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Boats and Houses at South Shore Harbor (6125688576)Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA · CC BY 2.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in League City · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in League City than in 82% of U.S. towns; 4,320 flood claims have been paid there

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, League City gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, #567 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%), then hurricanes (32%). Flood insurance has paid 4,320 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 64%Hurricanes 32%Tornadoes 2%

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

more than 82%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#567 of 642 in Texas
Hazard risk
C−#567 of 642
in Texas · higher than 82% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
64% of expected building damage
Flood claims
4,320
paid since 1979 · $257M
Flooded more than once
341
properties · 70 “severe repetitive loss”
Flood insurance
25% off
Community discount (class 5)

What stands out about League City’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

4,320 paid flood claims since 1979$257M in all; 341 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 96% of U.S. towns.25% off flood insuranceFlood-proofing work earns League City residents a discount through FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5).Made safer with FEMA grants50 homes raised above flood level; 2 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 1 storm safe room built; 1 building retrofitted against wind with FEMA grants.Remembers 20171,974 flood claims were paid for 2017 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What League City 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

64%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

32%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Coastal flooding Cold waves top 1% Earthquakes Ice storms Hail Strong wind Lightning Wildfire Winter storms Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 26% of League City’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.4%), 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind League City’s grade

River and rain flooding is 64% of the building damage FEMA expects in League City, and League City’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 32% (higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts).

Where League City sits
League City
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #567 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).

League City’s residents live in 36 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding64%Hurricanes32%Everything else4%

The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, League City has more expected damage per building than 88% of Texas towns.

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, League City has higher expected damage per building than 74% (#298 of 400). Because it is so big, its total expected yearly loss, $64.3M, is the 191th largest of those 400.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Beryl in 2024, FEMA took 6,529 aid registrations from League City addresses (the town has 44,942 homes).
Model and record.Most of League City’s paid flood claims (1,965 of 4,320) came from Hurricane Harvey (2017), a coastal storm. FEMA’s model spreads coastal flood damage over all of the city’s buildings, most of them far from the water, so coastal flooding is 0.6% of the citywide figure.
A firm figure. It combines 36 census tracts by where League City’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does League City flood? Yes: 4,320 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in League City, from FEMA’s records: 96.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 741 claims1980: 3 claims1981: 16 claims1982: 2 claims1983: 124 claims1984: 2 claims1985: 3 claims1986: 3 claims1987: 1 claim1988: 0 claims1989: 359 claims1990: 1 claim1991: 8 claims1992: 2 claims1993: 4 claims1994: 6 claims1995: 13 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 12 claims1998: 34 claims1999: 2 claims2000: 4 claims2001: 261 claims2002: 8 claims2003: 5 claims2004: 4 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 10 claims2007: 5 claims2008: 386 claims2009: 250 claims2010: 4 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 8 claims2013: 5 claims2014: 3 claims2015: 21 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 1,974 claims2018: 3 claims2019: 6 claims2020: 7 claims2021: 10 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 1 claim2024: 6 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197920082017
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Harvey1,965 claims · $213M
  • Tropical Storm Claudette486 claims · $7.6M
  • Hurricane Ike384 claims · $13.4M
4,320
paid claims since 1979
$257M
paid to owners
341
homes flooded more than once
$60K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
Each house = 6 homesFEMA “severe repetitive loss” (70)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount25% off flood insurance

League City is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Galveston County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
50homes raised above flood level
2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe room built
1building retrofitted against wind
Disasters

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to League City

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Beryl6,529 households applied for aid$4.2M aid approved$2.5M to the City of League City for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms1,140 households applied for aid$453K aid approved$519K to the City of League City for repairs10 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2020Hurricane Laura$422K to the City of League City for repairs7 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2017Hurricane Harvey6,379 households applied for aid$15.3M aid approved$7.2M to the City of League City for repairs1,965 flood claims paid for it, $213M
  5. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$3K aid approved21 flood claims paid that year
  6. 2008Hurricane Ike6,486 households applied for aid$1.1M aid approved$6.0M to the City of League City for repairs384 flood claims paid for it, $13.4M
Show all 10
  1. 2005Hurricane Rita3,572 households applied for aid$943K aid approved$264K to the City of League City for repairs
  2. 2005Hurricane Rita$45K to the City of League City for repairs
  3. 2003Hurricane Claudette3 households applied for aid$5K aid approved486 flood claims paid for it, $7.6M
  4. 2001Tx-tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001$57K to the City of League City for repairs276 flood claims paid for it, $6.2M
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in League Cityits 2 counties only

Its 2 counties have had 39 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical 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 its 2 counties, 2011–2011.

Were you here?

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

Add to the League City archive →
Next door

League City and its neighbors

League City is 8th of the 10 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Webster: hazard risk CNassau Bay: hazard risk CFriendswood: hazard risk DDickinson: hazard risk DClear Lake Shores: hazard risk CTexas City: hazard risk B−Kemah: hazard risk CSeabrook: hazard risk CBacliff: hazard risk C+WebsterNassau BayFriendswoodDickinsonClear Lake ShoresTexas CityKemahSeabrookBacliffLeague City
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Texas CityB−less damage than 53%hurricanes2,751
BacliffC+more damage than 60%hurricanes44
KemahCmore damage than 66%river and rain flooding1,167
Clear Lake ShoresCmore damage than 70%river and rain flooding1,056
WebsterCmore damage than 71%river and rain flooding426
SeabrookCmore damage than 73%river and rain flooding2,458
Nassau BayCmore damage than 75%river and rain flooding1,192
League CityC−more damage than 82%river and rain flooding4,320
FriendswoodDmore damage than 85%river and rain flooding4,386
DickinsonDmore damage than 86%river and rain flooding2,390

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what League City 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 ↗
Hurricane season
  • 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.
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.
  • League City residents get 25% off flood insurance.
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 League City

Is League City at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, League City has higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #567 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%) and hurricanes (32%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does League City flood?

Flood insurance has paid 4,320 claims in League City since 1979, $257M in all, or 96.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 341 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Harvey (1,965).

Is League City 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 Galveston County, 66% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 42.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in League City?

League City is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5), which takes 25% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in League City?

By FEMA money that reached League City, Hurricane Harvey (2017): 6,379 households applied for aid, $15.3M approved, and $7.2M to the City of League City for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Harvey: 1,965 paid, $213M.

Is League City at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (64%), and League City’s rate for it is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in League City.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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