Enter any address in Sabine County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Sabine County, with 34 occurrences recorded by NOAA Storm Events in the last 30 years. Recent examples include flash flooding on May 9, 2021, and January 9, 2022, driven by atmospheric conditions conducive to heavy rainfall. While less frequent, hurricanes have also impacted the county, with three events recorded in the same period, resulting in one fatality.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in unshaded Zone X, where flood depths averaged 3.0 feet, have experienced significant payouts. Claims in Zone Unknown also show payouts, though water depth was not recorded. Homeowners in areas prone to flash flooding, as well as those in unshaded Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
27 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sabine County, Texas has recorded 39 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 34 flash floods and 1 river or area floods. The county has received 26 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 (1973–2024)
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 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 7, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jan 9, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 27, 2020 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 21, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 30, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 30, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 3, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2016 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jan 9, 2022
A strong upper level low pressure system tracked east across the Red River Valley of Southern Oklahoma and North Texas during the afternoon of January 8th, before shifting across Northeast Texas into Southwest Arkansas during the early morning hours of the 9th. Ahead of this low, strong southerly low level winds rapidly transported low level moisture back north across the region, with large sca...
Flash Flood — May 17, 2021
A closed upper low pressure system exited the Desert Southwest into the Southern Rockies/New Mexico during the morning of May 17th, with a shortwave trough rotating northeast ahead of the low across Central and Southeast Texas. A very moist air mass was already in place across Deep East Texas ahead of this disturbance, with periods of showers and thunderstorms containing locally heavy rainfall ...
Flash Flood — May 9, 2021
Warm, humid, and unstable conditions were in place across the Four State Region on May 9th, ahead of a cold front and attendant shortwave trough that traversed the Southern Plains during the afternoon. Large scale forcing ahead of the trough increased during the afternoon, with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing near and ahead of the front across Southwest Arkansas, North Louisiana,...
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Aug 27, 2020
Major Hurricane Laura tracked north northwest across the Central and Northern Gulf of Mexico from the Central Carribean Sea near Cuba, making landfall in Southwest Louisiana near Cameron around 1 am on August 27th as a strong Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph, and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb. Laura remained a hurricane as it tracked north across Southwest a...
Flash Flood — May 19, 2019
A shortwave trough entered the Southern Plains during the morning hours of May 18th, and began to take on a negative tilt as it approached East Texas during the afternoon and evening. Meanwhile, an associated cold front began to shift southeast across Central Oklahoma and portions of North Texas, with the dry line having mixed east ahead of the front into Central Texas. Warm, moist, and unstabl...
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 Sabine 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 Sabine 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.