Natural hazards · Houston

Houston, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Houston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1994. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Houston?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Houston to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding23%Tornadoes22%Earthquakes18%Strong wind12%Cold waves12%Heat waves6%Everything else8%

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.

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 35 years in the area

Earthquakes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Houston flood?

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

2paid claims since 1994

$8Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19942026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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: Chickasaw County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

177storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Houston

6 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 Chickasaw County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

6 households applied for aid

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$5K to the City of Houston for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$6K to the City of Houston for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding

186 households applied for aid $365K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$24K to the City of Houston for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds

31 households applied for aid $139K aid approved

Chickasaw County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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; 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 $2.7M 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.