Natural hazards · Silsbee

Silsbee, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Silsbee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 104 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Silsbee?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Silsbee to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding35%Hurricanes22%Tornadoes20%Cold waves9%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Silsbee faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 36 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

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 Silsbee flood?

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

104paid claims since 1978

$2.7Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Fall severe storms: 12 claims, $429K
Hurricane Harvey: 12 claims, $563K
Hurricane Rita: 11 claims, $759K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hardin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Silsbee

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SilsbeeDeclared for Hardin County only

2024

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

657 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved $15K to the City of Silsbee for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

239 households applied for aid $114K aid approved

2020

Tropical Storms Marco and Laura

$27K to the City of Silsbee for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

3,218 households applied for aid $4.8M aid approved $133K to the City of Silsbee for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

65 households applied for aid $175K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

3,815 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $583K to the City of Silsbee for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

8,184 households applied for aid $17.9M aid approved $2.6M to the City of Silsbee for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

246 households applied for aid $347K aid approved

Hardin County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

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. Silsbee 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 Silsbee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Silsbee. 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.