Enter any address in Wharton County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in Wharton County, with 28 occurrences in the last 30 years. Tropical Storm Nicholas brought widespread rainfall in September 2021, and Tropical Storm Harvey produced catastrophic flooding in August 2017.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that Zone A, which has no base flood elevation specified, has had the highest number of claims at 771, with an average payout of $43,756 and an average water depth of 2.7 feet. Zone X, which is outside the 1% annual chance floodplain, has had 114 claims with an average payout of $58,987 and an average water depth of 1.8 feet. Properties in Zone A, and those in Zone X with higher average water depths, may warrant particular attention.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
8 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Wharton County, Texas has recorded 36 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 28 flash floods and 2 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1990–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Beryl | Hurricane | Jul 5, 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 |
| Hurricane Hanna | Hurricane | Jul 25, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Harvey | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Apr 17, 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 | May 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 13, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 27, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 25, 2017 | 200.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jan 18, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 17, 2015 | 1.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jun 15, 2015 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 12, 2008 | 2.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2004 | 15K |
Flash Flood — May 16, 2021
Strong thunderstorms resulted in Flash Flooding around the Matagorda Bay area. Isolated locations received up to 8-10 inches of rainfall.
Tropical Storm — Sep 13, 2021
Nicholas formed on September 12 in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, slowly advancing northeastward along the Middle Texas Coast. It eventually made landfall 10 miles west of Sargent just after midnight on September 14, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 mph. Heavy rain bands associated with Nicholas brought widespread rainfall totals of 6 to 10 inches to the Southeast Texas Coast, while s...
Flash Flood — Jun 5, 2019
A very moist environment, with decent upper level forcing, allowed clusters of near coastal high rainfall bands to develop and slowly move northward.
Flash Flood — Aug 27, 2017
Harvey made landfall as a category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas during the evening of August 25th. The storm then weakened to a tropical storm and slowed, looping back and tracking over SE Texas then back over the Gulf of Mexico making a second landfall along the Louisiana coast during the early morning hours of August 30th. Over that 5 day period over Southeast Texas TS Harvey produced ca...
Tropical Storm — Aug 25, 2017
Harvey made landfall as a category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas during the evening of August 25th. The storm then weakened to a tropical storm and slowed, looping back and tracking over SE Texas then back over the Gulf of Mexico making a second landfall along the Louisiana coast during the early morning hours of August 30th. Over that 5 day period over Southeast Texas TS Harvey produced ca...
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 Wharton 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 Wharton 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.