Natural hazards · Rowlett

Rowlett, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rowlett comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1985. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rowlett?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rowlett to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding34%Heat waves28%Tornadoes14%Hail12%Cold waves10%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Rowlett faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

28% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Hail

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% 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 Rowlett flood?

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

10paid claims since 1985

$202Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19852026

Biggest named events

Thunderstorms: 1 claim, $13K

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

Insurance rates: Dallas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

120storm safe rooms built

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Rowlett

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RowlettDeclared for Dallas County only

2024

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

458 households applied for aid $302K aid approved $19K to the City of Rowlett for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

999 households applied for aid $488K aid approved $68K to the City of Rowlett for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

1 household applied for aid

2015

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

$2.3M to the City of Rowlett for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$30K to the City of Rowlett for repairs

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

Around Rowlett

Rowlett and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Garlandmostly heat wavesModerate

Rowlettmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Rowlett covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rowlett’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rowlett. 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 Rowlett total about $22.8M 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.