The Deadliest Floods in Texas History

By Evan Comen  •  July 7, 2025
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Over the holiday weekend, a catastrophic flash flood swept through Central Texas, leaving at least 78 people dead and dozens more missing after torrential rains sent rivers surging over their banks. The flooding was especially deadly at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, where 28 children were swept away within minutes as the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet in just two hours. While rescue efforts are ongoing, the event has quickly become one of the deadliest disasters in Texas history, the latest in a long and tragic timeline of severe weather events.

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Texas has endured some of the worst flooding events in U.S. history, many triggered by hurricanes, tropical storms, and intense rainfall. Over the past 125 years, at least 10 major floods have claimed dozens to thousands of lives, with the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 still standing as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. A closer look at the data reveals the deadliest floods in Texas history, and puts recent flooding events in grave context.

To determine the deadliest floods in Texas history, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed historical records from the National Weather Service, NOAA archives, and contemporary news reports. Flood events were ranked by reported fatalities, with supplemental data on inflation-adjusted economic damages from the NOAA and other sources.

9. South Central Texas Floods (June-July 2002)

Photo by Nguyen Huong on Unsplash

  • Death count: 12 fatalities
  • Economic toll: $1.8 billion
 

8. Tropical Storm Allison (June 2001)

Photo by Juan Manuel Sanchez on Unsplash

  • Death count: 23 fatalities
  • Economic toll: $8.8 billion
 

7. October 1998 Central Texas Floods (October 1998)

Photo by Brian Wangenheim on Unsplash

  • Death count: 31 fatalities
  • Economic toll: $1.4 billion
 

6. 1916 Texas Hurricane Flood (August 1916)

Photo by Matthew on Unsplash

  • Death count: 50 fatalities
  • Economic toll: $55.0 million
 

5. July 2025 Central Texas Floods (July 2025)

Photo by Wes Warren on Unsplash

  • Death count: 80+ fatalities
  • Economic toll: Estimates pending
 

4. Hurricane Alice Flood (June 1954)

Photo by Timothy Desadier on Unsplash

Death count: 55–153 fatalities

Economic toll: $25.0 million

 

3. 1915 Galveston Hurricane Flood (August 1915)

Photo by foto giant on Unsplash

  • Death count: 101 fatalities
  • Economic toll: $1.2 billion
 

2. Thrall Flood (September 1921)

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

  • Death count: 215 fatalities
  • Economic toll: $727.0 million
 

1. Great Galveston Hurricane (September 1900)

Photo by Lloyd Bridges on Pexels

  • Death count: 6,000-12,000 fatalities (estimates vary up to 12,000)
  • Economic toll: $1.3 billion
 

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