Natural hazards · Texas

Texas, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Texas comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,751 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Texas?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Texas to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and hurricanes.

Cold waves36%Hurricanes24%Inland flooding19%Tornadoes12%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Texas faces

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

Cold waves

36% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Texas flood?

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

2,751paid claims since 1978

$47.3Mpaid to owners

311homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Harvey: 414 claims, $26.0M
Hurricane Alicia: 289 claims, $1.4M
Tropical Storm Allison: 239 claims, $3.1M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 6 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (60) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Galveston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Texas

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TexasDeclared for Galveston County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

7,279 households applied for aid $6.1M aid approved $1.2M to the City of Texas for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

1,678 households applied for aid $606K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

7,249 households applied for aid $9.0M aid approved $789K to the City of Texas for repairs

2015

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

13 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

8,428 households applied for aid $3.6M aid approved $8.0M to the City of Texas for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

8,280 households applied for aid $3.3M aid approved $114K to the City of Texas for repairs

2003

Hurricane Claudette

40 households applied for aid $52K aid approved

2001

Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001

$16K to the City of Texas for repairs

Galveston County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Texas

Texas and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dickinsonmostly inland floodingVery high

League Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Galvestonmostly inland floodingHigh

La Marquemostly cold wavesHigh

San Leonmostly cold wavesModerate

Bacliffmostly cold wavesModerate

Texas Citymostly cold wavesModerate

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. Texas covers 15 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Texas’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Texas. 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 Texas total about $30.6M 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.