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Flooding Good to know

Playa Lakes Create Flood Risk in Ector County

Ector County Home & Property

Ector County gets only about 13–14 inches of rain per year on average, but when storms hit, flat terrain and shallow depressions called playa lakes (also known as buffalo wallows) concentrate runoff quickly. Properties near these areas face higher flood risk.

The City of Odessa has a Floodplain Information page that identifies affected areas. For any specific address, use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov to check the official flood zone designation. If a property is in a high-risk flood zone and has a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required.

Content last revised 2026-07-11

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Place pages in Ector County

GoldsmithOdessa

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