Natural hazards · Sugar Land

Sugar Land, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sugar Land comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 241 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 Sugar Land?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding44%Hurricanes27%Tornadoes17%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Sugar Land faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Sugar Land flood?

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

241paid claims since 1979

$5.9Mpaid to owners

18homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 73 claims, $3.4M
Tropical Storm Allison: 41 claims, $296K
Early summer storms: 21 claims, $219K

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

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Sugar Land is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Fort Bend County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Sugar Land

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sugar LandDeclared for Fort Bend County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

19,204 households applied for aid $13.2M aid approved $5.8M to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

2,779 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $593K to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2020

Tropical Storms Marco and Laura

$26K to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

8,808 households applied for aid $13.4M aid approved $1.6M to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

59 households applied for aid $74K aid approved $265K to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

102 households applied for aid $271K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

4,545 households applied for aid $473K aid approved $5.2M to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

308 households applied for aid $75K aid approved $154K to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$75K to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

2001

Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001

$33K to the City of Sugar Land for repairs

Fort Bend County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Sugar Land

Sugar Land and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Houstonmostly inland floodingVery high

Missouri Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Staffordmostly inland floodingHigh

Richmondmostly inland floodingModerate

Sugar Landmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Sugar Land covers 21 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sugar Land’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sugar Land. 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 Sugar Land total about $43.3M 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.