140 flood insurance claims·$2.5M paid·9 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 Trinity 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 dominates the flood character of Trinity County, accounting for 41 out of 45 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 1 related death, while tropical storms and hurricanes also impact the area. Recent history underscores these risks; a series of wind and heavy rain events caused significant damage in May 2024, and a severe derecho brought widespread flash flooding and wind damage to the region on May 16, 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with the highest concentrations occurring in Zone A with 71 claims averaging an 18,679 dollar payout and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN with 53 claims averaging a 20,737 dollar payout and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Additional claims occurred in Zone X with 10 claims averaging a 14,532 dollar payout and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, Zone X_UNSHADED with 5 claims averaging a 12,079 dollar payout and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, and Zone D with 1 claim averaging a 45,000 dollar payout and 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 zones, as these areas have experienced the highest volume of claims and historical flood damage.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7% of Trinity County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
76 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 4 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 1991, with 19 claims and $321,893 paid, the year of Severe Thunderstorms.
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.
8 NOAA storm reports from Trinity County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1989, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Jul 5, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storms Marco And Laura | Aug 23, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 22, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds And Flooding | May 4, 2015 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
47 since 1996: 41 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 24, 2024 | — · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 1, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2024 | $2.7M |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2015 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 28, 2024. Evening through overnight storms produced a lot of flash flooding, a couple tornadoes, some winds damage and some hail.
Flash Flood · Jan 24, 2024. A series of disturbances moved across the area resulting in numerous flash flood events that resulted in the flooding of many homes, extensive high water rescues, and a flood-related fatality.
Flash Flood · May 16, 2024. On the evening of May 16, a derecho moved into SE TX. This resulted in extensive wind damage across much of the Greater Houston area, including much of Downtown Houston. Maximum wind gusts were estimated to have reached over 100 mph. Additionally, the system produced two tornadoes and widespread flash flooding. Power outages resulting from the derecho lasted multiple days for hundreds of thousands of people.
Flash Flood · May 1, 2024. A series of disturbances moved across the area and produced flash flooding and severe thunderstorms.
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 Trinity 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.