Natural hazards · Shepherd

Shepherd, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shepherd comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Shepherd?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shepherd to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes39%Cold waves6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Shepherd faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

39% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 49 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Shepherd flood?

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

14paid claims since 1979

$85Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 1 claim, $15K
Tropical Storm Paul: 1 claim, $5K
Hurricane Bonnie: 1 claim, $11K

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

Insurance rates: San Jacinto County.

Disasters that hit Shepherd

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShepherdDeclared for San Jacinto County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

1,490 households applied for aid $2.6M aid approved

2024

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

531 households applied for aid $2.4M aid approved $46K to the City of Shepherd for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

251 households applied for aid $264K aid approved

2019

Tropical Storm Imelda

17 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

977 households applied for aid $3.7M aid approved $94K to the City of Shepherd for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

155 households applied for aid $170K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

1,256 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $53K to the City of Shepherd for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

2,407 households applied for aid $3.0M aid approved $35K to the City of Shepherd for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

43 households applied for aid $134K aid approved

San Jacinto County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

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. Shepherd is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shepherd’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Shepherd. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.