Natural hazards · Garland

Garland, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garland comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 384 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Garland?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garland to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and inland flooding.

Heat waves33%Inland flooding32%Hail12%Cold waves11%Tornadoes11%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Garland faces

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

Heat waves

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Garland flood?

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

384paid claims since 1979

$10.2Mpaid to owners

50homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Early summer storms: 64 claims, $3.4M
March storm: 2 claims, $64K
Spring Storm: 1 claim, $21K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (15) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Garland is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Dallas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Garland

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GarlandDeclared for Dallas County only

2024

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

2,327 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved $4.0M to the City of Garland for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

3,015 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $284K to the City of Garland for repairs

2015

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

$1.8M to the City of Garland for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

231 households applied for aid $562K aid approved $670K to the City of Garland for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$1.4M to the City of Garland for repairs

Dallas County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Garland

Garland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sachsemostly tornadoesHigh

Garlandmostly heat wavesModerate

Richardsonmostly tornadoesModerate

Rowlettmostly inland floodingModerate

Dallasmostly inland floodingModerate

Sunnyvalemostly inland floodingModerate

Mesquitemostly heat 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. Garland covers 49 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Garland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Garland. 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 Garland total about $81.8M 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.