Enter any address in Rusk County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Rusk County. Between 2004 and 2024, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 57 flash flood events, alongside 5 general flood events and 2 tropical storm events. Recent examples include flash flooding on April 9, 2024, and June 3, 2024, both associated with strong atmospheric instability and moisture.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $11,048 and an average water depth of 1.4 feet. Properties in Zone X also show a significant number of claims, though with lower average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in Zone X_Unshaded which has shown high average payouts and water depths, should pay particular attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
46 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Rusk County, Texas has recorded 64 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 57 flash floods and 5 river or area floods. The county has received 27 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 (1965–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Hurricane | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Flood | Apr 26, 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 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
| Wildfires | Fire | Aug 30, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Fire | Apr 6, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 22, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 5, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 27, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 4, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — May 30, 2024
Remnants of a pre-dawn mesoscale convective system (MCS) that developed over the southern High Plains propagated downstream into the Ark-La-Tex region during the afternoon hours on May 30th. Diurnal heating and weak convective inhibition allowed for renewed development of severe thunderstorms along the leading edge of this long-lived MCS. Surface temperatures warmed into the 80s ahead of this c...
Flash Flood — Apr 9, 2024
A frontal boundary became stationary across the heart of the Ark-La-Tex region in vicinity of the Interstate 30 corridor on April 8th before slowly advancing southeast on April 9th. Concurrently, very moist southwest flow aloft resulting from a nearly cut-off low across the Desert Southwest provided for precipitable water values near 2 inches. Thunderstorms developed and gradually spread northw...
Flash Flood — Jun 3, 2024
A linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) advanced southeast into the Ark-La-Tex from Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours on June 3rd. A pocket of strong instability was present ahead of the line, where MLCAPE values ranged from around 2500 to 3500 J/kg range and surface dew points were in the 70s. Instability along with strong large-scale ascent associated with a vorticity maxima ...
Flash Flood — May 11, 2023
An upper level low pressure system slowly ejected northeast across the piney woods of East Texas during the evening through the morning hours of May 10th-11th. A southerly low level jet present ahead of the low spilled copious amounts of low level moisture north into East Texas and Western Louisiana, with strong large scale forcing ahead of the low enhancing numerous shower and thunderstorm dev...
Flash Flood — Mar 22, 2022
A closed upper low emerged out of the Rockies and into the Central Plains during the afternoon and evening hours of March 21st, with the attendant upper trough swinging east through Central Texas and Oklahoma. Strong southerly low level winds allowed for the rapid return of warm, moist, and unstable north behind a warm front which lifted north through East Texas and North Louisiana. Large scale...
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 Rusk 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 Rusk 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.