Fort Bend County, Texas
Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.
Fort Bend County, Texas has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 98% of US counties. It ranks 8th of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $346 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $421 per resident. Since 1983 it has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (16 major disasters). The most recent was in July 2024 (Hurricane Beryl). About 1 in 6 homes here carry federal flood insurance (39,537 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $451 million on 7,389 claims here, including $364 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 Fort Bend County
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
All 18 hazards
What the ratings mean ›| Hazard | Rating | Score | Expected loss a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | 97.6 | $169M | ||
| Hurricane | 97.6 | $71M | ||
| Tornado | 99.2 | $59M | ||
| Heat wave | 97.8 | $17M | ||
| Cold wave | 95.5 | $15M | ||
| Lightning | 99.4 | $7M | ||
| Strong wind | 94.1 | $3M | ||
| Ice storm | 93.3 | $2M | ||
| Drought | 84.6 | $1M | ||
| Hail | 73.9 | $811K | ||
| Earthquake | 61.8 | $618K | ||
| Wildfire | 80.1 | $502K | ||
| Winter weather | 46.9 | $71K | ||
| Landslide | 53.6 | $2K | ||
| Coastal flooding | 19.2 | $224 |
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 very low and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.
Federal disaster history
Recent disasters nationwide ›Declarations by decade
Federal declarations for natural events that included Fort Bend County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.
By type
Most recent
Show all 26
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 435 storm reports in Fort Bend County since 1950, with 10 deaths and 79 injuries and about $8 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on April 19, 1965.
Strongest tornadoes
| Date | Strength | Near | Hurt / killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1965 | F3 | – | 3 / 1 |
| Sep 13, 1974 | F3 | – | 2 / 0 |
| Feb 14, 2017 | EF2 | Crabb | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2003 | F2 | Sugarland | 60 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2003 | F2 | Stafford | 0 / 0 |
Most damaging storms
| Date | Type | Near | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2017 | Flash Flood | Kendleton | $8B |
| Feb 16, 1998 | Tornado | Sugarland | $4M |
| Nov 21, 1992 | Tornado | – | $3M |
| May 2, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orchard | $2M |
| Apr 16, 2001 | Hail | Missouri City | $2M |
| Aug 26, 2017 | Tornado | Hobby | $2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 23, 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, 21 hurricanes and 26 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Fort Bend County, 20 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1932, with top winds near 150 mph about 50 miles away.
Strongest storms nearby
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 1932 | Unnamed | Category 4, 150 mph | 50 mi |
| Sep 9, 1900 | Unnamed | Category 4, 140 mph | 64 mi |
| Aug 17, 1915 | Unnamed | Category 4, 130 mph | 64 mi |
| Sep 23, 1941 | Unnamed | Category 3, 125 mph | 63 mi |
| Aug 18, 1983 | Alicia | Category 3, 115 mph | 64 mi |
| Jul 21, 1909 | Unnamed | Category 3, 115 mph | 59 mi |
Most recent storms
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2024 | Beryl | Category 1, 90 mph | 58 mi |
| Sep 14, 2021 | Nicholas | Category 1, 75 mph | 57 mi |
| Sep 17, 2019 | Imelda | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 49 mi |
| Sep 13, 2008 | Ike | Category 2, 105 mph | 60 mi |
| Aug 5, 2008 | Edouard | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 63 mi |
| Aug 31, 2003 | Grace | Tropical storm, 40 mph | 54 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 Fort Bend County
Check your address flood zone ›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 Fort Bend County
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; 305,633 housing units.
Compare in Texas
All 254 ›| Largest counties | Overall risk | Top hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County | Inland flooding | |
| Dallas County | Inland flooding | |
| Tarrant County | Inland flooding | |
| Bexar County | Inland flooding | |
| Travis County | Inland flooding | |
| Collin County | Tornado | |
| Denton County | Tornado | |
| Hidalgo County | Hurricane |
Neighboring counties
| County | Overall risk | Declarations |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County | 39 | |
| Brazoria County | 32 | |
| Waller County | 27 | |
| Wharton County | 24 | |
| Austin County | 22 |
Common questions about Fort Bend County
What is the biggest natural hazard in Fort Bend County?
Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Fort Bend County, about $169 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Hurricane is second at $70.7 million.
How many federal disasters has Fort Bend County had?
Fort Bend County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1983, including 16 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.
Is Fort Bend County a high-risk place to live?
Its overall rating is Relatively High, 8th 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 Fort Bend County?
Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 6 homes in Fort Bend 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 Fort Bend County had?
NOAA records list 60 tornadoes in Fort Bend County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on April 19, 1965. The weather service has also logged 129 hail reports and 57 floods here.
How many hurricanes have hit Fort Bend County?
NOAA's hurricane records show 21 hurricanes and 26 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Fort Bend 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.