Natural hazards · Rockwall

Rockwall, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rockwall comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 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 Rockwall?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rockwall to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes36%Inland flooding31%Heat waves11%Cold waves9%Hail8%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Rockwall faces

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

Tornadoes

36% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 18 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times 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 Rockwall flood?

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

32paid claims since 1979

$1.4Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March storm: 2 claims, $109K
Early summer severe storms: 1 claim, $12K
Hurricane Chantel: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rockwall County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

51storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Rockwall

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RockwallDeclared for Rockwall County only

2024

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

$310K to the City of Rockwall for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

533 households applied for aid $278K aid approved

Rockwall County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and fires.

Around Rockwall

Rockwall and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dallasmostly inland floodingModerate

Heathmostly inland floodingModerate

Fatemostly tornadoesModerate

Rockwallmostly 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. Rockwall covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rockwall’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rockwall. 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 Rockwall total about $18.5M 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.