Natural hazards · Denison

Denison, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Denison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1981. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Denison?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Denison to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes27%Cold waves13%Heat waves12%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Denison 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

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Denison flood?

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

16paid claims since 1981

$1.6Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Thunderstorms: 2 claims, $240K
Early summer storms: 1 claim, $113K

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. Denison isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Grayson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

60storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Denison

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DenisonDeclared for Grayson County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

295 households applied for aid $144K aid approved $10K to the City of Denison for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

343 households applied for aid $329K aid approved $312K to the City of Denison for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

106 households applied for aid $195K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$148K to the City of Denison for repairs

Grayson County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and fires.

Around Denison

Denison and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Shermanmostly inland floodingLow

Denisonmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Denison covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Denison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Denison. 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 Denison total about $4.3M 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.