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Montgomery County, Texas

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

Relatively High overall risk
13th of 254highest risk in Texas
$222Mexpected losses a year
36federal declarations
1 in 9homes with flood insurance
Photo: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0

Montgomery County, Texas has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 96% of US counties. It ranks 13th of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $222 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $358 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (22 major disasters). The most recent was in March 2025 (Pauline Road Fire). About 1 in 9 homes here carry federal flood insurance (21,232 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $633 million on 13,035 claims here, including $249 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 Montgomery County

$94.4 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.

Tornado

Very High
$61.7 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.
$22.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingHigh95.6
$94M
TornadoVery High99.4
$62M
Cold waveHigh97.9
$23M
HurricaneHigh93.7
$18M
LightningVery High99.7
$9M
Heat waveModerate95.8
$8M
Strong windHigh93.0
$3M
Ice stormVery High95.2
$2M
HailModerate89.6
$2M
EarthquakeLow66.0
$713K
DroughtModerate68.6
$547K
WildfireLow79.3
$426K
Winter weatherHigh86.1
$336K
LandslideVery Low53.3
$2K

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 relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane10
Fire9
Flood8
Severe Storm5
Severe Ice Storm2
Drought1

Most recent

Mar 20, 2025Pauline Road FireFire management
Jul 9, 2024Hurricane BerylMajor disaster
May 17, 2024Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 19, 2021Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Feb 14, 2021Severe Winter StormEmergency
Aug 24, 2020Tropical Storms Marco and LauraEmergency
Oct 4, 2019Tropical Storm ImeldaMajor disaster
Aug 25, 2017Hurricane HarveyMajor disaster
Jun 11, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 25, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 36
May 29, 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 9, 2011WildfiresMajor disaster
Sep 6, 2011Tamina FireFire management
Sep 6, 2011Riley Road FireFire management
Sep 13, 2008Hurricane IkeMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2008Hurricane IkeEmergency
Aug 29, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Mar 14, 2008WildfiresEmergency
Jan 11, 2006Extreme Wildfire ThreatMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Sep 2, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Nov 5, 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 9, 2001Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001Major disaster
Sep 5, 2000Tx - Peach Creek Fire - 09/04/00Fire management
Sep 1, 1999Extreme Fire HazardsEmergency
Oct 21, 1998Tx-Flooding 10/18/98Major disaster
Aug 26, 1998Tropical Storm CharleyMajor disaster
Feb 23, 1996Extreme Fire HazardEmergency
Oct 18, 1994Severe Thunderstorms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 1993Extreme Fire HazardEmergency
May 19, 1989Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 19, 1983Hurricane AliciaMajor disaster
Sep 25, 1979Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 26, 1979Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 11, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1954

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 563 storm reports in Montgomery County since 1954, with 11 deaths and 32 injuries and about $7.2 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on December 12, 1968.

55tornadoes
168hail reports, largest 4.75 inches
244damaging thunderstorm winds
77floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Dec 12, 1968F3–0 / 0
Sep 22, 1965F3–0 / 0
Dec 28, 2024EF3Oak Ridge North10 / 0
Feb 19, 1954F2–7 / 0
Apr 18, 1979F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 27, 2017Flash FloodBoy$7B
Sep 19, 2019Flash FloodNew Caney$190M
May 2, 2000HailConroe$10M
May 1, 2024FloodMostyn$6M
Apr 18, 2016Flash FloodMostyn$3M
Jan 31, 1983Tornado–$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jun 16, 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, 11 hurricanes and 30 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Montgomery County, 20 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1900, with top winds near 120 mph about 59 miles away.

11hurricanes
1major hurricanes (Category 3+)
30tropical storms
2024most recent: Beryl

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 9, 1900UnnamedCategory 3, 120 mph59 mi
Aug 17, 1915UnnamedCategory 2, 110 mph62 mi
Sep 13, 2008IkeCategory 2, 105 mph60 mi
Aug 18, 1983AliciaCategory 2, 105 mph63 mi
Oct 4, 1949UnnamedCategory 1, 95 mph60 mi
Jul 27, 1943UnnamedCategory 1, 95 mph62 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Jul 8, 2024BerylCategory 1, 75 mph59 mi
Sep 14, 2021NicholasTropical storm, 50 mph64 mi
Sep 13, 2008IkeCategory 2, 105 mph60 mi
Aug 5, 2008EdouardTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi
Aug 31, 2003GraceTropical storm, 40 mph65 mi
Jun 6, 2001AllisonTropical storm, 50 mph61 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 Montgomery County

Check your address flood zone ›
10.7%of homes have federal flood insurance (21,232 policies)
35.5%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$633 millionpaid on 13,035 flood claims since 1978
2017costliest year, with $249 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 Montgomery County

$346,200median home value (Texas $283,800, US $332,700)
2004median year homes were built (Texas 1992, US 1980)
14%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
11.5%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; 266,019 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
Liberty CountyLow36
Walker CountyLow36
Waller CountyLow27
Grimes CountyLow26
San Jacinto CountyLow30

Common questions about Montgomery County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Montgomery County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Montgomery County, about $94.4 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $61.7 million.

How many federal disasters has Montgomery County had?

Montgomery County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 22 major disasters. The most recent was Pauline Road Fire in March 2025.

Is Montgomery County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively High, 13th 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 Montgomery County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 9 homes in Montgomery 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 Montgomery County had?

NOAA records list 55 tornadoes in Montgomery County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on December 12, 1968. The weather service has also logged 168 hail reports and 77 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Montgomery County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 11 hurricanes and 30 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Montgomery County, including 1 major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1900, with winds near 120 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.