FEMA puts Alice’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Alice gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #521 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (56%), then river and rain flooding (36%). Flood insurance has paid 76 claims here since 1980.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Alice faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Alice’s grade
Hurricanes are 56% of the building damage FEMA expects in Alice, and Alice’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 36% (lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts).
C− #521 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Alice’s residents live in 7 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Alice has more expected damage per building than 81% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $15.4M a year in losses across Alice: $6.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Alice flood? Sometimes: 76 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Alice, from FEMA’s records: 10.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 75% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Bill15 claims · $427K
- Hurricane Allen6 claims · $14K
- The Torrential rain3 claims · $24K
Alice isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jim Wells County.10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Alice
Disasters that paid out in Alice itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Alice), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Severe Winter Storms758 households applied for aid$677K aid approved$28K to the City of Alice for repairs
- 2018Severe Storms and Flooding356 households applied for aid$182K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
- 2017Hurricane Harvey3 households applied for aid$500 aid approved$88K to the City of Alice for repairs
- 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding1,192 households applied for aid$646K aid approved$52K to the City of Alice for repairs18 flood claims paid that year
- 2008Hurricane Ike$36K to the City of Alice for repairs
- 2008Hurricane Dolly$9K to the City of Alice for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $23K
Show all 10
- 2007Hurricane Dean$1K to the City of Alice for repairs21 flood claims paid that year
- 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding234 households applied for aid$440K aid approved
- 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$25K to the City of Alice for repairs
- 1999Hurricane Bret$44K to the City of Alice for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Jim Wells County has had 25 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Alice after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Alice archive →Alice and its neighbors
Alice is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Alegre | Cmore damage than 74% | hurricanes | 25 |
| Alice | C−more damage than 76% | hurricanes | 76 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Alice faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Alice
Is Alice at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Alice has higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #521 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (56%) and river and rain flooding (36%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Alice flood?
Flood insurance has paid 76 claims in Alice since 1980, $857K in all, or 10.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 75% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 10 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Bill (15).
Is Alice in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Jim Wells County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Alice?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Alice’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Alice?
By FEMA money that reached Alice, Severe Winter Storms (2021): 758 households applied for aid, $677K approved, and $28K to the City of Alice for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Bill: 15 paid, $427K.
Is Alice at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (56%), and Alice’s rate for it is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Alice.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Alice’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.