Natural hazards · Heartland

Heartland, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Heartland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Heartland?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Heartland to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding42%Heat waves18%Cold waves16%Tornadoes14%Hail6%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Heartland faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

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 Heartland flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Heartland.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kaufman County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Heartland

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HeartlandDeclared for Kaufman County only

2024

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

363 households applied for aid $371K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

64 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

Kaufman County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Heartland

Heartland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mesquitemostly heat wavesModerate

Heartlandmostly inland floodingLow

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. Heartland covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Heartland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Heartland. 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 Heartland total about $2.0M 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.