Natural hazards · Katy

Katy, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Katy comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 458 claims here since 1981. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Katy?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Katy to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding44%Hurricanes24%Tornadoes20%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Katy faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Katy flood?

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

458paid claims since 1981

$46.2Mpaid to owners

86homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 333 claims, $39.0M
Spring severe storms: 88 claims, $6.7M
Spring Storm: 6 claims, $179K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fort Bend County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2buildings retrofitted against wind

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Katy

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KatyDeclared for Fort Bend County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

33,617 households applied for aid $21.5M aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

8,555 households applied for aid $3.1M aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

20,025 households applied for aid $59.3M aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

883 households applied for aid $2.5M aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

65 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

5,683 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

534 households applied for aid $172K aid approved

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

Fort Bend County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Katy

Katy and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Houstonmostly inland floodingVery high

Katymostly inland floodingModerate

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. Katy covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Katy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Katy. 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 Katy total about $13.3M 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.