Natural hazards · Abilene

Abilene, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Abilene comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 686 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Abilene?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Abilene to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding46%Hail35%Tornadoes6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Abilene faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

35% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Abilene flood?

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

686paid claims since 1978

$14.5Mpaid to owners

68homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 320 claims, $10.5M
Tropical Storm Erin: 14 claims, $252K
Thunderstorms: 6 claims, $58K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Taylor County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

48storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Abilene

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AbileneDeclared for Taylor County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

876 households applied for aid $474K aid approved $290K to the City of Abilene for repairs

2007

Tropical Storm Erin

44 households applied for aid $42K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$176K to the City of Abilene for repairs

2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$254K to the City of Abilene for repairs

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

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. Abilene covers 35 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Abilene’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Abilene. 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 Abilene total about $39.8M 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.