Quick answer
For water damage in La Marque, TX, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. After hours, call La Marque police at 409-938-9269 to reach on-call water and sewer staff. 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 the valve at your meter box. For a water main break after hours, on weekends, or on holidays, La Marque police dispatch on-call staff: 409-938-9269.
- 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. La Marque checks the city side of a stopped sewer first. If you hire a plumber before calling and the problem turns out to be the city's, the city will not cover the plumber's fees.
Galveston County had 34 flash flood warnings in 2017 and 10 in 2024. In a tropical storm, never drive into water over a road; a foot of moving water can float a car.
What to know about water damage in La Marque
53%
Share of La Marque homes built before 1980. About 23% date to before 1960, and the median home was built in 1977.
884 damaged homes
After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, 1594 homeowners in ZIP 77568 (La Marque addresses) registered for FEMA aid. Inspectors found damage at 884 homes, totaling about $5,238,447. Hurricane Ike in 2008 damaged 875 more. After Hurricane Beryl in 2024, inspectors found damage at 243. Owners who did not apply are not counted.
Buttermilk Station
During the Civil War the stop was called Buttermilk Station, after soldiers who bought buttermilk there. It was later called Highlands, and in the 1890s became La Marque, French for the mark.
Source: Handbook of Texas, La Marque
Four railroads by 1914
By 1914 four railroads reached La Marque, and it had about 500 people. It grew to about 1,500 by 1952 and 17,000 by 1977.
Source: Handbook of Texas, La Marque
Public Services emergencies
La Marque treats a backed-up sewer, water main break, manhole overflow, and low water pressure as emergencies, with on-call staff after hours.
Check your ZIP
How often does Galveston County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 109 flash flood warnings that included Galveston County from 2016 through November 12, 2026, peaking at 34 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 | 9 |
| 2017 | 34 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 4 |
Cost and insurance in La Marque
How much does water damage restoration cost in La Marque?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Rising water from a tropical storm is a flood claim. Pre-1980 homes may hide water under layers of old flooring.
Water removal and restoration in La Marque
The company that answers handles tropical storm water, city-side and house-side sewer stoppages, burst pipes in rare hard freezes, water heater failures, and supply line leaks, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
La Marque questions
Is there an after-hours number for a La Marque sewer stoppage?
Yes. Public Works is 409-938-9280 during business hours. After hours, on weekends, or on holidays, call the police department at 409-938-9269 to have on-call staff sent.
Why was La Marque once called Buttermilk Station?
Soldiers traveling between Galveston and Houston in the Civil War bought buttermilk at the stop.
How badly did Hurricane Harvey hit La Marque?
FEMA inspectors found damage at 884 La Marque homes, about $5.24 million in all.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 77568, which is mostly La Marque, and the La Marque part of 77563.
Related guides
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- Sewage backup: what to do first
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- 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: