Natural hazards · Kemah

Kemah, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kemah comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,167 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kemah?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kemah to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes30%Inland flooding30%Cold waves24%Tornadoes9%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Kemah faces

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

Hurricanes

30% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Kemah flood?

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

1,167paid claims since 1979

$42.4Mpaid to owners

79homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 300 claims, $27.7M
Hurricane Alicia: 209 claims, $4.3M
Tropical Storm Claudette: 126 claims, $1.7M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (35) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Galveston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20homes raised above flood level

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Kemah

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KemahDeclared for Galveston County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

708 households applied for aid $473K aid approved $119K to the City of Kemah for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

83 households applied for aid $23K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

510 households applied for aid $408K aid approved $122K to the City of Kemah for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

1,269 households applied for aid $3.7M aid approved $2.6M to the City of Kemah for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

522 households applied for aid $195K aid approved $52K to the City of Kemah for repairs

2003

Hurricane Claudette

4 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $6K to the City of Kemah for repairs

2001

Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001

$7K to the City of Kemah for repairs

Galveston County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Kemah

Kemah and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

League Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Seabrookmostly inland floodingHigh

Clear Lake Shoresmostly inland floodingHigh

Kemahmostly hurricanesModerate

Bacliffmostly cold 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. Kemah covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kemah’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kemah. 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 Kemah total about $1.9M 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.