Natural hazards · Dickinson

Dickinson, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dickinson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,390 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dickinson?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dickinson to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding40%Cold waves28%Hurricanes16%Tornadoes10%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Dickinson faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Dickinson flood?

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

2,390paid claims since 1979

$251Mpaid to owners

337homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 1,512 claims, $227M
Hurricane Ike: 254 claims, $13.9M
Hurricane Chantel: 169 claims, $1.9M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 6 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (100) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Dickinson is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Galveston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

121homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Dickinson

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DickinsonDeclared for Galveston County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

5,025 households applied for aid $4.3M aid approved $1.1M to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

848 households applied for aid $418K aid approved $17K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

10,653 households applied for aid $46.1M aid approved $6.7M to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2015

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

13 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

5,523 households applied for aid $6.1M aid approved $3.5M to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

3,583 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $208K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2003

Hurricane Claudette

10 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $8K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2001

Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001

$5K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

Galveston County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Dickinson

Dickinson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dickinsonmostly inland floodingVery high

League Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Santa Femostly inland floodingHigh

Texas Citymostly cold wavesModerate

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. Dickinson covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dickinson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dickinson. 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 Dickinson total about $10.5M 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.