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Brazoria County, Texas

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

Relatively Moderate overall risk
17th of 254highest risk in Texas
$161Mexpected losses a year
32federal declarations
1 in 4homes with flood insurance
Photo: Patrick Feller from Humble, Texas, USA, CC BY 2.0

Brazoria County, Texas has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 94% of US counties. It ranks 17th of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $161 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $435 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (23 major disasters). The most recent was in July 2024 (Hurricane Beryl). About 1 in 4 homes here carry federal flood insurance (27,418 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $631 million on 21,436 claims here, including $406 million for floods in 2017.

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

Top risks in Brazoria County

$78.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 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.
$43.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$20.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • 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.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingHigh94.4
$78M
HurricaneHigh96.9
$44M
TornadoHigh97.0
$21M
Cold waveModerate83.1
$5M
Heat waveModerate93.1
$5M
LightningHigh95.5
$2M
Coastal floodingModerate76.4
$2M
DroughtModerate84.5
$1M
WildfireLow86.1
$887K
Strong windModerate59.6
$822K
Ice stormHigh85.1
$691K
HailLow60.1
$432K
EarthquakeVery Low46.0
$254K
Winter weatherVery Low22.4
$23K
LandslideVery Low43.7
$988

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 low and community resilience is very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane13
Flood7
Severe Storm6
Fire2
Coastal Storm2
Severe Ice Storm2

Most recent

Jul 9, 2024Hurricane BerylMajor disaster
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
Jun 11, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Nov 25, 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
May 29, 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2008Hurricane IkeMajor disaster
Show all 32
Sep 10, 2008Hurricane IkeEmergency
Aug 29, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Aug 18, 2007Hurricane DeanEmergency
Jan 11, 2006Extreme Wildfire ThreatMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Sep 2, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jul 17, 2003Hurricane ClaudetteMajor disaster
Nov 5, 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2002Tropical Storm FayMajor disaster
Jun 9, 2001Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001Major disaster
Sep 1, 1999Extreme Fire HazardsEmergency
Oct 21, 1998Tx-Flooding 10/18/98Major disaster
Sep 23, 1998Hurricane Georges - TexasMajor disaster
Aug 26, 1998Tropical Storm CharleyMajor disaster
Oct 18, 1994Severe Thunderstorms and FloodingMajor disaster
Dec 26, 1991Severe ThunderstormsMajor disaster
Apr 12, 1991Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 19, 1983Hurricane AliciaMajor disaster
Sep 25, 1979Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 28, 1979Storms & Flash FloodsMajor disaster
Jul 11, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1950

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 516 storm reports in Brazoria County since 1950, with 3 deaths and 77 injuries and about $2 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on March 8, 1976.

96tornadoes
134hail reports, largest 2.75 inches
201damaging thunderstorm winds
63floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 8, 1976F3–18 / 0
Apr 18, 1966F3–0 / 0
Dec 28, 2024EF2Liverpool5 / 1
Oct 31, 2015EF2Hastings0 / 0
Oct 31, 2015EF2Hastings0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 26, 2017Flash FloodPearland$2B
Mar 8, 1976Tornado–$3M
Oct 31, 2015TornadoHastings$2M
Oct 31, 2015TornadoHastings$2M
Jul 1, 2010Flash FloodWest Columbia$1M
May 2, 2000Thunderstorm WindPearland$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 22, 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 1854, 29 hurricanes and 26 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Brazoria County, 23 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1932, with top winds near 150 mph about 18 miles away.

29hurricanes
6major hurricanes (Category 3+)
26tropical storms
2024most recent: Beryl

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 14, 1932UnnamedCategory 4, 150 mph18 mi
Sep 8, 1900UnnamedCategory 4, 140 mph62 mi
Aug 17, 1915UnnamedCategory 4, 130 mph49 mi
Sep 23, 1941UnnamedCategory 3, 125 mph60 mi
Aug 18, 1983AliciaCategory 3, 115 mph32 mi
Jul 21, 1909UnnamedCategory 3, 115 mph60 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Jul 8, 2024BerylCategory 1, 90 mph52 mi
Sep 14, 2021NicholasCategory 1, 75 mph65 mi
Sep 17, 2019ImeldaTropical storm, 45 mph19 mi
Aug 28, 2017HarveyTropical storm, 45 mph64 mi
Sep 13, 2008IkeCategory 2, 110 mph58 mi
Sep 13, 2007HumbertoCategory 1, 85 mph60 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 Brazoria County

Check your address flood zone ›
22.5%of homes have federal flood insurance (27,418 policies)
42.8%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$631 millionpaid on 21,436 flood claims since 1978
2017costliest year, with $406 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 Brazoria County

$301,600median home value (Texas $283,800, US $332,700)
1996median year homes were built (Texas 1992, US 1980)
29%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
8.9%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; 150,321 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
Harris CountyVery High39
Fort Bend CountyHigh26
Galveston CountyHigh29
Wharton CountyModerate24
Matagorda CountyLow27

Common questions about Brazoria County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Brazoria County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Brazoria County, about $78.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Hurricane is second at $43.6 million.

How many federal disasters has Brazoria County had?

Brazoria County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 23 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

Is Brazoria County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 17th 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 Brazoria County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 4 homes in Brazoria 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 Brazoria County had?

NOAA records list 96 tornadoes in Brazoria County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on March 8, 1976. The weather service has also logged 134 hail reports and 63 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Brazoria County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 29 hurricanes and 26 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Brazoria County, including 6 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1932, with winds near 150 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.