Natural hazards · Bishop

Bishop, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bishop comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1980. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bishop?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bishop to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes39%Inland flooding28%Cold waves14%Tornadoes7%Heat waves7%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Bishop faces

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

Hurricanes

39% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Bishop flood?

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

23paid claims since 1980

$185Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Allen: 11 claims, $29K
Thunderstorms: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Nueces County.

Disasters that hit Bishop

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BishopDeclared for Nueces County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

137 households applied for aid $108K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

288 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $98K to the City of Bishop for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

81 households applied for aid $56K aid approved $56K to the City of Bishop for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

$11K to the City of Bishop for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

$6K to the City of Bishop for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

52 households applied for aid $79K aid approved

1999

Hurricane Bret

$9K to the City of Bishop for repairs

Nueces County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes 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. Bishop covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bishop’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bishop. 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 Bishop total about $1.4M 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.