Natural hazards · Chico

Chico, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chico comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2007. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chico?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chico to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and wildfires.

Inland flooding35%Wildfire26%Tornadoes14%Heat waves9%Hail7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Chico faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Chico flood?

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

2paid claims since 2007

$10Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20072026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Bill: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wise County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Chico

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChicoDeclared for Wise County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

35 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

Wise County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

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. Chico is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chico’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Chico. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.