For hail, Terrell Hills’s building-damage rate is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Terrell Hills gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns, #326 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then hail (19%). Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1979.
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 Terrell Hills 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
Hail
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 Terrell Hills’ grade
River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Terrell Hills, and Terrell Hills’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 19%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #326 of 642 in Texas; higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Terrell Hills’ residents live in 2 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, Terrell Hills has more expected damage per building than 51% of Texas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Terrell Hills: $1.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Terrell Hills flood? Sometimes: 41 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Terrell Hills, from FEMA’s records: 20.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $3K
- Tropical Storm Erin1 claim · $2K
Terrell Hills isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bexar County.The storms Terrell Hills remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for Bexar County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Terrell Hills itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19989 flood claims paidThe year of Tx-flooding 10/18/98, declared for Bexar County
- 19865 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20124 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Bexar County has had 22 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 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Bexar County, 2006–2025.
Old photos of Terrell Hills after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Terrell Hills archive →Terrell Hills and its neighbors
Terrell Hills 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrell Hills | B−more damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 41 |
| Alamo Heights | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 66 |
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 Terrell Hills 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.
- 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.
- 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 Terrell Hills
Is Terrell Hills at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Terrell Hills has higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #326 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and hail (19%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Terrell Hills flood?
Flood insurance has paid 41 claims in Terrell Hills since 1979, $222K in all, or 20.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 7 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Torrential rain (1).
Is Terrell Hills 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 Bexar County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Terrell Hills?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Terrell Hills’ 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 Terrell Hills?
By flood claims, Torrential rain: 1 paid, $3K.
Is Terrell Hills at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Terrell Hills’ rate for it is higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Terrell Hills.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Terrell Hills’ 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.