Madison County, TX Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 213 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $9.24M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 213
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 30
- 0.6% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 4 tropical storms or stronger since 1871
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 34.9 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 59.4 of 100
Community resilience
Very Low
Score 8.9 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.41B · Agriculture value exposed: $233M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $11.6M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$740K/yr expected annual loss, about 29 events a year
- HurricaneRelatively Low$1.4M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 14 years
- Cold waveRelatively Moderate$2.55M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- LightningRelatively Moderate$254K/yr expected annual loss, about 61 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.24M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Ice stormRelatively Low$81.57K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- WildfireVery Low$34.95K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 630 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$196K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Low$262K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.6 events a year
- HailVery Low$104K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
- Winter weatherVery Low$15.65K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.4 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$19.64K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,605 years
- LandslideVery Low$6/yr expected annual loss, about once every 17 years
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, coastal flooding, 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
- 30 of 4,669 (0.6%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 26
- Claims paid since 1978
- $452K
Flood claims paid per year
- Fall 2018 Texas Flooding$103K · 2 claims
- Early summer severe storms$50.81K · 1 claim
- Hurricane Harvey$33.3K · 1 claim
- Flooding$23.2K · 1 claim
- Tropical Storm Claudette$10.77K · 1 claim
- Hurricane Claudette$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 213 events, 1 death, $103M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind69
- Hail48
- Flash Flood28
- Drought16
- Tornado11
- Heat7
- Ice Storm6 · 1 death
- Heavy Snow4
- Excessive Heat4
- Flood4
Events per year
17 tornadoes on record (EF0 4, EF1 2, F0 5, F1 3, F2 3).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Tropical Storm08/25/2017
Madison
$80M damage
What happened
Slow moving Tropical Storm Harvey brought heavy rains and flooding to portions of Brazos, Burleson, Austin, Grimes, Washington and Madison Counties. Moderate to major lowland flooding occurred along rivers and numerous creeks and tributaries. This includes the Brazos at San Felipe, Davison Creek, etc.
- Ice Storm01/12/1997
Madison
1 death
What happened
Freezing rain/sleet event occured on the 12th-13th. Trees, powerlines and roadways were all effected. The weight of the ice caused trees and powerlines to snap/fall. Glazed roadways posed hazardous driving conditions. Over 1100 traffic accidents were reported in Southeast Texas which accounted for 3 deaths. Estimated damage was set at $800,000.
- Drought08/01/1998
Madison
$8.3M damage
What happened
Drought conditions continue from July. After months of extremely dry and hot weather across SE Texas, relief came late in the month with welcomed rainfall and slightly cooler temperatures. Over 20 people across the region lost their lives due to the extreme heat and property and crop damage averaged $8.3 million per county since May. Locations across the region were finally catching up with rainfall toward the end of the month as the drought was coming to an end. NOTE: CROP AND PROPERTY DAMAGE LISTED HERE ARE FOR THE PERIOD MAY-AUGUST 1998.
- Tropical Storm09/13/2008
Madison
$7M damage
What happened
Hurricane Ike produced tropical storm force winds in the county. Moderate wind damage with trees and limbs down. Shingle damage to roofs.
- TornadoF1, 15.9 mi path, 1,320 yd wide12/29/2006
North Zulch, Madison County
3 injured, $750K damage
What happened
Tornado caused three injuries due to a large oak tree falling through a home at Fair Oaks Ranch on the Old Spanish Road. Significant damage to a chicken farm located east of Normangee which killed 15,000 chickens. Numerous trees down, several damaged roofs, and downed power lines along with a power support tower. The most significant damage was reported between Strawther Road and the Willowhold Community with many damaged roofs and downed trees. A horse ranch also received a large amount of damage in the community of Mecca. This tornado was a border-crosser and moved north into Leon County.
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind07/26/2009
Madisonville, Madison County
3 injured, $500K damage
What happened
Severe thunderstorm winds tore the roofs off of several businesses and numerous other structures and residences suffered lesser damage. Emergency management officials reported 22 businesses and 22 homes sustained damage.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Hail1.75" hail05/11/2026
Connor, Madison County
- Hail1" hail05/11/2026
Connor, Madison County
- Hail1" hail04/30/2026
Midway, Madison County
- Winter Weather01/25/2026
Madison
- Thunderstorm Wind82 kt wind05/02/2025
Madisonville, Madison County
- Hail1.25" hail03/15/2025
Connor, Madison County
- Funnel Cloud03/04/2025
North Zulch, Madison County
- Winter Weather01/21/2025
Madison
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Madison County, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Chantal (1989)07/30/1989 · Landfall: TX · 984 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1942)08/17/1942 · Landfall: TXTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1921)06/16/1921 · Landfall: TX · 980 mbTropical storm58 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1871)06/01/1871 · Landfall: TX · 999 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
6 community water systems serve about 12,632 people. Violations since 2021.
2 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step.
- City of MadisonvilleServes 6,111 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Tdcj Ferguson UnitServes 3,043 · Groundwater · State3 health violations+8 monitoring or reporting
- North Zulch MudServes 1,800 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- High Prairie Water Supply CorpServes 1,476 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- City of MidwayServes 173 · Groundwater · Local government2 health violations
- Osr Estates SubdivisionServes 29 · Groundwater · PrivateNo 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 Madisonville, 2.1 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 96°F in Aug and winter lows bottom out near 37°F in Jan. About 46.8 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 0.5 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62°F | 37°F | 4.36 in | - |
| Feb | 66°F | 41°F | 3.35 in | 0.3 in |
| Mar | 72°F | 47°F | 3.38 in | - |
| Apr | 79°F | 54°F | 3.40 in | - |
| May | 85°F | 63°F | 4.86 in | - |
| Jun | 92°F | 69°F | 3.76 in | - |
| Jul | 95°F | 72°F | 2.91 in | - |
| Aug | 96°F | 71°F | 3.42 in | - |
| Sep | 91°F | 65°F | 3.87 in | - |
| Oct | 82°F | 55°F | 4.72 in | - |
| Nov | 71°F | 45°F | 4.34 in | - |
| Dec | 64°F | 38°F | 4.40 in | 0.2 in |
| Year | 67°F average | 46.8 in | 0.5 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Madison County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Madison County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk1 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Madison County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Madison County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $9.24M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), hurricane (relatively low), cold wave (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Madison County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 213 storm events affecting Madison County, most often thunderstorm wind (69), hail (48), flash flood (28).
- How many tornadoes have hit Madison County?
- 17 tornadoes have been recorded in Madison County since 1950.
- How many homes in Madison County have flood insurance?
- 30 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Madison County, covering about 0.6% of homes. The program has paid $452K on 26 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Madison County?
- At Madisonville, average highs reach 96°F in Aug and lows fall to 37°F in Jan, with 46.8 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.