Photo: lfwlfw / Bevo at English Wikipedia · Public domainMore hazard damage per building is expected in Port Isabel than in 78% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Isabel gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns, #535 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (75%), then river and rain flooding (17%). Flood insurance has paid 221 claims here since 1980.
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
What stands out about Port Isabel’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Port Isabel faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
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.
What’s behind Port Isabel’s grade
Hurricanes are 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in Port Isabel, and Port Isabel’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 4%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #535 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Port Isabel’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Port Isabel has more expected damage per building than 83% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.3M a year in losses across Port Isabel: $1.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Port Isabel flood? Yes: 221 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Port Isabel, from FEMA’s records: 83.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Allen165 claims · $1.7M
- Hurricane Dolly12 claims · $115K
- The Heavy rains1 claim · $4K
Port Isabel isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cameron County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Port Isabel
Disasters that paid out in Port Isabel itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Port Isabel), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2025Severe Storms and Flooding12 households applied for aid$33K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2024Hurricane Beryl$5K to the City of Port Isabel for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2021Severe Winter Storms24 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
- 2010Hurricane Alex32 households applied for aid$40K aid approved$20K to the City of Port Isabel for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2008Hurricane Dolly709 households applied for aid$553K aid approved$337K to the City of Port Isabel for repairs12 flood claims paid for it, $115K
- 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding16 households applied for aid$58K aid approved3 flood claims paid that year
Show all 7
- 1999Hurricane Bret$22K to the City of Port Isabel for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Cameron County has had 27 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.
Old photos of Port Isabel after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Port Isabel archive →Port Isabel and its neighbors
Port Isabel has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Isabel | C−more damage than 78% | hurricanes | 221 |
| Brownsville | C−more damage than 81% | hurricanes | 579 |
| Laguna Heights | — | 357 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.
Get ready for what Port Isabel faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Port Isabel
Is Port Isabel at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Isabel has higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #535 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (75%) and river and rain flooding (17%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Port Isabel flood?
Flood insurance has paid 221 claims in Port Isabel since 1980, $2.1M in all, or 83.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 7 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Allen (165).
Is Port Isabel 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 Cameron County, 37% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 9.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Port Isabel?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Port Isabel’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 Port Isabel?
By FEMA money that reached Port Isabel, Hurricane Dolly (2008): 709 households applied for aid, $553K approved, and $337K to the City of Port Isabel for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Allen: 165 paid, $1.7M.
Is Port Isabel at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and Port Isabel’s rate for it is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Port Isabel.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Port Isabel’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.