1 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 Winkler 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 driven by heavy rainfall is the dominant flood hazard in Winkler County, accounting for 19 out of 20 recorded flood events in the last 30 years alongside a single standard flood event.
These flood events are primarily triggered by moisture from remnants of tropical systems interacting with upper-level troughs, cold fronts, and daytime heating. For example, a tropical depression combined with a cold front caused flash flooding in October 2018, while moisture from the remains of a tropical system produced similar hazards in June 2018. Additional flash flood events occurred in October 2015 due to an upper-level low pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and in September 2014 from the combined moisture of Tropical Storms Odile and Polo.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties prone to rapid accumulation from intense rainfall, as flash flooding represents nearly all recorded historical flood incidents in the area.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4 NOAA storm reports from Winkler County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1998, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Wildfires | Apr 6, 2011 |
| Wildfires | Mar 14, 2008 |
| Extreme Wildfire Threat | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Rita | Sep 23, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Extreme Fire Hazards | Aug 1, 1999 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
20 since 1996: 19 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 13, 2018 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 8, 2015 | $500 |
| Flood | Sep 24, 2014 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 19, 2014 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 19, 2014 | $200 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 25, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2007 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 16, 2018. There was an upper level trough moving across the southwest United States. Moisture from the remains of a tropical system was across southeast New Mexico and West Texas and good lift was over the region. Also, decent instability and wind shear were across the area. These conditions resulted in thunderstorms with strong winds and flash flooding across West Texas.
Flash Flood · Oct 13, 2018. A tropical depression had made landfall over Baja, California and was moving across northern Mexico within upper level southwest winds. A cold front was moving across West Texas. An abundance of moisture was present, and upper level lift increased across the region during the evening and overnight of October 12th as the tropical depression came closer. These conditions resulted in hail, strong winds, and flash flo…
Flash Flood · Oct 8, 2015. An upper level low was over southern Arizona moving southward, and this feature increased upper level lift over West Texas and southeast New Mexico. This upper low was pulling moisture northward into the area from the Gulf of Mexico. These conditions contributed to severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds as well as flash flooding developing across the area. Thunderstorms increased in coverage ov…
Flood · Sep 24, 2014. The region was under an upper ridge centered across the four corners region and a trough over the Upper Midwest. The upper flow pattern was allowing for upper level disturbances to move over the area bringing chances of thunderstorms. Parts of the region remained saturated with significant rainfall falling over parts of the Permian Basin and Trans Pecos the previous days.
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 Winkler 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.