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Natural hazards · San Marcos

San Marcos, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in San Marcos comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 678 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is San Marcos?

38
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in San Marcos to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding52%Tornadoes23%Hail6%Cold waves5%Heat waves5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What San Marcos faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 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 San Marcos flood?

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

678paid claims since 1979
$25.6Mpaid to owners
119homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Early summer storms: 207 claims, $15.9M
  • Fall severe storms: 181 claims, $6.1M
  • Torrential rain: 1 claim, $1K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. San Marcos is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Hays County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit San Marcos

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into San MarcosDeclared for Hays County only
2024

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

216 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $750K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2023

Severe Winter Storm

$27K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2021

Severe Winter Storms

630 households applied for aid $377K aid approved $29K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

1,977 households applied for aid $7.4M aid approved $1.6M to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$96K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

1 household applied for aid $27K aid approved
2005

Hurricane Rita

$86K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$88K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$21K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
1998

Tx-Flooding 10/18/98

$533K to the City of San Marcos for repairs
Hays County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.
Around San Marcos

San Marcos and the towns around it

Kyle: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRedwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBuda: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMountain City: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSan Marcos: Low, mostly inland flooding San MarcosKyleRedwood
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Redwoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Kylemostly inland floodingModerate
San Marcosmostly inland floodingLow
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. San Marcos covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to San Marcos’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of San Marcos. 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 San Marcos total about $13.3M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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