Quick answer
For water damage in Emhouse, TX, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. For a leak at the meter, call the Emhouse Water System at 903-354-6888. Then call a water damage restoration company; drying should start within 24 to 48 hours. Texas insurers must acknowledge your claim within 15 days.
Do this first
Local water and septic lines.
For the Navarro County septic permit office and Corsicana freeze normals, open the Retreat page.
- Shut off the water. Find the shutoff, usually near the street at the meter box or where the line enters the house, and turn it clockwise. Emhouse runs its own town water system, so a break on the town side of the meter is theirs.
- Make it safe and document it. Cut power to wet rooms from a dry spot, photograph the damage, then report the claim.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. About 29% of Emhouse homes were built before 1960, and older frame houses hold water in the crawlspace, so ask for readings under the floor.
When Chambers Creek near Rice tops 24 feet, pastures and farm roads north of Emhouse start going under, and at 30 feet several rural roads flood. Turn around at any water over the road, and keep kids out of creek water.
What to know about water damage in Emhouse
500
Emhouse's estimated population in 1914, when it had three churches, a bank, five grocery stores, three blacksmith shops, and a weekly paper, the Emhouse News.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Emhouse
Named for the superintendent
The town was laid out around 1906 as Lyford on the Trinity and Brazos Valley line. Another Texas post office had that name, so it became Emhouse, after Col. Edward M. House.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Emhouse
Two towns moved in
Most residents of nearby Kelm and King Willow moved their houses and businesses to Emhouse to be on the railroad. A post office opened in 1908.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Emhouse
Chambers Creek stages
On the Chambers Creek gauge near Rice, about 4 miles away, minor flooding starts at 24 feet and major at 30. The record crest is 32.57 feet on December 21, 1991; the creek reached 28.6 feet on June 1, 2024.
Source: NOAA National Water Prediction Service, Chambers Creek near Rice
Commission government in 1915
Emhouse adopted the commission form of government in 1915 and still listed 500 people in 1929. By 1936 it was down to 322 residents and thirteen businesses, and by the mid-1960s to 150 people and five businesses.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Emhouse
Town water
The Public Utility Commission of Texas lists the Emhouse Water System as a municipal water utility in Navarro County.
Homes in Emhouse
About 49% of homes were built before 1980 and 31% since 2010. About 86% are owner-occupied, and the median value is about $84,200.
Check your ZIP
Flash flood warnings in Navarro County
The National Weather Service issued 32 flash flood warnings that included Navarro County from 2016 through November 12, 2026. The year-by-year count is on the Retreat page.
Cost and insurance in Emhouse
How much does water damage restoration cost in Emhouse?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Creek flooding needs a separate flood policy. Older crawlspaces take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Emhouse
The company that answers handles burst pipes in hard freezes, aging supply lines, water under older floors, and septic backups, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Emhouse questions
Who handles water in Emhouse?
The town's Emhouse Water System, 903-354-6888, listed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Do I need a permit to fix a septic system in Emhouse?
Yes. Navarro County permits septic repairs, and its planning office phone is listed on the Retreat page. Pumping out sewage inside the house is cleanup work, not a permit job.
How high has Chambers Creek gotten?
The gauge near Rice crested at 32.57 feet on December 21, 1991, its highest on record, and at 31.64 feet on October 25, 2015.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 75110 within the Town of Emhouse.
Related guides
Other Texas towns- Burst pipe, not frozen
- Water mitigation vs. restoration
- Burst pipe repair cost
- Texas insurance claim deadlines, in plain English
- Frozen and burst pipes: what to do
- Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
- How long water damage takes to dry
Local phone numbers checked November 2026: