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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Markham · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Markham

Markham isn’t graded for hazard risk: Markham has 873 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 23 declared for Matagorda County
By hazard

What Markham faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

73%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

River and rain flooding

25%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Coastal flooding Strong wind Wildfire Earthquakes Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 18% of Markham’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Markham flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Markham. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Matagorda County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Markham

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Beryl200 households applied for aid$366K aid approved
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms39 households applied for aid$29K aid approved
  3. 2017Hurricane Harvey298 households applied for aid$77K aid approved
  4. 2008Hurricane Ike16 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  5. 2003Hurricane Claudette55 households applied for aid$74K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MarkhamMatagorda County only

Matagorda County has had 23 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Markham archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Markham faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Markham

Is Markham 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 Matagorda County, 33% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 15.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Markham?

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

By FEMA money that reached Markham, Hurricane Beryl (2024): 200 households applied for aid, $366K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Markham.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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