Natural hazards · Richardson

Richardson, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Richardson comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1985. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Richardson?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Richardson to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes34%Inland flooding30%Heat waves15%Hail15%Cold waves6%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Richardson faces

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

Tornadoes

34% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

15% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Hail

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% 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 Richardson flood?

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

16paid claims since 1985

$127Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19852026

Biggest named events

Early summer storms: 2 claims, $18K
Early summer severe storms: 1 claim, $6K
Fall severe storms: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Richardson is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Dallas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

23storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Richardson

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RichardsonDeclared for Dallas County only

2024

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

905 households applied for aid $526K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

976 households applied for aid $354K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

1 household applied for aid

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $728 aid approved

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

Around Richardson

Richardson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Murphymostly tornadoesHigh

Planomostly tornadoesModerate

Richardsonmostly tornadoesModerate

Garlandmostly heat wavesModerate

Dallasmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Richardson covers 32 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Richardson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Richardson. 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 Richardson total about $58.9M 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.