Natural hazards · Brownsville

Brownsville, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brownsville comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brownsville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brownsville to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes52%Inland flooding33%Heat waves5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Brownsville faces

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

Hurricanes

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailCold wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Brownsville flood?

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

35paid claims since 1979

$1.7Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Irene: 2 claims, $55K
June South Florida Flooding: 1 claim, $47K
Hurricane Katrina: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dade County.

Disasters that hit Brownsville

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrownsvilleDeclared for Dade County only

2017

Hurricane Irma

4 households applied for aid

Dade County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Brownsville

Brownsville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hialeahmostly hurricanesHigh

Gladeviewmostly hurricanesHigh

Brownsvillemostly hurricanesHigh

Miamimostly hurricanesHigh

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. Brownsville covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brownsville’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Brownsville. 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 Brownsville total about $4.5M 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.