Natural hazards · El Lago

El Lago, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in El Lago comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 402 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is El Lago?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in El Lago to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding46%Hurricanes24%Tornadoes17%Cold waves6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What El Lago faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 El Lago flood?

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

402paid claims since 1979

$16.2Mpaid to owners

45homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 100 claims, $8.4M
Hurricane Ike: 53 claims, $4.2M
Tropical Storm Claudette: 44 claims, $378K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (12) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Harris County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit El Lago

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into El LagoDeclared for Harris County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

337 households applied for aid $198K aid approved $281K to the City of El Lago for repairs

2024

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

7 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

22 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

151 households applied for aid $169K aid approved $19K to the City of El Lago for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

193 households applied for aid $250K aid approved $506K to the City of El Lago for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

25 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $11K to the City of El Lago for repairs

Harris County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around El Lago

El Lago and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Taylor Lake Villagemostly inland floodingHigh

El Lagomostly inland floodingHigh

Pasadenamostly inland floodingHigh

Seabrookmostly inland floodingHigh

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. El Lago covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to El Lago’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of El Lago. 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 El Lago total about $3.1M 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.