Skip to content
Risk: Very High

Harris County, TX Environment & Hazard Risk

Very High natural hazard risk, led by hurricane. 1,636 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss
$2.22B
Very High nationally
Storm events since 1996
1,636
Most often thunderstorm wind
Flood insurance policies
206,279
16.6% of homes
Hurricanes nearby
11
24 tropical storms or stronger since 1871

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Very High

Score 99.9 of 100

Social vulnerability

Relatively High

Score 67.9 of 100

Community resilience

Very Low

Score 17.9 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $839B · Agriculture value exposed: $65.13M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $2.95B

Risk by hazard

  • HurricaneVery High$458M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
  • TornadoVery High$407M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.6 events a year
  • Cold waveVery High$118M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
  • LightningVery High$8.59M/yr expected annual loss, about 75 events a year
  • Heat waveVery High$80.36M/yr expected annual loss, about 15 events a year
  • Ice stormVery High$4.13M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
  • Strong windVery High$7.72M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.5 events a year
  • EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$5.91M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,887 years
  • HailRelatively Moderate$1.6M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.4 events a year
  • Winter weatherRelatively High$296K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
  • LandslideRelatively Moderate$36.56K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
  • WildfireRelatively Low$562K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 895 years
  • Coastal floodingRelatively High$2.5M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.8 events a year
  • DroughtRelatively Moderate$550K/yr expected annual loss, about 16 events a year

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Flood risk and insurance

National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance
206,279 of 1,245,880 (16.6%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones
113,215
Insured in high-risk zones
54,764 (48%)
Flood claims since 1978
170,854
Claims paid since 1978
$8.76B

Flood claims paid per year

Flood claims paid per year in Harris County
  • Hurricane Harvey$5.37B · 48,992 claims
  • Tropical Storm Allison$901M · 25,050 claims
  • Spring severe storms$426M · 7,289 claims
  • Hurricane Ike$419M · 13,360 claims
  • Early summer storms$370M · 5,748 claims
  • Flooding$362M · 22,506 claims

Storm history

Since 1996: 1,636 events, 319 deaths, $20.69B in damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind526 · 14 deaths
  • Hail480
  • Flash Flood223 · 70 deaths
  • Tornado96 · 1 death
  • Lightning72 · 12 deaths
  • Heat68 · 128 deaths
  • Funnel Cloud62
  • Drought19
  • Excessive Heat15 · 9 deaths
  • Winter Storm11 · 2 deaths

Events per year

Storm events per year in Harris County
69
40
49
14
12
40
31
45
51
40
64
37
68
50
50
27
99
80
31
24

254 tornadoes on record (EF0 27, EF1 13, EF2 2, EF3 1, F0 100, F1 66, F2 33, F3 8, F4 1).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

  • Flash Flood08/27/2017

    Joyce, Harris County

    38 deaths, $10B damage

    What happened

    There were numerous water rescues within Houston and the surrounding suburbs. Flood waters completely inundated thousands of homes and businesses. Roads and highways in and around Houston were flooded and therefore closed for long time periods. Catastrophic flooding occurred on nearly every one of the 22 watersheds in Harris County. 10 out of the 19 bayous in the county reached record crests and flooding. There was widespread flooding along Buffalo Bayou and upstream and downstream of both Addicks and Barkers Reservoirs due to record level pool elevations. There was major flooding of hundreds of homes within numerous neighboring subdivisions along the San Jacinto River and the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.|There were numerous water rescues within Houston and the surrounding suburbs. Roads and highways in and around Houston inundated and closed due to flash flooding. ||Some of the reported flooded roads in Pasadena were Vista Street, Shafer Street, Fairmont Drive and Strawberry Road.

  • Tropical Storm06/06/2001

    Harris

    22 deaths, $5.03B damage

    What happened

    Tropical Storm Allison formed in the northwest Gulf of Mexico during the early afternoon of June 5th, 80 miles south of Galveston. Allison moved northward, making landfall on the west end of Galveston Island between midnight and 1am on the 6th, less than 12 hours after forming. As Allison moved inland it caused two to three foot tides, which had little impact on the area. On the evening of the 5th a tornado briefly touched down in Brazoria county causing damage to one home in the Manvel area. Over the next five days Allison produced record rainfall that led to devastating flooding across Southeast Texas, killing 22 people and damaging over 48,000 homes, 70,000 automobiles and nearly 2000 businesses.The first significant flooding occurred while Allison was still offshore. A large spiral band with very heavy rainfall moved inland from Galveston to the Houston area, and by mid evening 8 to 12 inch totals were common from northern Galveston county into southern Harris county. Heavy rain continued over inland portions of Southeast Texas overnight with 3 to 5 inch totals common, as Allison moved inland and weakened.On the morning of June 6th, Allison was downgraded to a...

  • Hurricane (Typhoon)09/12/2008

    Harris

    9 deaths, 2,400 injured, $2B damage

    What happened

    Ike produced damage due to high storm surge and high winds along the Galveston Bay, Clear Lake and associated tributaries. Storm tides of 10 to 15 feet were found in these areas.

  • Storm Surge/Tide09/12/2008

    Harris

    $3B damage

    What happened

    Storm tide ranged from 10 to 15 feet above mean sea level along the Galveston Bay, Clear Lake and associated tributaries which caused major flooding of coastal areas. Number of injuries unknown. Shoreacres, Clear Lake Shores, Seabrook, and Taylor Lake Village were among the hard hit areas.

  • Cold/Wind Chill02/12/2021

    Inland Harris

    40 deaths, $33.7M damage

    What happened

    Very cold air and gusty winds overspread SE Texas behind an Arctic front with wind chill indices from near zero to single digits for much the period from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Increased power demand, wind and ice led to widespread power outages. Bursting pipes caused many to be without water as well.

  • Heat09/21/2005

    Harris

    34 deaths

    What happened

    Deaths were all associated with the evacuation for Hurricane Rita, both before and after Rita's arrival. Rita made landfall just east of the Texas/Louisiana border early Saturday morning, September 24th.

Latest storm reports

Newest first

  • Thunderstorm Wind60 kt wind07/23/2026

    Bay Oaks, Harris County

  • Thunderstorm Wind64 kt wind07/12/2026

    Satsuma, Harris County

    $6,000 damage

  • Flash Flood06/20/2026

    (Efd)ellington AFB, Harris County

  • Flash Flood06/16/2026

    Korville, Harris County

  • Flash Flood06/15/2026

    Hedwig Vlg, Harris County

  • Flash Flood06/15/2026

    Humble, Harris County

  • Flash Flood06/05/2026

    Englewood, Harris County

  • Hail1" hail06/02/2026

    Satsuma, Harris County

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Storms whose track crossed Harris County, with the wind when it passed

Drinking water

714 community water systems serve about 5,914,592 people. Violations since 2021.

101 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 111 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.

  • City of HoustonServes 2,970,543 · Surface water · Local government1 health violation
  • City of PasadenaServes 152,000 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
  • Clear Lake City Water AuthorityServes 89,702 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
  • City of BaytownServes 86,004 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
  • City of Houston Ud 5 - KingwoodServes 80,073 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
  • Harris County Mud 165Serves 40,503 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
  • City of La PorteServes 36,569 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
  • City of Deer ParkServes 34,495 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations

Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.

Climate

1991-2020 normals at Houston-Port, 8.8 mi from the county center

Summer highs peak around 94°F in Aug and winter lows bottom out near 44°F in Jan. About 54.1 inches of rain falls in a typical year.

MonthHighLowRain
Jan63°F44°F4.04 in
Feb67°F49°F2.75 in
Mar73°F54°F3.81 in
Apr79°F61°F5.17 in
May86°F69°F5.07 in
Jun91°F75°F7.90 in
Jul93°F77°F4.46 in
Aug94°F77°F3.37 in
Sep90°F72°F4.48 in
Oct82°F63°F5.38 in
Nov72°F53°F3.36 in
Dec65°F46°F4.33 in
Year71°F average54.1 in

Pollution sites

16 Superfund sites and 360 toxic release facilities in Harris County

Superfund sites

Toxic release facilities

Total: 44.1 million lbs in 2024, 9.8 million lbs to air.

Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk244 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Harris County for natural disasters?
FEMA rates Harris County very high for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $2.22B a year. The highest-rated hazards are hurricane (very high), tornado (very high), cold wave (very high).
What storms are most common in Harris County?
Since 1996, NOAA recorded 1,636 storm events affecting Harris County, most often thunderstorm wind (526), hail (480), flash flood (223).
How many tornadoes have hit Harris County?
254 tornadoes have been recorded in Harris County since 1950, including 10 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
How many homes in Harris County have flood insurance?
206,279 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Harris County, covering about 16.6% of homes. The program has paid $8.76B on 170,854 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Harris County?
At Houston-Port, average highs reach 94°F in Aug and lows fall to 44°F in Jan, with 54.1 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.