Natural hazards · El Paso

El Paso, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in El Paso comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 341 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is El Paso?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in El Paso to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Hail13%Heat waves11%Lightning5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What El Paso faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Paso flood?

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

341paid claims since 1978

$6.1Mpaid to owners

30homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

2026-06-Arthur-TS: 1 claim, $20K
Tropical Storm Allison: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: El Paso County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit El Paso

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into El PasoDeclared for El Paso County only

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

4,556 households applied for aid $2.9M aid approved $3.6M to the City of El Paso for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

2 households applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$3.3M to the City of El Paso for repairs

El Paso County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

Around El Paso

El Paso and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sunland Parkmostly inland floodingModerate

Chaparralmostly inland floodingModerate

El Pasomostly inland floodingLow

Fort Blissmostly inland floodingVery low

Socorromostly inland floodingVery low

Canutillomostly inland floodingVery low

Westwaymostly inland floodingVery low

Anthonymostly 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. El Paso covers 145 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to El Paso’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of El Paso. 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 Paso total about $95.7M 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.