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Durst-Taylor HouseDurst-Taylor House · Photo: Rwminix · CC BY-SA 3.0
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Nacogdoches · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Nacogdoches than in 68% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nacogdoches gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns, #185 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%), then tornadoes (16%). Flood insurance has paid 181 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 64%Tornadoes 16%Hurricanes 8%

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

less than 68%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#185 of 642 in Texas
Hazard risk
B+#185 of 642
in Texas · lower than 68% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
64% of expected building damage
Flood claims
181
paid since 1979 · $3.9M
Flooded more than once
23
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
9
of 19 declared for Nacogdoches County

What stands out about Nacogdoches’ natural hazards

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

Lower expected damage than 68% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.181 paid flood claims since 1979$3.9M in all; 23 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 78% of U.S. towns.Made safer with FEMA grants8 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 1 storm safe room built with FEMA grants.Remembers 197963 flood claims were paid for 1979 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Nacogdoches 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
Below average · lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts

Hurricanes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Strong wind

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms Hail Earthquakes Winter storms Wildfire Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tornadoes at 33% of Nacogdoches’ expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (16.4%), 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 Nacogdoches’ grade

River and rain flooding is 64% of the building damage FEMA expects in Nacogdoches, and Nacogdoches’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 7%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Nacogdoches sits
Nacogdoches
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ #185 of 642 in Texas; lower expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Nacogdoches’ residents live in 12 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding64%Tornadoes16%Hurricanes8%Everything else12%

The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Nacogdoches has less expected damage per building than 71% of Texas towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $12.6M a year in losses across Nacogdoches: $6.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Beryl in 2024, FEMA took 2,189 aid registrations from Nacogdoches addresses (the town has 14,192 homes).
A firm figure. It combines 12 census tracts by where Nacogdoches’ 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 Nacogdoches flood? Yes: 181 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Nacogdoches, from FEMA’s records: 12.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 63 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 2 claims1983: 1 claim1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 35 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 1 claim1990: 1 claim1991: 13 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 7 claims1995: 7 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 13 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 6 claims2000: 1 claim2001: 12 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 1 claim2016: 0 claims2017: 2 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 13 claims2024: 3 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197919861991
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Tropical Storm Allison12 claims · $573K
181
paid claims since 1979
$3.9M
paid to owners
23
homes flooded more than once
$21K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Nacogdoches County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe room built
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Nacogdoches

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Beryl2,189 households applied for aid$1.5M aid approved
  2. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding266 households applied for aid$516K aid approved
  3. 2021Severe Winter Storms1,481 households applied for aid$460K aid approved$733K to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs
  4. 2008Hurricane Ike2,132 households applied for aid$659K aid approved$2.1M to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs
  5. 2008Hurricane Gustav$82K to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs
  6. 2005Hurricane Rita4,609 households applied for aid$2.2M aid approved$490K to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs
Show all 9
  1. 2005Hurricane Katrina Evacuation$676K to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs
  2. 2001Tx-tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001$26K to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs12 flood claims paid for it, $573K
  3. 2000Severe Winter Ice Storm$17K to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in NacogdochesNacogdoches County only

Nacogdoches County has had 19 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.

Also 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Nacogdoches County, 2000–2006.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Nacogdoches archive →
Next door

Nacogdoches and its neighbors

Nacogdoches has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Redfield: not gradedRedfieldNacogdoches
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
NacogdochesB+less damage than 68%river and rain flooding181
Redfield—625 residents; we grade 1,000+

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 Nacogdoches 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 ↗
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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 Nacogdoches

Is Nacogdoches at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nacogdoches has lower expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #185 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%) and tornadoes (16%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Nacogdoches flood?

Flood insurance has paid 181 claims in Nacogdoches since 1979, $3.9M in all, or 12.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 23 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Allison (12).

Is Nacogdoches 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 Nacogdoches County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Nacogdoches?

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

By FEMA money that reached Nacogdoches, Hurricane Ike (2008): 2,132 households applied for aid, $659K approved, and $2.1M to the City of Nacogdoches for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Allison: 12 paid, $573K.

Is Nacogdoches at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (64%), and Nacogdoches’ rate for it is lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Nacogdoches.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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