Natural hazards · Athens

Athens, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Athens comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Athens?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Athens to be higher than in 6% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves41%Inland flooding21%Tornadoes20%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Athens faces

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

Cold waves

41% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Athens flood?

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

10paid claims since 1980

$547Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

2026-06-Arthur-TS: 5 claims, $521K
Thunderstorms: 1 claim, $676

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. Athens isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Henderson County.

Disasters that hit Athens

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AthensDeclared for Henderson County only

2024

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

358 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

345 households applied for aid $295K aid approved $60K to the City of Athens for repairs

2016

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

19 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

98 households applied for aid $210K aid approved $51K to the City of Athens for repairs

2011

Wildfires

5 households applied for aid $69K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $31K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

$9K to the City of Athens for repairs

Henderson County has had 20 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. Athens covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Athens’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Athens. 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 Athens total about $3.7M 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.