392 flood insurance claims·$15.5M paid·12 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 Walker 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 weather events dominates the flood history of Walker County, TX, supported by records showing 58 flash flood events, 4 tropical storms, 3 floods, and 2 hurricanes over the last 30 years, resulting in a total of 2 deaths.
Recent impacts are illustrated by a derecho event on May 16, 2024, which moved into Southeast Texas, produced two tornadoes, and caused widespread flash flooding alongside extensive wind damage and multi-day power outages.
Property owners and real estate agents should note the distribution of historical National Flood Insurance Program claims across flood zones. Zone A recorded 236 claims with an average water depth of 7 inches and an average payout of $48,360. Zone X recorded 126 claims with an average water depth of 28 inches and an average payout of $54,561. Additional claims occurred in Zone UNKNOWN (19 claims, average depth of 3 inches, average payout of $23,761), Zone X_UNSHADED (8 claims, average depth of 0 inches, average payout of $9,835), and Zone X_SHADED (3 claims, average depth of 6 inches, average payout of $13,809). Homeowners in both high-risk Zone A and moderate-to-low risk Zone X should pay close attention to these historical flood and water depth patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4% of Walker County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
247 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 12 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 2024, with 121 claims and $9.9M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding and Hurricane Beryl.
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.
19 NOAA storm reports from Walker County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
39 federal disaster declarations since 1989, 12 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 | Sep 10, 2018 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 22, 2016 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
67 since 1996: 58 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2024 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 28, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jan 24, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jan 23, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 1, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 29, 2024. Evening through overnight storms produced a lot of flash flooding, a couple tornadoes, some winds damage and some hail.
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 · Jan 23, 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.
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 Walker 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.