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Blum, TexasPhoto: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Blum · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Blum

Blum isn’t graded for hazard risk: Blum has 336 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1989.

Flood claims
7
paid since 1989 · $111K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 19 declared for Hill County
By hazard

What Blum 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

62%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Wildfire

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms Hurricanes Strong wind Earthquakes Landslides top 2% Lightning top 3% Cold waves top 2% Winter storms Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 38% of Blum’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.2%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Blum flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1989

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Blum, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1989: 2 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 5 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19891991
19892026
7
paid claims since 1989
$111K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$16K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Blum isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hill County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Blum

Disasters that paid out in Blum itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Blum), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2021Severe Winter Storms11 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
  2. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$10K to the Town of Blum for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BlumHill County only

Hill County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Hill County, 2000–2000.

Were you here?

Old photos of Blum after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Blum archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Blum faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Blum

Does Blum flood?

Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Blum since 1989, $111K in all.

Is Blum 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 Hill County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Blum?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Blum’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 Blum?

By FEMA money that reached Blum, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2007): $10K to the Town of Blum for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Blum.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Blum’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.