Quick answer
For water damage in Garwood, TX, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. For septic problems, call the Colorado County OSSF office at 979-732-2435. 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.
- Shut off the water. Close your main valve, or turn off the well pump breaker if your home runs on a private well. Colorado County WCID No. 2 is a water district based in Garwood; for a leak at the meter, call the number on your water bill.
- 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 42% of Garwood homes were built before 1960, and older frame houses hold water in the crawlspace, so ask for readings under the floor.
When the Colorado River floods at Columbus, water reaches the lowlands near Garwood and can close FM 950. Never drive through water over a road. Floodwater can carry sewage and septic runoff, so treat it as contaminated.
What to know about water damage in Garwood
1896
The year Marcus H. Townsend, W. T. Burford, and T. A. Hill built the Red Bluff Irrigation System to draw rice farmers. The town took its name from Hiram Morgan Garwood, a Houston attorney and friend of Townsend.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Garwood
Orange groves that weren't
In 1906 Garwood was part of a land fraud. Agents showed buyers photos of crops, including orange groves, taken elsewhere. Most buyers left once they saw the land.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Garwood
From the Columbus gauge
The NWS says that at 39 feet on the Colorado River at Columbus, water routes downstream to near Eagle Lake and Garwood and closes FM 950. At 47 feet, large flows escape the channel near Garwood.
Source: NOAA National Water Prediction Service, Colorado River at Columbus
Harvey near the record
The Columbus gauge crested at 48.17 feet on August 29, 2017, during Harvey, just under its record of 48.4 feet on July 26, 1938.
Rice water from the river
LCRA's Garwood Agricultural Division gets water mostly from run-of-river flow under the Garwood water right, with Highland Lakes water only if the river is short.
Source: LCRA water supply operations
Homes in Garwood
About 49% of homes were built before 1980, 19% are mobile homes, and 77% are owner-occupied. The median value is about $231,300.
Septic permits
Colorado County's OSSF office at 305 Radio Lane in Columbus permits septic repairs and tank replacements. A residential permit is $250.
Sources: Colorado County OSSF, OSSF application
13 damaged homes
After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, 25 homeowners in ZIP 77442 registered for FEMA aid. Inspectors found damage at 13 homes, totaling about $38,319. After the February 2021 winter storm, inspectors found damage at 4 more homes. Owners who did not apply are not counted.
Freezes and rain
The NOAA weather station at the Eagle Lake research center, about 14.8 miles away, averages 13.9 nights a year at or below 32°F and 1.0 at or below 20°F. In half of years the first freeze comes by December 1 and the last one after February 21. Pipes in outside walls, attics, and pier-and-beam crawlspaces are the first to split. It also averages 46.92 inches of rain a year.
Check your ZIP
How often does Colorado County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 44 flash flood warnings that included Colorado County from 2016 through November 12, 2026, peaking at 14 in 2017. Each one means flooding is happening or about to happen.
Source: our count from the National Weather Service warning archive, Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
| Year | Warnings |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Cost and insurance in Garwood
How much does water damage restoration cost in Garwood?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). River flooding needs a separate flood policy. Older crawlspaces and mobile home subfloors take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Garwood
The company that answers handles burst pipes in rare hard freezes, water under mobile homes, septic backups, and river water after major floods, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Garwood questions
Who handles septic problems in Garwood?
The Colorado County OSSF office in Columbus, 979-732-2435. A restoration company handles the cleanup inside the house.
Can the Colorado River flood Garwood?
Lowland flooding near Garwood starts when the river at Columbus passes about 39 feet, and FM 950 can close. Harvey pushed the Columbus gauge to 48.17 feet in 2017.
How often does Garwood freeze?
The NOAA station at Eagle Lake, about 15 miles away, averages about 14 nights a year at or below 32°F. In half of years the first freeze waits until December 1.
Who supplies water in Garwood?
Colorado County WCID No. 2, a water district with its mailing address in Garwood, is listed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Check your water bill for the number to call.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 77442, including Garwood and part of Nada. For Nada, see the Nada page.
Related guides
Other Texas towns- Burst pipe, not frozen
- Sewage backup: what to do first
- 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: