Does Cedar Bayou flood?
Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX · ZIP code 77521: the ZIP code on 61 of the 62 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Cedar Bayou have filed flood claims. About 4.5% of Cedar Bayou’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 62 claims from the Census block groups that cover Cedar Bayou, from 1979 through 2024. 50 of them received a payment, totaling $5,808,144 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2017 (39 claims), 1979 (5 claims), 2008 (5 claims).
What this page counts as Cedar Bayou
We could not find an openly licensed official boundary for Cedar Bayou, so this page uses a census-based area. For this page, Cedar Bayou means the 2010 Census block groups whose center lies within 1.6 km (1.0 miles) of the U.S. Geological Survey (GNIS) map point for Cedar Bayou (feature 2034871) and inside the Baytown city limits (U.S. Census Bureau), each block group going to the nearest of the places we cover. Every number below is for exactly those block groups (listed in “How these numbers were made”), so the edges are approximate and may include or leave out a few blocks people would call Cedar Bayou. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Cedar Bayou
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Cedar Bayou
The named streets in Cedar Bayou, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Cedar Bayou lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Cedar Bayou; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that. 8 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon Dr | 1.2 mi | 5.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (59%) |
| E Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Rd | 4,190 ft | 1.3% | X (unshaded, minimal) (86%) |
| La Reforma Blvd | 3,240 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
| Hardin Rd | 3,230 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Trailwood Dr | 1,950 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (92%) |
| Cary Creek Dr | 1,920 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Wilshire Ln | 1,800 ft | 4.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (96%) |
| Massey Tompkins Rd | 1,750 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Mission Viejo St | 1,710 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
| Knight Ln | 1,710 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
| Park Bend Dr | 1,480 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (88%) |
| Prentice | 1,480 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Railroad Ave | 1,400 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Parkwood Dr | 1,280 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (88%) |
| Park Lane Dr | 1,260 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (65%) |
| Winter Ln | 1,170 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
| Crosby Cedar Bayou | 1,150 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Forest Gate Dr | 1,140 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (66%) |
| Timber Rdg | 1,060 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Forest Trl | 1,060 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Summer Ln | 1,000 ft | 4.9% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (95%) |
| Del Oro St | 990 ft | 40% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (60%) |
| Del Sur St | 940 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
| Crosby Cedar Bayou Rd | 930 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Del Norte Dr | 810 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (100%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved November 2, 2026. Each street is clipped to the area boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Cedar Bayou
Share of Cedar Bayou’s mapped area (about 3.155 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (48201C0765M, 48201C0770N): January 6, 2017.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 71% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 24% |
| AE | 4.5% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover Cedar Bayou. This area is made of whole block groups, so every claim counted here comes from inside it. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | $16,953 |
| 1980s | 8 | $7,204 |
| 1990s | 3 | $23,688 |
| 2000s | 6 | $8,930 |
| 2010s | 39 | $5,742,190 |
| 2020s | 1 | $9,178 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Hurricane Harvey: 39 claims
- Hurricane Ike: 5 claims
- Hurricane Alicia: 4 claims
- Flooding: 3 claims
- Tropical Storm Claudette: 2 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 56
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 5
- Not reported: 1
Why home insurance costs what it does in Cedar Bayou
This section is educational and is not insurance advice.
Flood insurance
ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. This is a ZIP code on at least 5% of the flood claims counted for Cedar Bayou, within 10 km of it.
- ZIP code 77521: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $1,087 a year, the middle of 2,376 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $891 and $1,267. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0.
- ZIP code 77521: NFIP records list 2,098 flood claims with a loss year from 1978 through 2025. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
Fire and wind
- USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities gives Baytown, TX a Risk to Homes national percentile rank of 0.771, which its methods call High (above the 70th percentile and below the 90th). That is the city rating, not a rating of Cedar Bayou alone. The summary file is dated April 15, 2026.
The insurance market in Texas
- Texas Windstorm Insurance Association: Total policies in force, as of 6/30/2026: 288,676.
- Texas FAIR Plan Association: As of June 30, 2026: TFPA insures 118,486 properties.
What to ask your agent
- Ask the agent how old the roof is.
- Ask whether a wind-mitigation discount is available for this house.
- Ask how flood coverage differs from the homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Flood coverage is a separate policy.
- Ask whether the policy has a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, and how that deductible is calculated.
- Ask when coverage would start. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.
Flood coverage and the 30-day wait: FEMA fact sheet, Jan. 21, 2025; 44 CFR 61.11.
What do NFIP records show for flood insurance in Cedar Bayou?
ZIP code 77521: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $1,087 a year, the middle of 2,376 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $891 and $1,267. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0. ZIP code 77521: NFIP records list 2,098 flood claims with a loss year from 1978 through 2025. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
How big are the last-resort insurance plans in Texas?
Texas Windstorm Insurance Association: Total policies in force, as of 6/30/2026: 288,676. Texas FAIR Plan Association: As of June 30, 2026: TFPA insures 118,486 properties.
What should I ask an insurance agent about a home in Cedar Bayou?
Ask the agent how old the roof is. Ask whether a wind-mitigation discount is available for this house. Ask how flood coverage differs from the homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Flood coverage is a separate policy. Ask whether the policy has a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, and how that deductible is calculated. Ask when coverage would start. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.
Sources: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3; OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3; USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, community summaries; Wildfire Risk to Communities methods; Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Overview; Texas FAIR Plan Association Fact Book, Q2 2026.
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Before you rent or buy in Cedar Bayou
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
Living in Cedar Bayou
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Cedar Bayou with other Baytown neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Baytown on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Cedar Bayou flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Cedar Bayou have filed flood claims. About 4.5% of Cedar Bayou’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 62 claims from the Census block groups that cover Cedar Bayou, from 1979 through 2024. 50 of them received a payment, totaling $5,808,144 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2017 (39 claims), 1979 (5 claims), 2008 (5 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Cedar Bayou in a flood zone?
About 4.5% of Cedar Bayou’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. Shares by zone: X (unshaded, minimal) 71%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 24%; AE 4.5%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect January 6, 2017.
Which streets in Cedar Bayou are in a high-risk flood zone?
No street listed here has most of its length in FEMA high-risk zones. Less than 10% of Raccoon Dr, E Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Rd, La Reforma Blvd, Hardin Rd, Trailwood Dr, Cary Creek Dr, Wilshire Ln and Massey Tompkins Rd does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Cedar Bayou in?
Cedar Bayou is in Baytown, TX. ZIP code 77521: the ZIP code on 61 of the 62 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
- Does Chaparral Village flood?
- Does Roseland Manor flood?
- Does Allenbrook flood?
- Does Pelly flood?
- Does Country Club Cove flood?
- Does Country Club Estates flood?
How these numbers were made
Area: the census-based definition above, using U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names. Flood zone shares: the area polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved November 2, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Harris County (county code 48201), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved November 2, 2026. Claims are counted for exactly the block groups that make up the area. Block groups used: 482012532004. Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on November 2, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on November 2, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, community summaries.
- Wildfire Risk to Communities methods.
- Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Overview.
- Texas FAIR Plan Association Fact Book, Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and November 2, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated November 2, 2026.