Guadalupe County, Texas
Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.
Guadalupe County, Texas has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 92% of US counties. It ranks 19th of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and heat waves. FEMA estimates about $124 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $717 per resident. Since 1972 it has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (14 major disasters). The most recent was in July 2025 (severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding). About 1 in 28 homes here carry federal flood insurance (2,244 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $109 million on 2,456 claims here, including $62 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 Guadalupe 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.
- 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.
- Check that cooling works before summer.
- Know where the nearest cooling center is.
All 18 hazards
What the ratings mean ›| Hazard | Rating | Score | Expected loss a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | 95.6 | $100M | ||
| Tornado | 92.2 | $10M | ||
| Heat wave | 89.1 | $3M | ||
| Cold wave | 71.2 | $3M | ||
| Hail | 92.1 | $2M | ||
| Lightning | 89.9 | $1M | ||
| Drought | 78.5 | $1M | ||
| Strong wind | 61.3 | $901K | ||
| Hurricane | 66.7 | $509K | ||
| Winter weather | 84.6 | $318K | ||
| Wildfire | 75.0 | $310K | ||
| Ice storm | 50.7 | $104K | ||
| Earthquake | 20.6 | $36K | ||
| Landslide | 26.0 | $257 |
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 moderate in FEMA's measures.
Federal disaster history
Recent disasters nationwide ›Declarations by decade
Federal declarations for natural events that included Guadalupe County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.
By type
Most recent
Show all 21
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 371 storm reports in Guadalupe County since 1953, with 8 deaths and 546 injuries and about $37.3 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on December 1, 1953.
Strongest tornadoes
| Date | Strength | Near | Hurt / killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 1953 | F3 | – | 10 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 2007 | EF2 | Seguin | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 20, 1956 | F2 | – | 1 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 1961 | F2 | – | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1967 | F2 | – | 0 / 0 |
Most damaging storms
| Date | Type | Near | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2010 | Flood | Clear Spg | $10M |
| Oct 17, 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $5M |
| Mar 27, 1994 | Hail | Schertz-Cibolo | $5M |
| Mar 27, 1994 | Hail | Seguin | $5M |
| Mar 27, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Seguin | $5M |
| Jul 5, 2025 | Flash Flood | Sullivan | $3M |
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 1874, 4 hurricanes and 12 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Guadalupe County, 7 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1886, with top winds near 115 mph about 65 miles away.
Strongest storms nearby
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 1886 | Unnamed | Category 3, 115 mph | 65 mi |
| Aug 30, 1942 | Unnamed | Category 1, 95 mph | 56 mi |
| Sep 12, 1961 | Carla | Category 1, 90 mph | 60 mi |
| Sep 17, 1875 | Unnamed | Category 1, 80 mph | 62 mi |
| Jun 29, 1929 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 70 mph | 59 mi |
| Aug 26, 2017 | Harvey | Tropical storm, 70 mph | 64 mi |
Most recent storms
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2017 | Harvey | Tropical storm, 70 mph | 64 mi |
| Jun 17, 2015 | Bill | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 64 mi |
| Sep 7, 2010 | Hermine | Tropical storm, 50 mph | 59 mi |
| Sep 6, 1973 | Delia | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 55 mi |
| Jun 24, 1968 | Candy | Tropical storm, 60 mph | 62 mi |
| Aug 8, 1964 | Abby | Tropical storm, 40 mph | 63 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 Guadalupe 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 Guadalupe 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; 69,700 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bexar County | 30 | |
| Hays County | 25 | |
| Comal County | 26 | |
| Wilson County | 16 | |
| Caldwell County | 22 | |
| Gonzales County | 20 |
Cities in Guadalupe County
Common questions about Guadalupe County
What is the biggest natural hazard in Guadalupe County?
Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Guadalupe County, about $100 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $10.2 million.
How many federal disasters has Guadalupe County had?
Guadalupe County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1972, including 14 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding in July 2025.
Is Guadalupe County a high-risk place to live?
Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 19th 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 Guadalupe County?
Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 28 homes in Guadalupe 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 Guadalupe County had?
NOAA records list 26 tornadoes in Guadalupe County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on December 1, 1953. The weather service has also logged 112 hail reports and 101 floods here.
How many hurricanes have hit Guadalupe County?
NOAA's hurricane records show 4 hurricanes and 12 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Guadalupe County, including 1 major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1886, with winds near 115 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.