Natural hazards · Mesquite

Mesquite, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mesquite comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 98 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mesquite?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mesquite to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and inland flooding.

Heat waves33%Inland flooding30%Hail12%Tornadoes12%Cold waves12%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Mesquite faces

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

Heat waves

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once 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 Mesquite flood?

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

98paid claims since 1979

$1.4Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Dallas Flash Floods: 5 claims, $175K
Early summer storms: 3 claims, $76K
March storm: 2 claims, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dallas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Mesquite

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MesquiteDeclared for Dallas County only

2024

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

2,886 households applied for aid $2.2M aid approved $815K to the City of Mesquite for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

2,638 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $79K to the City of Mesquite for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

3 households applied for aid

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

21 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $72K to the City of Mesquite for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$257K to the City of Mesquite for repairs

Dallas County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Mesquite

Mesquite and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Garlandmostly heat wavesModerate

Dallasmostly inland floodingModerate

Sunnyvalemostly inland floodingModerate

Mesquitemostly heat wavesModerate

Seagovillemostly heat wavesModerate

Balch Springsmostly 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. Mesquite covers 34 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mesquite’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mesquite. 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 Mesquite total about $50.8M 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.