Natural hazards · Rancho Chico

Rancho Chico, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rancho Chico comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 301 claims here since 1980.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rancho Chico?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rancho Chico to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding45%Hurricanes27%Cold waves12%Tornadoes8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Rancho Chico faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Rancho Chico flood?

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

301paid claims since 1980

$2.8Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Heavy rains: 2 claims, $6K
Early summer storms: 2 claims, $10K
Hurricane Allen: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Rancho Chico 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 Rancho Chico

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for San Patricio County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Rancho Chico itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Rancho ChicoDeclared for San Patricio County only

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

Around Rancho Chico

Rancho Chico and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rancho Chicomostly inland floodingVery high

Sintonmostly inland floodingVery high

La Paloma Additionmostly inland floodingVery high

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. Rancho Chico covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rancho Chico’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Rancho Chico. 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 Rancho Chico total about $3.7M 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.