Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Oak Ridge North

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Oak Ridge North SignPhoto: Stedil · CC BY-SA 4.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Oak Ridge North · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Oak Ridge North than in 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oak Ridge North gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, #106 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%), then hurricanes (20%). Flood insurance has paid 106 claims here since 1982.

River and rain flooding 61%Hurricanes 20%Tornadoes 16%

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 79%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#106 of 642 in Texas
Hazard risk
A−#106 of 642
in Texas · lower than 79% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
61% of expected building damage
Flood claims
106
paid since 1982 · $1.6M
Flooded more than once
37
properties · 10 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
7
of 28 declared for Montgomery County

What stands out about Oak Ridge North’s natural hazards

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

Lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.106 paid flood claims since 1982$1.6M in all; 37 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 96% of U.S. towns.Remembers 198924 flood claims were paid for 1989 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Oak Ridge North 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

61%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Earthquakes Strong wind Winter storms Ice storms Wildfire Cold waves Lightning 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 29% of Oak Ridge North’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (16.1%), 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 Oak Ridge North’s grade

River and rain flooding is 61% of the building damage FEMA expects in Oak Ridge North, and Oak Ridge North’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 77% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 20% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Oak Ridge North sits
Oak Ridge North
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− #106 of 642 in Texas; lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Oak Ridge North’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding61%Hurricanes20%Tornadoes16%Everything else3%

The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Oak Ridge North has less expected damage per building than 84% of Texas towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Oak Ridge North: $821K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Oak Ridge North covers 3 census tracts, combined by where 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 Oak Ridge North flood? Yes: 106 flood claims since 1982

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Oak Ridge North, from FEMA’s records: 93.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1982: 3 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 3 claims1985: 4 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 18 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 24 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 2 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 4 claims1995: 2 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 11 claims1999: 1 claim2000: 0 claims2001: 1 claim2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 3 claims2016: 13 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 10 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 2 claims2024: 1 claim2025: 0 claims2026: 2 claims198719892016
19822026
Biggest named events
  • The Spring severe storms10 claims · $384K
  • Tropical Storm Imelda10 claims · $360K
  • The Early summer storms3 claims · $84K
106
paid claims since 1982
$1.6M
paid to owners
37
homes flooded more than once
$15K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (10)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Oak Ridge North

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Beryl28 households applied for aid$20K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$27K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs13 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2008Hurricane Ike$78K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  4. 2005Hurricane Rita$32K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs
  5. 2005Hurricane Rita$4K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs
  6. 2001Tx-tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001$77K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Show all 7
  1. 1998Tx-flooding 10/18/98$10K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs11 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Oak Ridge NorthMontgomery County only

Montgomery County has had 28 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Montgomery County, 2000–2025.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Oak Ridge North archive →
Next door

Oak Ridge North and its neighbors

Oak Ridge North has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

The Woodlands: hazard risk B−The WoodlandsOak Ridge North
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Oak Ridge NorthA−less damage than 79%river and rain flooding106
The WoodlandsB−more damage than 55%river and rain flooding361

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 Oak Ridge North 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Oak Ridge North

Is Oak Ridge North at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oak Ridge North has lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #106 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%) and hurricanes (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Oak Ridge North flood?

Flood insurance has paid 106 claims in Oak Ridge North since 1982, $1.6M in all, or 93.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 37 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Spring severe storms (10).

Is Oak Ridge North 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 Montgomery County, 36% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 10.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Oak Ridge North?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Oak Ridge North’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 Oak Ridge North?

By FEMA money that reached Oak Ridge North, Hurricane Ike (2008): $78K to the City of Oak Ridge North for repairs. By flood claims, Spring severe storms: 10 paid, $384K.

Is Oak Ridge North at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (61%), and Oak Ridge North’s rate for it is lower than 77% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oak Ridge North.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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