Natural hazards · Idalou

Idalou, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Idalou comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high 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 Idalou?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Idalou to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding22%Tornadoes21%Hail19%Drought13%Strong wind11%Cold waves10%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Idalou faces

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Hail

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 61 times a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Idalou flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lubbock County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Idalou

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into IdalouDeclared for Lubbock County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

7 households applied for aid

2010

Hurricane Alex

1 household applied for aid

Lubbock County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Idalou covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Idalou’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Idalou. 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 Idalou total about $1.1M 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.