Natural hazards · East Bernard

East Bernard, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in East Bernard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 2016. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is East Bernard?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in East Bernard to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding35%Hurricanes32%Cold waves15%Drought6%Tornadoes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What East Bernard 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

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

32% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage

Recorded about 41 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 East Bernard flood?

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

33paid claims since 2016

$4.0Mpaid to owners

12homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 22 claims, $3.3M
Spring severe storms: 11 claims, $637K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wharton County.

Disasters that hit East Bernard

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into East BernardDeclared for Wharton County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

457 households applied for aid $538K aid approved $19K to the City of East Bernard for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

114 households applied for aid $89K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

423 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $91K to the City of East Bernard for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $120K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

10 households applied for aid $730 aid approved

Wharton County has had 21 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. East Bernard 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 East Bernard’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of East Bernard. 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.