14 flood insurance claims·$72,632 paid·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 Yoakum 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 summer thunderstorms and slow-moving weather systems dominates the flood risk in Yoakum County, accounting for 11 flash flood events alongside 4 general flood events over the last 30 years.
Recorded historical events illustrate these patterns. In May 2022, widespread severe thunderstorms developed near the Texas/New Mexico line, tracking eastward across the region. Previously, in July 2014, showers and thunderstorms regenerated across portions of Yoakum County following earlier heavy rainfall and high water that plagued area roadways.
National Flood Insurance Program records show that flood claims in the county are concentrated in specific areas, with Zone A accounting for 13 claims averaging $7,378 in payouts and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. One claim was recorded in an unknown zone, averaging $6,233 and an average water depth of 1 inch. Property owners located within Zone A should pay the closest attention to local flood risks and insurance requirements.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 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 2004, with 6 claims and $16,516 paid.
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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Yoakum County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Texas flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1992, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| 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 |
| Tropical Storm Charley | Aug 22, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
15 since 1996: 11 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 10, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Jul 2, 2014 | — |
| Flood | May 8, 2007 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2004 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 26, 2004 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 28, 2023. Scattered supercell thunderstorms developed on the afternoon of the 28th and persisted through the evening producing several severe storms despite weak background forcing. Strong instability developed while the atmosphere became uncapped which allowed these supercell thunderstorms to develop. A slow moving storm near Vigo Park produced a brief tornado over an open field. More widespread thunderstorms evolved late…
Flood · May 10, 2022. Widespread severe thunderstorms developed on the afternoon of the tenth as a weak upper level disturbance ejected overhead northward out of Mexico. The initial activity rapidly developed near the dryline, which was located near the Texas/New Mexico line, late Tuesday afternoon. Aided by strong instability, several of the storms quickly became severe mostly producing severe thunderstorm winds. The thunderstorms gra…
Flood · Apr 13, 2015. Numerous slow moving showers and thunderstorms developed this morning north of an upper low located over the western Permian Basin. One particularly intense band of rainfall trained northwestward across western Terry and eastern Yoakum Counties late this morning for nearly three hours. Rainfall totals underneath this band measured as great as seven inches at the Tokio (Terry County) COOP gin. The NWS Lubbock regio…
Flood · Jul 2, 2014. An early morning upper level disturbance combined with moist upslope flow, aided by a nearby frontal boundary, to produce showers and thunderstorms. Portions of Parmer County in and around Bovina received between 4 to 6 inches of rainfall, with locally higher amounts estimated by radar. High water plagued area roadways causing multiple reports of traffic related issues. Showers and thunderstorms regenerated during…
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 Yoakum 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.