Natural hazards · Portland

Portland, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Portland comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 100 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Portland?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Portland to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and cold waves.

Hurricanes47%Cold waves19%Inland flooding16%Tornadoes8%Heat waves7%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Portland faces

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

Hurricanes

47% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

16% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Portland flood?

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

100paid claims since 1980

$1.2Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 7 claims, $50K
Hurricane Allen: 7 claims, $117K
Heavy rains: 2 claims, $17K

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. Portland isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: San Patricio County.

Disasters that hit Portland

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortlandDeclared for San Patricio County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

277 households applied for aid $52K aid approved $108K to the City of Portland for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

3,167 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $2.4M to the City of Portland for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

$35K to the City of Portland for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$55K to the City of Portland for repairs

2003

Hurricane Claudette

1 household applied for aid

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

88 households applied for aid $162K aid approved

San Patricio County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Portland

Portland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Corpus Christimostly hurricanesHigh

Portlandmostly hurricanesHigh

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. Portland covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Portland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Portland. 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 Portland total about $7.4M 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.