Natural hazards · Murchison

Murchison, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Murchison comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Murchison?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Murchison to be higher than in 18% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves38%Inland flooding27%Tornadoes18%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Murchison faces

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

Cold waves

38% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 20 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Murchison flood?

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

1paid claims since 2016

$21Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

Spring severe storms: 1 claim, $21K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Henderson County.

Disasters that hit Murchison

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MurchisonDeclared for Henderson County only

2024

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

72 households applied for aid $348K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

46 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Henderson County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Murchison 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 Murchison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Murchison. 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.