61 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 Rockwall 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 and slow-moving frontal systems dominates the flood risk in Rockwall County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 27 flash flood events compared to only 1 general flood event. Recent history underscores this hazard, including a slow-moving upper low that generated heavy rain and flooding on January 30, 2025, and a slow-moving summer frontal system that produced flash flooding around Labor Day weekend on August 30, 2025. Another active day of thunderstorms and flooding impacted the area on November 20, 2025.
Federal flood insurance data reveals that property damage occurs across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for 27 National Flood Insurance Program claims with an average payout of $56,011 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Zone X also recorded 27 claims with an average payout of $25,296 and an average water depth of 11 inches. Additionally, Zone X Unshaded recorded 6 claims with an average payout of $7,873 and an average water depth of 1 inch, while Zone D recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $205 and an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate professionals in both high-risk Zone A and moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns and claim histories.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Rockwall County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
33 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 8 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 2018, with 10 claims and $443,853 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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Rockwall County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 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 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
28 since 1996: 27 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jan 30, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jan 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Nov 20, 2025 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2015 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2015 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 3, 2009 | $7,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 2, 2009 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jan 30, 2025. A slow moving upper low generated multiple rounds of rain, some heavy, the night of January 29 into the morning of January 30 across North Texas. Much of the heavy rain and associated flooding occurred in and near the DFW Metroplex.
Flash Flood · Aug 30, 2025. A slow-moving summer frontal system, in conjunction with occasional disturbances embedded within the northwest flow aloft, generated multiple rounds of thunderstorms both preceding and during the Labor Day weekend. The predominant hazard observed was flash flooding, attributed to the substantial rainfall produced by some of these storms.
Flash Flood · Nov 20, 2025. An active day of thunderstorms impacted much of North and Central Texas on November 20, triggered by the passage of a Pacific cold front and an upper trough. The day brought several instances of damaging winds, large hail, and flooding. Frequent cloud to ground lightning also took place, resulting in multiple house fires in the DFW Metroplex.
Flood · Jun 21, 2015. Persistent showers and thunderstorms occurred over the northeastern counties of North Texas where a weak upper level trough was located. The heavy rainfall resulted in some flash flooding north to east of DFW.
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 Rockwall 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.