Natural hazards · Taft

Taft, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Taft comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Taft?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Taft to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes37%Inland flooding29%Cold waves15%Tornadoes10%Heat waves5%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Taft faces

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

Hurricanes

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Taft flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Taft.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: San Patricio County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Taft

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TaftDeclared for San Patricio County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

248 households applied for aid $188K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

1,506 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $201K to the City of Taft for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2003

Hurricane Claudette

34 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $72K to the City of Taft for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

471 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved

San Patricio County has had 29 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. Taft covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Taft’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Taft. 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 Taft total about $1.9M 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.