gulf of Mexico on the 21st. A large area of high pressure over the central United States into the northern Gulf Coast steered the system quickly westward toward the Middle Texas coast. The low strengthened into Tropical Storm Harold by the early morning hours of the 22nd. Harold i...
Flash Flood — May 16, 2021
A series of disturbances moving across South Texas produced a line of showers and thunderstorms that moved across the Coastal Bend and towards the Middle Texas Coast throughout the day on the 16th. Locally heavy rainfall led to flooding of roads in Beeville, Port Aransas, and Rockport. Fast-moving water from heavy rain in a drainage ditch in Victoria resulted in one direct fatality.
Storm Surge/Tide — Sep 13, 2021
An area of low pressure over the western Caribbean Sea on September 9th moved west into the Bay of Campeche by the 11th. The low pressure area strengthened to become Tropical Storm Nicholas over the southern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 12th. Nicholas moved northward across the western Gulf of Mexico to the lower Texas coastal waters early on the 13th. Tropical storm force gusts reached...
Tropical Storm — Sep 13, 2021
An area of low pressure over the western Caribbean Sea on September 9th moved west into the Bay of Campeche by the 11th. The low pressure area strengthened to become Tropical Storm Nicholas over the southern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 12th. Nicholas moved northward across the western Gulf of Mexico to the lower Texas coastal waters early on the 13th. Tropical storm force gusts reached...
Flood — Jul 8, 2021
Heavy rainfall over several days led to major flooding on some rivers and creeks in south Texas from July 6th through July 9th. The Aransas River and Oso and Copano Creeks went into major flood stage due to the heavy rainfall.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Refugio County, Texas:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Refugio County, Texas that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.