Natural hazards · Santa Fe

Santa Fe, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Santa Fe comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 615 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Santa Fe?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Santa Fe to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding30%Cold waves28%Hurricanes21%Tornadoes12%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Santa Fe faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Santa Fe flood?

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

615paid claims since 1979

$37.4Mpaid to owners

45homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 422 claims, $34.9M
Tropical Storm Allison: 39 claims, $742K
Hurricane Ike: 14 claims, $183K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Galveston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

18homes raised above flood level

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Santa Fe

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Santa FeDeclared for Galveston County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

2,324 households applied for aid $2.8M aid approved $478K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

453 households applied for aid $370K aid approved $29K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

2,798 households applied for aid $10.8M aid approved $477K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs

2015

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

2 households applied for aid

2008

Hurricane Ike

2,755 households applied for aid $2.2M aid approved $2.0M to the City of Santa Fe for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

2,091 households applied for aid $712K aid approved $52K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs

2003

Hurricane Claudette

2 households applied for aid

2001

Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001

$5K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs

Galveston County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Santa Fe

Santa Fe and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dickinsonmostly inland floodingVery high

Hitchcockmostly inland floodingHigh

Santa Femostly inland floodingHigh

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. Santa Fe covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Santa Fe’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Santa Fe. 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 Santa Fe total about $4.6M 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.