Enter any address in Willacy County, Texas to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most frequent type of flooding in Willacy County, with 24 such events recorded in the last 30 years. This includes significant rainfall events like the one on March 27th, 2025, which brought widespread flash and areal flooding to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Another notable event occurred on April 21st, 2025, when slow-moving thunderstorms caused minor flooding in northeast Willacy County due to intense rainfall rates.
While flash flooding is common, other flood types have also impacted the county, including general floods, tropical storms, coastal floods, and storm surge/tide events. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have the highest number of claims, though properties in Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded have seen higher average payouts and water depths. Residents in Zone A, Zone X, Zone X_Unshaded, and Zone UNKNOWN should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
25 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Willacy County, Texas has recorded 46 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 16 river or area floods. The county has received 29 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Mar 26, 2025 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Jun 24, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 22, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 21, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Jun 19, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 23, 2023 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2021 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Oct 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 26, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2020 | 5.98M |
Flood — Mar 27, 2025
Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms pummeled the Lower Rio Grande Valley, especially during the afternoon and overnight hours of March 27th into early on March 28th, resulting in historic seasonal rainfall and widespread flash and areal flooding across the RGV. Total rainfall ranged from 8 to nearly 19 inches based on trusted observations, with 10 inches or more falling across some of ...
Flash Flood — Mar 27, 2025
Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms pummeled the Lower Rio Grande Valley, especially during the afternoon and overnight hours of March 27th into early on March 28th, resulting in historic seasonal rainfall and widespread flash and areal flooding across the RGV. Total rainfall ranged from 8 to nearly 19 inches based on trusted observations, with 10 inches or more falling across some of ...
Flood — Apr 21, 2025
The combination of sufficient tropical moisture, a washed out front, and a weak upper level disturbance allowed for slow moving thunderstorms to dump very heavy rainfall in northeast Willacy County on April 21st. Minor flooding ensued due to rainfall rates of 2 per hour for over 2 hours.
Storm Surge/Tide — Jun 19, 2024
The difference between unusually strong (for late June) high pressure over the southeast U.S. and broad low pressure in the southwest Gulf brought a gradual increase in wave energy and rising tides (coastal run up) on the Lower Texas coast barrier island. Departures from predicted began to spike during the afternoon of June 18th, with the combination of wave energy (from 12+ foot waves and a 1...
Coastal Flood — Apr 23, 2023
A 500mb shortwave trough worked from northwest to southeast from the Texas Big Bend through Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, bringing a cold front through the region. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) forecasted an Enhanced Risk of severe weather for all of Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley for April 23rd. While hail was a potential threat, damaging winds were the highlight ...
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 Willacy 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 Willacy 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.