Natural hazards · Temple

Temple, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Temple comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 57 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Temple?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Temple to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes34%Inland flooding31%Cold waves12%Hail10%Heat waves6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Temple faces

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

Tornadoes

34% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Temple flood?

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

57paid claims since 1979

$1.4Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Early summer severe storms: 4 claims, $117K
Early summer storms: 1 claim, $2K
Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $23K

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

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

Insurance rates: Bell County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Temple

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TempleDeclared for Bell County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

6,182 households applied for aid $8.2M aid approved $4.9M to the City of Temple for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

1,256 households applied for aid $273K aid approved $101K to the City of Temple for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

$41K to the City of Temple for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$8K to the City of Temple for repairs

Bell County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Temple

Temple and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Morgan's Point Resortmostly inland floodingModerate

Templemostly tornadoesLow

Beltonmostly inland floodingLow

Pendletonmostly tornadoesVery low

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. Temple covers 20 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Temple’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Temple. 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 Temple total about $24.8M 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.