On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect less hazard damage per building than Chula Vista, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Chula Vista gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #3 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2025.
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 Chula Vista 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
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
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 Chula Vista’s grade
River and rain flooding is 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in Chula Vista, and Chula Vista’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 5% (higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts).
A+ #3 of 642 in Texas; among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Chula Vista’s residents live in 2 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, Chula Vista has less expected damage per building than 100% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $973K a year in losses across Chula Vista: $300K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Chula Vista flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2025
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Chula Vista, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Chula Vista isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Maverick County.The storms Chula Vista remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Maverick County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Chula Vista itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20251 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Maverick County has had 11 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.
Old photos of Chula Vista after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Chula Vista archive →Chula Vista and its neighbors
Chula Vista has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chula Vista | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Eagle Pass | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 85 |
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 Chula Vista 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Chula Vista
Is Chula Vista at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Chula Vista has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #3 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%) and hurricanes (5%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Chula Vista flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Chula Vista since 2025, $115K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Chula Vista 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 Maverick County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Chula Vista?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Chula Vista’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Chula Vista at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and Chula Vista’s rate for it is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Chula Vista.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Chula Vista’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.