FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Shenandoah as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Shenandoah gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns, #318 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then hurricanes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 67 claims here since 1978.
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 Shenandoah 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
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
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 Shenandoah’s grade
River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Shenandoah, and Shenandoah’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 14% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).
B− #318 of 642 in Texas; lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Shenandoah’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, Shenandoah has less expected damage per building than 51% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.5M a year in losses across Shenandoah: $1.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Shenandoah flood? Sometimes: 67 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Shenandoah, from FEMA’s records: 29.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 88% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Allison4 claims · $21K
- Hurricane Ike4 claims · $13K
- The Spring severe storms1 claim · $24K
Shenandoah 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.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Shenandoah
Disasters that paid out in Shenandoah itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Shenandoah), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Beryl402 households applied for aid$270K aid approved$199K to the City of Shenandoah for repairs
- 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding15 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
- 2017Hurricane Harvey34 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$39K to the City of Shenandoah for repairs
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$5K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2008Hurricane Ike173 households applied for aid$26K aid approved$353K to the City of Shenandoah for repairs4 flood claims paid for it, $13K
- 2005Hurricane Rita3 households applied for aid$46K to the City of Shenandoah for repairs
Show all 7
- 2005Hurricane Rita$28K to the City of Shenandoah for repairs
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.
Old photos of Shenandoah after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Shenandoah archive →Shenandoah and its neighbors
Shenandoah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 67 |
| The Woodlands | B−more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 361 |
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 Shenandoah faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Shenandoah
Is Shenandoah at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Shenandoah has lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #318 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and hurricanes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Shenandoah flood?
Flood insurance has paid 67 claims in Shenandoah since 1978, $378K in all, or 29.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 88% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 15 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Allison (4).
Is Shenandoah 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 Shenandoah?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Shenandoah’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 Shenandoah?
By FEMA money that reached Shenandoah, Hurricane Beryl (2024): 402 households applied for aid, $270K approved, and $199K to the City of Shenandoah for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Allison: 4 paid, $21K.
Is Shenandoah at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Shenandoah’s rate for it is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Shenandoah.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Shenandoah’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.