Natural hazards · Smithville

Smithville, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Smithville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 50 claims here since 1981. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Smithville?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Smithville to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Tornadoes14%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Smithville faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Smithville flood?

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

50paid claims since 1981

$1.9Mpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 17 claims, $941K
Spring severe storms: 6 claims, $262K
Early summer severe storms: 5 claims, $53K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bastrop County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Smithville

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SmithvilleDeclared for Bastrop County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

96 households applied for aid $62K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

295 households applied for aid $468K aid approved $269K to the City of Smithville for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

80 households applied for aid $186K aid approved $46K to the City of Smithville for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

84 households applied for aid $311K aid approved $40K to the City of Smithville for repairs

2011

Wildfires

357 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$3K to the City of Smithville for repairs

1998

Tx-Flooding 10/18/98

$119K to the City of Smithville for repairs

Bastrop County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires 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. Smithville covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Smithville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Smithville. 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 Smithville total about $2.5M 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.