Natural hazards · Murphy

Murphy, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Murphy comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Murphy?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Murphy to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes58%Inland flooding23%Hail13%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Murphy faces

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

Tornadoes

58% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Murphy flood?

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

9paid claims since 1979

$278Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Early summer storms: 1 claim, $64K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Collin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Murphy

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MurphyDeclared for Collin County only

2024

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

26 households applied for aid $32K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

81 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

Collin County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Murphy

Murphy and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Parkermostly tornadoesHigh

Sachsemostly tornadoesHigh

Murphymostly tornadoesHigh

Planomostly tornadoesModerate

Richardsonmostly tornadoesModerate

Wyliemostly tornadoesModerate

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. Murphy covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Murphy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Murphy. 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 Murphy total about $14.3M 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.