Natural hazards · Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Surfside Beach comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,165 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Surfside Beach?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Surfside Beach to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and hurricanes.

Coastal flooding34%Hurricanes33%Inland flooding24%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Surfside Beach faces

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

Coastal flooding

34% of expected damage

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

Hurricanes

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Surfside Beach flood?

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

1,165paid claims since 1978

$20.5Mpaid to owners

152homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 495 claims, $13.5M
Hurricane Claudette: 159 claims, $1.7M
Hurricane Alicia: 82 claims, $406K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (27) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Brazoria County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Surfside Beach

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Surfside BeachDeclared for Brazoria County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

114 households applied for aid $233K aid approved $1.6M to the City of Surfside Beach for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

22 households applied for aid $19K aid approved $26K to the City of Surfside Beach for repairs

2017

Hurricane Harvey

69 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2008

Hurricane Ike

228 households applied for aid $302K aid approved $1.8M to the City of Surfside Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

21 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $796K to the City of Surfside Beach for repairs

2003

Hurricane Claudette

102 households applied for aid $300K aid approved $1.3M to the City of Surfside Beach for repairs

Brazoria County has had 28 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Surfside Beachmostly coastal floodingHigh

Freeportmostly hurricanesLow

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