The Guadalupe River Can Rise Fast — Know Your Flood Zone

Rain can fall miles upstream before the Guadalupe rises in Comal County. FEMA maps show the Special Flood Hazard Area. This is land in the base flood, which has a 1% chance in any year.

A building in that area often needs flood insurance when it backs a loan from a regulated or insured lender. A lender may require it elsewhere too. Land outside the line can still flood.

Search the address in FEMA's Map Service Center. Then ask Comal County about the active map and any height records for the lot. A seller's flood history helps, but also study the map, the site, and nearby drains.