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Natural hazards · Austin

Austin, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Austin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,221 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Austin?

40
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Austin to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes25%Hail7%Heat waves6%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Austin faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Hail

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Austin flood?

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

2,221paid claims since 1978
$63.3Mpaid to owners
319homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Fall severe storms: 189 claims, $8.4M
  • Early summer storms: 137 claims, $5.4M
  • Early summer severe storms: 23 claims, $802K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 6 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (39) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Austin is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Travis County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

250flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
29storm safe rooms built
11buildings retrofitted against wind
1flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters that hit Austin

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AustinDeclared for Travis County only
2025

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

561 households applied for aid $917K aid approved
2023

Severe Winter Storm

$36.3M to the City of Austin for repairs
2021

Severe Winter Storms

10,843 households applied for aid $3.0M aid approved $1.9M to the City of Austin for repairs
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2.0M to the City of Austin for repairs
2017

Hurricane Harvey

27 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $500K to the City of Austin for repairs
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

95 households applied for aid $332K aid approved
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

994 households applied for aid $4.1M aid approved $15.1M to the City of Austin for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4.3M to the City of Austin for repairs
2011

Wildfires

47 households applied for aid $63K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $58K aid approved
2005

Hurricane Rita

2 households applied for aid $601K to the City of Austin for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$17.7M to the City of Austin for repairs
1998

Tx-Flooding 10/18/98

$120K to the City of Austin for repairs
Travis County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.
Around Austin

Austin and the towns around it

Cedar Park: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Lake Hills: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarton Creek: Low, mostly inland floodingRollingwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingWells Branch: Low, mostly inland floodingBrushy Creek: Low, mostly inland floodingLost Creek: Low, mostly inland floodingRound Rock: Low, mostly inland floodingSan Leanna: High, mostly inland floodingManchaca: High, mostly inland floodingBee Cave: Very low, mostly inland floodingManor: Low, mostly inland floodingLeander: Low, mostly inland floodingPflugerville: Low, mostly inland floodingGeorgetown: Low, mostly inland floodingLakeway: High, mostly inland floodingAustin: Moderate, mostly inland flooding AustinCedar ParkWest Lake HillsBarton CreekRollingwoodWells BranchBrushy CreekLost CreekRound RockSan LeannaManchacaBee CaveManor
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Manchacamostly inland floodingHigh
San Leannamostly inland floodingHigh
Austinmostly inland floodingModerate
Round Rockmostly inland floodingLow
Manormostly inland floodingLow
Cedar Parkmostly inland floodingLow
Lost Creekmostly inland floodingLow
Wells Branchmostly inland floodingLow
Barton Creekmostly inland floodingLow
Brushy Creekmostly inland floodingLow
Rollingwoodmostly inland floodingVery low
Bee Cavemostly inland floodingVery low
West Lake Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Austin covers 219 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Austin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Austin. 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 Austin total about $267M 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.

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