Natural hazards · Livingston

Livingston, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Livingston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 51 claims here since 1989. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Livingston?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Livingston to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding39%Hurricanes22%Tornadoes13%Cold waves11%Strong wind6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Livingston faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 35 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Livingston flood?

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

51paid claims since 1989

$1.8Mpaid to owners

12homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Texas Spring Flooding: 9 claims, $263K
Tropical Storm Paul: 8 claims, $479K
Hurricane Rita: 1 claim, $290

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Livingston

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LivingstonDeclared for Polk County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

4,908 households applied for aid $6.3M aid approved $204K to the Town of Livingston for repairs

2024

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

1,836 households applied for aid $7.3M aid approved $741K to the Town of Livingston for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

673 households applied for aid $394K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

1,519 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $17K to the Town of Livingston for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

3,722 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved $1.1M to the Town of Livingston for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

7,195 households applied for aid $6.5M aid approved $347K to the Town of Livingston for repairs

Polk County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods 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. Livingston is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Livingston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Livingston. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.