Natural hazards · Dallas

Dallas, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dallas comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1996. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dallas?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dallas to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes55%Inland flooding36%Heat waves6%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Dallas faces

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

Earthquakes

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Dallas flood?

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

10paid claims since 1996

$105Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 7 claims, $101K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Dallas

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DallasDeclared for Polk County only

2021

Severe Winter Storm

$226K to the City of Dallas for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$41K to the City of Dallas for repairs

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$18K to the City of Dallas for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record Snow

$24K to the City of Dallas for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

69 households applied for aid $158K aid approved $50K to the City of Dallas for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storms

$59K to the City of Dallas for repairs

Polk County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Dallas covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dallas’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dallas. 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 Dallas total about $1.7M 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.