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Santa Fe Texas Post OfficePhoto: Nsaum75 · CC BY-SA 3.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Santa Fe · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Santa Fe faces more hazard damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Santa Fe gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #530 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (60%), then hurricanes (35%). Flood insurance has paid 615 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 60%Hurricanes 35%Tornadoes 2%

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 77%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#530 of 642 in Texas
Hazard risk
C−#530 of 642
in Texas · higher than 77% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
60% of expected building damage
Flood claims
615
paid since 1979 · $37.4M
Flooded more than once
45
properties · 9 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
7
of 25 declared for Galveston County

What stands out about Santa Fe’s natural hazards

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

615 paid flood claims since 1979$37.4M in all; 45 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 97% of U.S. towns.Made safer with FEMA grants18 homes raised above flood level; 1 storm safe room built with FEMA grants.Remembers 2017438 flood claims were paid for 2017 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Santa Fe 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

60%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

35%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Wildfire Cold waves top 1% Coastal flooding Earthquakes Ice storms Hail Strong wind Lightning Winter storms Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 26% of Santa Fe’s 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Santa Fe’s grade

River and rain flooding is 60% of the building damage FEMA expects in Santa Fe, and Santa Fe’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 35% (higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Santa Fe sits
Santa Fe
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #530 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Santa Fe’s residents live in 9 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding60%Hurricanes35%Everything else5%

The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Santa Fe has more expected damage per building than 83% of Texas towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.3M a year in losses across Santa Fe: $3.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, FEMA took 2,798 aid registrations from Santa Fe addresses (the town has 5,131 homes) and flood insurance paid 422 claims for $34.9M.
A firm figure. It combines 9 census tracts by where Santa Fe’s 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 Santa Fe flood? Yes: 615 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Santa Fe, from FEMA’s records: 119.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 46 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 18 claims1982: 1 claim1983: 16 claims1984: 3 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 1 claim1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 8 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 1 claim1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 3 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 40 claims2002: 6 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 1 claim2005: 0 claims2006: 1 claim2007: 2 claims2008: 14 claims2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 2 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 438 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 3 claims2021: 3 claims2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 3 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims197920012017
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Harvey422 claims · $34.9M
  • Tropical Storm Allison39 claims · $742K
  • Hurricane Ike14 claims · $183K
615
paid claims since 1979
$37.4M
paid to owners
45
homes flooded more than once
$61K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Galveston County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
18homes raised above flood level
1storm safe room built
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Santa Fe

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Beryl2,324 households applied for aid$2.8M aid approved$478K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms453 households applied for aid$370K aid approved$29K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2017Hurricane Harvey2,798 households applied for aid$10.8M aid approved$477K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs422 flood claims paid for it, $34.9M
  4. 2008Hurricane Ike2,755 households applied for aid$2.2M aid approved$2.0M to the City of Santa Fe for repairs14 flood claims paid for it, $183K
  5. 2005Hurricane Rita2,091 households applied for aid$712K aid approved$33K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs
  6. 2005Hurricane Rita$19K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2001Tx-tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001$5K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs39 flood claims paid for it, $742K
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Santa FeGalveston County only

Galveston County has had 25 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 Santa Fe after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Santa Fe archive →
Next door

Santa Fe and its neighbors

Santa Fe has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Dickinson: hazard risk DHitchcock: hazard risk C−DickinsonHitchcockSanta Fe
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Santa FeC−more damage than 77%river and rain flooding615
HitchcockC−more damage than 83%river and rain flooding1,273
DickinsonDmore damage than 86%river and rain flooding2,390

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 Santa Fe 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 ↗
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 Santa Fe

Is Santa Fe at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Santa Fe has higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #530 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (60%) and hurricanes (35%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Santa Fe flood?

Flood insurance has paid 615 claims in Santa Fe since 1979, $37.4M in all, or 119.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 45 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Harvey (422).

Is Santa Fe 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 Galveston County, 66% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 42.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Santa Fe?

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

By FEMA money that reached Santa Fe, Hurricane Harvey (2017): 2,798 households applied for aid, $10.8M approved, and $477K to the City of Santa Fe for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Harvey: 422 paid, $34.9M.

Is Santa Fe at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (60%), and Santa Fe’s rate for it is higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Santa Fe.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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