DeWitt County, TX Environment & Hazard Risk

• HurricaneRelatively Moderate$4.8M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
• Cold waveRelatively Moderate$1.5M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• DroughtRelatively Moderate$357K/yr expected annual loss, about 59 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Moderate$1.6M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
• WildfireRelatively Low$87.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 863 years
• HailRelatively Low$303K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.7 events a year
• Heat waveRelatively Low$473K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
• LightningRelatively Moderate$227K/yr expected annual loss, about 54 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively Low$22.9K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.6 events a year
• Strong windRelatively Low$211K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• Ice stormRelatively Low$23.3K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
• EarthquakeVery Low$19.4K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,809 years
• LandslideVery Low$48/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

200 of 8,467 (2.4%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

667

Insured in high-risk zones

99 (15%)

Flood claims since 1978

227

Claims paid since 1978

$5.9M

• Flash Flood105
• Drought75
• Thunderstorm Wind42
• Hail28
• Flood19
• Winter Weather6
• Winter Storm5
• Excessive Heat4
• Tornado4
• Funnel Cloud2

• Flood10/18/1998

  De Witt

  500 injured, $30.5M damage

  What happened

  Flooding along the Guadalupe RiverThe Guadalupe River at New Braunfels crested at 35.1 feet, with flood stage at 7 feet. This was over three feet higher than the disastrous flood of May 12, 1972. Homes were destroyed, moved downstream, or severely damaged from just below Sattler, near the Bear Creek confluence, across the remainder of the county. Homes along the entire reach were flooded well away from the channel, in areas that never flooded before. Along River Road, numerous autos, RVs, and homes were strewn along the flood plain. Recreational camps and outfitters headquarters buildings were destroyed. Homes near Common Street in New Braunfels had slabs as low as 12.5 feet. These homes had 23 feet of torrential flow over the slabs. At the New Braunfels gauge below the Comal River confluence just above IH 35, the Guadalupe crested at 39.3 feet, again some three feet above the disastrous flood of May 12, 1972. Water seeped into the Pepperell Mills plant. A large apartment complex left bank just downstream had flow through the windows of the lowest floors. Water was within five feet of the IH 35 bridge bottom. Below IH 35, fine two story homes were destroyed,...

• Flash Flood10/19/1998

  Countywide, De Witt County

  500 injured, $6M damage

  What happened

  The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th. Deep moisture was in place across South Central Texas as the two systems approached, being fed at the mid and upper levels by two nearly stationary hurricanes, Madeline near the tip of Baja Mexico, and Lester, anchored just off Acapulco, Mexico, and in the low levels by a strong flow from the Gulf of Mexico. A very moisture-rich environment was in place across South Central Texas as the event developed. Near 3 am CST, with the cold front still west of San Angelo, scattered showers and thunderstorms began to break out over Bexar County beneath the mid and upper level moisture plume. They quickly became widespread as a low level rain-cooled boundary formed along the south and east edge of the county. It was upon this boundary that subsequent showers and thunderstorms continued to form. By 6 am CST, rainfall of up to 4 inches had been reported in Western Bexar County, with amounts approaching 4 inches in Western Comal County. By 8 am CST that morning, heavy...

• Flood10/17/1998

  De Witt

  50 injured, $1.1M damage

  What happened

  Sandies Creek in Dewitt County crested at 28.6 feet, with flood stage at 21 feet. Flow just barely topped the two- foot high railing at the bridge near Westhoff.

• Flash Flood10/18/1998

  Countywide, De Witt County

  50 injured, $1.1M damage

  What happened

  The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th. Deep moisture was in place across South Central Texas as the two systems approached, being fed at the mid and upper levels by two nearly stationary hurricanes, Madeline near the tip of Baja Mexico, and Lester, anchored just off Acapulco, Mexico, and in the low levels by a strong flow from the Gulf of Mexico. A very moisture-rich environment was in place across South Central Texas as the event developed. Near 3 am CST, with the cold front still west of San Angelo, scattered showers and thunderstorms began to break out over Bexar County beneath the mid and upper level moisture plume. They quickly became widespread as a low level rain-cooled boundary formed along the south and east edge of the county. It was upon this boundary that subsequent showers and thunderstorms continued to form. By 6 am CST, rainfall of up to 4 inches had been reported in Western Bexar County, with amounts approaching 4 inches in Western Comal County. By 8 am CST that morning, heavy...

• Flash Flood08/31/2001

  Countywide, De Witt County

  20 injured, $350K damage

  What happened

  As the showers and thunderstorms continued moving southeastward, they entered Lavaca and DeWitt Counties just after midnight. Falling over soils that remained saturated from the extreme rainfall of the past two days, rain accumulations averaged almost three inches, with amounts over 6 inches in southern Gonzales County, across all but the eastern three-quarters of DeWitt County and the western three-quarters of Lavaca County. Highest amounts were 10 inch totals between Cuero and Hocheim and Smiley, as well as along the DeWitt-Victoria County line. Water began flooding homes around Yorktown in the early morning hours, and twenty people had to be rescued from their homes. Police and firefighters used boats and trucks to move them to higher ground. They were able to return to their homes later in the afternoon.

• Flood08/29/2017

  Lindenau, De Witt County

  $3M damage

  What happened

  The maximum rainfall recorded in DeWitt County was 22.99 inches near Yoakum with multiple reports of 10-15 inches. This caused widespread flash flooding as well as river flooding on the Guadalupe River. As many as 100 houses were affected by high water in and around Cuero. The Guadalupe River at Cuero crested at 44.36 feet, it's second highest crest on record. Damages due to flooding and river flooding is estimated from Emergency Management to be near 3 million dollars.

• City of CueroServes 9,807 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• City of YoakumServes 5,814 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
• City of YorktownServes 1,871 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
• City of NordheimServes 336 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+4 monitoring or reporting