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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Mertens · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Mertens

Mertens isn’t graded for hazard risk: Mertens has 123 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 19 declared for Hill County
By hazard

What Mertens 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

50%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

26%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

Hail

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms Hurricanes Wildfire Strong wind Earthquakes Lightning top 3% Cold waves top 2% Winter storms Landslides Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 36% of Mertens’ 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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Mertens flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Mertens. 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

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

Insurance rates: Hill County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Mertens

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

  1. 2021Severe Winter Storms4 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MertensHill County only

Hill County has had 19 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Hill County, 2000–2000.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Mertens archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Mertens 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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • 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.
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 Mertens

Is Mertens 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 Hill County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Mertens?

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

By FEMA money that reached Mertens, Severe Winter Storms (2021): 4 households applied for aid, $7K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mertens.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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