Photo: Preiselbeere · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Clute than in 62% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Clute gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns, #417 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (53%), then river and rain flooding (42%). Flood insurance has paid 270 claims here since 1979.
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 stands out about Clute’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Clute 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 Clute’s grade
Hurricanes are 53% of the building damage FEMA expects in Clute, and Clute’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 42% (lower than 67% of U.S. census tracts).
C+ #417 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Clute’s residents live in 3 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, Clute has more expected damage per building than 65% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.6M a year in losses across Clute: $2.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Clute flood? Yes: 270 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Clute, from FEMA’s records: 51.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Claudette36 claims · $129K
- Tropical Storm Allison7 claims · $100K
- Hurricane Harvey4 claims · $185K
Clute isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Brazoria County.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Clute
Disasters that paid out in Clute itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Clute), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Beryl2,791 households applied for aid$3.1M aid approved$1.4M to the City of Clute for repairs3 flood claims paid for it, $682K
- 2021Severe Winter Storms282 households applied for aid$153K aid approved$65K to the City of Clute for repairs
- 2017Hurricane Harvey1,551 households applied for aid$1.1M aid approved$149K to the City of Clute for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $185K
- 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding7 households applied for aid$33K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2008Hurricane Ike1,404 households applied for aid$338K aid approved$1.1M to the City of Clute for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2005Hurricane Rita859 households applied for aid$246K aid approved$31K to the City of Clute for repairs
Show all 9
- 2005Hurricane Rita$39K to the City of Clute for repairs
- 2003Hurricane Claudette29 households applied for aid$31K aid approved36 flood claims paid for it, $129K
- 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding13 households applied for aid$19K aid approved78 flood claims paid that year
Brazoria County has had 28 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 Clute after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Clute archive →Clute and its neighbors
Clute has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clute | C+more damage than 62% | hurricanes | 270 |
| Lake Jackson | Cmore damage than 66% | hurricanes | 331 |
| Richwood | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 251 |
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 Clute 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 Clute
Is Clute at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Clute has higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #417 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (53%) and river and rain flooding (42%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Clute flood?
Flood insurance has paid 270 claims in Clute since 1979, $3.5M in all, or 51.6 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 24 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Claudette (36).
Is Clute 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 Brazoria County, 43% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 22.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Clute?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Clute’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 Clute?
By FEMA money that reached Clute, Hurricane Beryl (2024): 2,791 households applied for aid, $3.1M approved, and $1.4M to the City of Clute for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Claudette: 36 paid, $129K.
Is Clute at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (53%), and Clute’s rate for it is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Clute.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Clute’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.