Photo: Jay Phagan from Taft, Texas · CC BY 2.0On FEMA’s figures, Taft faces more hazard damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Taft gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, #591 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (53%), then river and rain flooding (42%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Taft 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 Taft’s grade
Hurricanes are 53% of the building damage FEMA expects in Taft, and Taft’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 42% (higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts).
C− #591 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Taft’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Taft has more expected damage per building than 92% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Taft: $823K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Taft flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Taft. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Taft isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: San Patricio County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Taft
Disasters that paid out in Taft itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Taft), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Severe Winter Storms248 households applied for aid$188K aid approved
- 2017Hurricane Harvey1,506 households applied for aid$1.9M aid approved$201K to the City of Taft for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding17 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
- 2003Hurricane Claudette34 households applied for aid$20K aid approved$72K to the City of Taft for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding471 households applied for aid$1.4M aid approved
San Patricio 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.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in San Patricio County, 2025–2025.
Old photos of Taft after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Taft archive →Taft and its neighbors
Taft is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taft Southwest | C−more damage than 84% | hurricanes | — |
| Taft | C−more damage than 84% | hurricanes | 0 |
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 Taft 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 Taft
Is Taft at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Taft has higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #591 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (53%) and river and rain flooding (42%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Taft 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 San Patricio County, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 9.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Taft?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Taft’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 Taft?
By FEMA money that reached Taft, Hurricane Harvey (2017): 1,506 households applied for aid, $1.9M approved, and $201K to the City of Taft for repairs.
Is Taft at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (53%), and Taft’s rate for it is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Taft.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Taft’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.