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C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Penitas · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Penitas faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Penitas gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns, #364 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (58%), then river and rain flooding (31%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2016.

Hurricanes 58%River and rain flooding 31%Hail 7%

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 56%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#364 of 642 in Texas
Hazard risk
C+#364 of 642
in Texas · higher than 56% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
58% of expected building damage
Flood claims
5
paid since 2016 · $409K
Disasters paid out here
9
of 26 declared for Hidalgo County
By hazard

What Penitas faces

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

Hurricanes

58%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

River and rain flooding

31%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 85% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Ice storms Wildfire Strong wind Earthquakes Cold waves Winter storms 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 cold waves at 45% of Penitas’ expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.2%), 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 Penitas’ grade

Hurricanes are 58% of the building damage FEMA expects in Penitas, and Penitas’ rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 31% (lower than 85% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Penitas sits
Penitas
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ #364 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Penitas’ residents live in 7 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes58%River and rain flooding31%Hail7%Everything else4%

The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Penitas has more expected damage per building than 57% of Texas towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.9M a year in losses across Penitas: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 7 census tracts by where Penitas’ 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 Penitas flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 2016

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Penitas, from FEMA’s records: 2.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 3 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims201620202025
20162026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Hanna3 claims · $344K
  • The Early summer severe storms1 claim · $11K
5
paid claims since 2016
$409K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$82K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Hidalgo County.
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Penitas

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

  1. 2025Severe Storms and Flooding48 households applied for aid$318K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms26 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
  3. 2018Severe Storms and Flooding24 households applied for aid$13K aid approved
  4. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding19 households applied for aid$15K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  5. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding7 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  6. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding25 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
Show all 9
  1. 2010Hurricane Alex24 households applied for aid$23K aid approved$3K to the City of Penitas for repairs
  2. 2008Hurricane Dolly156 households applied for aid$73K aid approved$7K to the City of Penitas for repairs
  3. 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding95 households applied for aid$187K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PenitasHidalgo County only

Hidalgo County has had 26 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 Penitas after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Penitas archive →
Next door

Penitas and its neighbors

Penitas is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

La Joya: hazard risk B−Abram: hazard risk C−La JoyaAbramPenitas
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
La JoyaB−less damage than 54%hurricanes6
PenitasC+more damage than 56%hurricanes5
AbramC−more damage than 77%hurricanes1

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 Penitas 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 ↗
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 Penitas

Is Penitas at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Penitas has higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #364 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (58%) and river and rain flooding (31%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Penitas flood?

Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Penitas since 2016, $409K in all, or 2.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Hanna (3).

Is Penitas 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 Hidalgo County, 3.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Penitas?

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

By FEMA money that reached Penitas, Severe Storms and Flooding (2025): 48 households applied for aid, $318K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Hanna: 3 paid, $344K.

Is Penitas at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (58%), and Penitas’ rate for it is in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Penitas.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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