George West’s biggest natural hazard is cold waves
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in George West comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about George West’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does George West flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in George West, from FEMA’s records.
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $45K
- Hurricane Allen1 claim · $3K
George West isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Live Oak County.What George West faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Cold waves
Inland flooding
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
How exposed is George West?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.
Rated higher than 1,438 of the 1,859 Texas towns we cover.
George West covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to George West
Disasters that paid out in George West itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of George West) and its biggest flood years.
- 2021Severe Winter Storms$11K to the City of George West for repairs
- 2003Hurricane Claudette168 households applied for aid$236K aid approved$27K to the City of George West for repairs
Live Oak County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Old photos of George West after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the George West archive →Get ready for what George West actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Most disasters here begin in July–September
The month each of Live Oak County’s 19 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to George West’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of George West.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across George West, expected losses total about $1.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in George West.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.