Natural hazards · Cleveland

Cleveland, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cleveland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 131 claims here since 1983. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cleveland?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cleveland to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes26%Hurricanes21%Cold waves7%Lightning5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Cleveland faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong wind

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 Cleveland flood?

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

131paid claims since 1983

$7.1Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Imelda: 40 claims, $2.6M
Hurricane Harvey: 27 claims, $2.5M
Tropical Storm Allison: 5 claims, $36K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Liberty County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

30flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Cleveland

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClevelandDeclared for Liberty County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

9,882 households applied for aid $12.5M aid approved $281K to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2024

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

2,205 households applied for aid $9.1M aid approved $78K to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

1,194 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved

2019

Tropical Storm Imelda

987 households applied for aid $2.9M aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

4,090 households applied for aid $11.4M aid approved $1.0M to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

570 households applied for aid $734K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

201 households applied for aid $276K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

5,278 households applied for aid $4.5M aid approved $645K to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$16K to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

9,742 households applied for aid $9.0M aid approved $342K to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

83 households applied for aid $275K aid approved

Liberty County has had 31 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. Cleveland covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cleveland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cleveland. 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 Cleveland total about $4.0M 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.