Natural hazards · Belton

Belton, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Belton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1994. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Belton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Belton to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding36%Tornadoes32%Cold waves11%Hail9%Heat waves5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Belton faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Belton flood?

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

27paid claims since 1994

$782Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19942026

Biggest named events

Early summer severe storms: 1 claim, $41K
Texas Spring Flooding: 1 claim, $2K
Tropical Storm Allison: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bell County.

Disasters that hit Belton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BeltonDeclared for Bell County only

2024

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

1,371 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $382K to the City of Belton for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

348 households applied for aid $111K aid approved $19K to the City of Belton for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $39K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$3K to the City of Belton for repairs

Bell County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Belton

Belton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Templemostly tornadoesLow

Beltonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Belton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Belton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Belton. 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 Belton total about $2.6M 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.