Natural hazards · Houston

Houston, AK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Houston comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2006. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Houston?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Houston to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes86%Wildfire9%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Houston faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

86% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Wildfire

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Lower here

Inland floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesLandslidesLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHeat wavesStrong windDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Houston flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Houston, from FEMA’s records.

4paid claims since 2006

$20Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Houston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Disasters that hit Houston

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Houston itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Houston.

Brought FEMA money into HoustonDeclared for Matanuska-Susitna Borough only

2018

Earthquake

88 households applied for aid $286K aid approved $107K to the City of Houston for repairs

2012

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides

$39K to the City of Houston for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$25K to the City of Houston for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storm, Including High Winds and Freezing Temperatures

11 households applied for aid $20K aid approved

Matanuska-Susitna Borough has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Houston

Houston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Houstonmostly earthquakesVery high

Big Lakemostly earthquakesVery high

Willowmostly avalanchesVery high

Meadow Lakesmostly avalanchesVery high

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Houston covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Houston’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Houston. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Houston total about $3.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.