Natural hazards · Sweeny

Sweeny, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sweeny comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 136 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 Sweeny?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sweeny to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding55%Hurricanes24%Tornadoes11%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Sweeny faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 30 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce 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 Sweeny flood?

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

136paid claims since 1979

$3.3Mpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Claudette: 8 claims, $56K
Hurricane Harvey: 6 claims, $297K
Hurricane Beryl: 2 claims, $53K

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. Sweeny 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

1buildings retrofitted against wind

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Sweeny

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SweenyDeclared for Brazoria County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

1,440 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $256K to the City of Sweeny for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

145 households applied for aid $143K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

1,946 households applied for aid $3.1M aid approved $358K to the City of Sweeny for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

533 households applied for aid $387K aid approved $147K to the City of Sweeny for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

200 households applied for aid $69K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Claudette

38 households applied for aid $63K aid approved $10K to the City of Sweeny for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

Brazoria County has had 28 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. Sweeny 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 Sweeny’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sweeny. 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.