Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Bandera
Bandera isn’t graded for hazard risk: Bandera has 655 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1978.
What Bandera faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
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.
Does Bandera flood? Sometimes: 30 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bandera, from FEMA’s records.
- The Torrential rain22 claims · $915K
- The Early summer storms2 claims · $20K
- Tropical Storm Erin1 claim · $59K
Bandera isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bandera County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bandera
Disasters that paid out in Bandera itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Bandera), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Severe Winter Storms98 households applied for aid$44K aid approved
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$71K to the City of Bandera for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$179K to the City of Bandera for repairs22 flood claims paid that year
Bandera County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Bandera after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bandera archive →Get ready for what Bandera faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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 Bandera
Does Bandera flood?
Flood insurance has paid 30 claims in Bandera since 1978, $1.1M in all. The most claims came from Torrential rain (22).
Is Bandera 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 Bandera County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Bandera?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bandera’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 Bandera?
By FEMA money that reached Bandera, Severe Storms and Flooding (2002): $179K to the City of Bandera for repairs. By flood claims, Torrential rain: 22 paid, $915K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bandera.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bandera’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.