Natural hazards · Bellaire

Bellaire, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bellaire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,813 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bellaire?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bellaire to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Hurricanes12%Tornadoes7%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Bellaire faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Bellaire flood?

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

2,813paid claims since 1979

$258Mpaid to owners

235homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 1,929 claims, $228M
Tropical Storm Allison: 474 claims, $15.9M
Early summer storms: 193 claims, $9.9M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 4 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (31) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Bellaire is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Harris County.

Disasters that hit Bellaire

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BellaireDeclared for Harris County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

778 households applied for aid $443K aid approved $790K to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2024

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

49 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

125 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $105K to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2020

Tropical Storms Marco and Laura

$46K to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2019

Tropical Storm Imelda

2 households applied for aid

2017

Hurricane Harvey

2,244 households applied for aid $6.8M aid approved $2.4M to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

137 households applied for aid $406K aid approved $177K to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

486 households applied for aid $52K aid approved $1.8M to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

27 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $154K to the City of Bellaire for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2001

Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001

$584K to the City of Bellaire for repairs

Harris County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods 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. Bellaire covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bellaire’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bellaire. 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 Bellaire total about $24.9M 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.