Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0For wildfire, Eldorado’s building-damage rate is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eldorado gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (35%), then river and rain flooding (34%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Eldorado faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
Hail
Strong wind
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 Eldorado’s grade
Wildfire is 35% of the building damage FEMA expects in Eldorado, and Eldorado’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 20%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
B− higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Eldorado’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.4M a year in losses across Eldorado: $622K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Eldorado flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Eldorado. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Eldorado isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Schleicher County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Eldorado
Disasters that paid out in Eldorado itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Eldorado), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2018Severe Storms and Flooding$10K to the City of Eldorado for repairs
Schleicher 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 Eldorado after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Eldorado archive →Get ready for what Eldorado faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Eldorado
Is Eldorado at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eldorado has higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (35%) and river and rain flooding (34%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Eldorado 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 Schleicher County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Eldorado?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Eldorado’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 Eldorado?
By FEMA money that reached Eldorado, Severe Storms and Flooding (2018): $10K to the City of Eldorado for repairs.
Is Eldorado at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (35%), and Eldorado’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Eldorado.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Eldorado’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.