Quick answer
For water damage in Lolita, 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 Jackson County WCID 1 at 361-874-4369. 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 you are on a private well. Jackson County WCID 1 serves Lolita; for a leak at the meter, call 361-874-4369.
- 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. Mobile homes and older pier-and-beam houses stay damp underneath for days after a storm, so ask for readings under the floor.
The Lavaca River and the low roads near it flood after heavy rain and hurricanes. Never drive through water over a road. Floodwater carries sewage and septic runoff, so treat it as contaminated.
What to know about water damage in Lolita
35.49 ft
The highest crest on record for the Lavaca River near Edna, upstream of Lolita, set on October 19, 1994. Hurricane Harvey pushed it to 32.53 feet on August 29, 2017. Minor flooding begins at 21 feet.
Source: National Water Prediction Service, Lavaca River near Edna
34 damaged homes
After Hurricane Claudette in July 2003, 53 homeowners in ZIP 77971 registered for FEMA aid. Inspectors found damage at 34 homes, totaling about $46,479. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 added 27 more, and Hurricane Beryl in 2024 added 5. Owners who did not apply are not counted.
Named in 1909
A townsite was laid out in 1909 and named for Lolita Reese, granddaughter of Texas Revolution veteran Charles Keller Reese. The railroad built a switch here that year, and the community got a post office, a store, and a gin.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Lolita
First barbed wire
Isaac N. Mitchell settled the area by 1840. In 1880 the Mitchell ranch was fenced with the first barbed wire in Jackson County.
Source: Handbook of Texas, Lolita
Older and mobile homes
Across ZIP 77971, about 40% of homes are mobile homes and the median home dates to 1994. In the Lolita CDP itself, most homes were built before 1960.
Sources: Census Reporter, ZIP 77971, Census Reporter, Lolita
Septic permits
The Jackson County Office of Permitting and Inspection in Edna handles septic (OSSF) and floodplain permits. It is open 8 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday and 8 to noon on Friday.
Source: Jackson County permitting
Freezes and rain
The NOAA weather station at Point Comfort, about 12.3 miles away, averages 4.8 nights a year at or below 32°F and rarely drops to 20°F. In half of years the first freeze comes by December 21 and the last one after February 1. Pipes in outside walls, attics, and pier-and-beam crawlspaces are the first to split. It also averages 41.39 inches of rain a year, with about 12.9 days of an inch or more.
Check your ZIP
How often does Jackson County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 37 flash flood warnings that included Jackson County from 2016 through November 12, 2026, peaking at 10 in 2021. 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 | 3 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 |
Cost and insurance in Lolita
How much does water damage restoration cost in Lolita?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Lavaca River and hurricane flooding need a separate flood policy. Mobile home subfloors and pier-and-beam crawlspaces take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Lolita
The company that answers handles hurricane and river floodwater, water under mobile homes, burst pipes in rare freezes, and septic backups, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Lolita questions
Who do I call about a leak at the meter?
Call Jackson County WCID 1 at 361-874-4369. The district also runs the Lolita wastewater plant. For a leak inside your property line, close your main valve and call a plumber.
Who handles septic problems near Lolita?
The Jackson County Office of Permitting and Inspection, 361-782-7552, at 411 N. Wells in Edna. A restoration company handles the cleanup inside the house.
Does Lolita freeze?
Rarely, but it happens. The NOAA station at Point Comfort averages about 5 nights a year at or below 32°F, and in half of years the first freeze waits until December 21.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 77971, including Lolita and nearby parts of southern Jackson County.
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: