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Bexar County, Texas

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively High overall risk
3rd of 254highest risk in Texas
$619Mexpected losses a year
30federal declarations
1 in 125homes with flood insurance
Photo: Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0

Bexar County, Texas has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is in the top 1% of US counties. It ranks 3rd of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and hail. FEMA estimates about $619 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $309 per resident. Since 1988 it has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (12 major disasters). The most recent was in September 2026 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (4,411 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $34 million on 2,309 claims here, including $12 million for floods in 1998.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Bexar County

$365 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 7 times a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Tornado

Very High
$124 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.

Hail

Very High
$72.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 3 times a year.
  • Ask about the roof age and any impact-rated shingles.
  • Check your home policy for a separate wind and hail deductible.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery High99.7
$365M
TornadoVery High99.9
$124M
HailVery High99.9
$72M
Heat waveHigh99.4
$39M
Cold waveHigh94.8
$10M
HurricaneModerate83.5
$3M
LightningHigh96.5
$2M
WildfireModerate92.4
$2M
Strong windHigh87.1
$2M
EarthquakeLow61.9
$437K
DroughtModerate69.5
$435K
Ice stormModerate79.1
$324K
Winter weatherHigh88.3
$311K
LandslideLow85.2
$26K

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively moderate and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Bexar County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane12
Fire8
Flood5
Severe Storm2
Severe Ice Storm2
Drought1

Most recent

Sep 1, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 18, 2026FloodingEmergency
Mar 5, 2025Duke FireFire management
Feb 19, 2021Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Feb 14, 2021Severe Winter StormEmergency
Aug 24, 2020Tropical Storms Marco and LauraEmergency
Jul 26, 2020Hurricane HannaEmergency
Aug 25, 2017Hurricane HarveyMajor disaster
Sep 9, 2011Pat Gross FireFire management
Sep 8, 2011Big Oak FireFire management
Show all 30
Jun 29, 2010Tropical Storm AlexEmergency
Sep 10, 2008Hurricane IkeEmergency
Aug 29, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Jul 24, 2008Hurricane DollyMajor disaster
Mar 14, 2008WildfiresEmergency
Oct 2, 2007Tropical Storm ErinMajor disaster
Aug 18, 2007Hurricane DeanEmergency
Jan 11, 2006Extreme Wildfire ThreatMajor disaster
Jan 5, 2006Bulverde FireFire management
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Sep 2, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jul 4, 2002Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 1, 1999Extreme Fire HazardsEmergency
Oct 21, 1998Tx-Flooding 10/18/98Major disaster
Aug 26, 1998Tropical Storm CharleyMajor disaster
Jul 7, 1997Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 23, 1996Extreme Fire HazardEmergency
Sep 10, 1993Extreme Fire HazardEmergency
Oct 5, 1988Hurricane GilbertMajor disaster

Texas also had 106 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1953

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 1,458 storm reports in Bexar County since 1953, with 59 deaths and 753 injuries and about $1.7 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F4 tornado on April 28, 1953.

74tornadoes
618hail reports, largest 5.5 inches
309damaging thunderstorm winds
445floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 28, 1953F4–15 / 2
Nov 22, 1961F3–0 / 0
Sep 17, 1988F2–3 / 0
Mar 19, 2002F2Somerset30 / 0
May 2, 1959F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 12, 2016HailGrey Forest$1.4B
May 6, 2001HailSan Antonio$150M
Sep 17, 1988Tornado–$25M
Sep 17, 1988Tornado–$25M
Jun 12, 2025Flash FloodLonghorn$23M
Aug 16, 2007Flash FloodElmendorf$15M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 15, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1851, 2 hurricanes and 7 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Bexar County, 4 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1886, with top winds near 105 mph about 60 miles away.

2hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
7tropical storms
2017most recent: Harvey

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 20, 1886UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph60 mi
Aug 30, 1942UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph60 mi
Jun 29, 1929UnnamedTropical storm, 70 mph62 mi
Jun 26, 1851UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph64 mi
Jun 24, 1968CandyTropical storm, 55 mph63 mi
Aug 27, 2017HarveyTropical storm, 50 mph63 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 27, 2017HarveyTropical storm, 50 mph63 mi
Sep 7, 2010HermineTropical storm, 50 mph63 mi
Sep 6, 1973DeliaTropical storm, 40 mph64 mi
Jun 24, 1968CandyTropical storm, 55 mph63 mi
Aug 30, 1942UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph60 mi
Jun 28, 1936UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph59 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Bexar County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.8%of homes have federal flood insurance (4,411 policies)
28.4%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$33.8 millionpaid on 2,309 flood claims since 1978
1998costliest year, with $11.5 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Bexar County

$262,200median home value (Texas $283,800, US $332,700)
1990median year homes were built (Texas 1992, US 1980)
36%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
2.7%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 820,780 housing units.

Compare in Texas

All 254 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Harris CountyVery HighInland flooding
Dallas CountyVery HighInland flooding
Tarrant CountyHighInland flooding
Bexar CountyHighInland flooding
Travis CountyHighInland flooding
Collin CountyHighTornado
Denton CountyHighTornado
Hidalgo CountyHighHurricane

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Guadalupe CountyModerate21
Comal CountyModerate26
Wilson CountyLow16
Medina CountyLow18
Atascosa CountyLow19
Kendall CountyLow22
Bandera CountyLow16

Common questions about Bexar County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Bexar County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Bexar County, about $365 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $124 million.

How many federal disasters has Bexar County had?

Bexar County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1988, including 12 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in September 2026.

Is Bexar County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively High, 3rd highest of 254 in Texas. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Bexar County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 125 homes in Bexar County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Bexar County had?

NOAA records list 74 tornadoes in Bexar County since 1950. The strongest was an F4 tornado on April 28, 1953. The weather service has also logged 618 hail reports and 445 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Bexar County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 2 hurricanes and 7 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Bexar County. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1886, with winds near 105 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.