FEMA puts Van Vleck’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 94% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Van Vleck gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (73%), then river and rain flooding (25%). 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 Van Vleck 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 Van Vleck’s grade
Hurricanes are 73% of the building damage FEMA expects in Van Vleck, and Van Vleck’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 25% (higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts).
D higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Van Vleck’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.3M a year in losses across Van Vleck: $1.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Van Vleck flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Van Vleck. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Van Vleck isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Matagorda County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Van Vleck
Disasters that paid out in Van Vleck itself (aid to households or repair grants to Van Vleck), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Beryl401 households applied for aid$569K aid approved
- 2021Severe Winter Storms65 households applied for aid$14K aid approved
- 2017Hurricane Harvey679 households applied for aid$909K aid approved
- 2008Hurricane Ike32 households applied for aid$42K aid approved
- 2003Hurricane Claudette46 households applied for aid$86K aid approved
Matagorda County has had 23 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 Van Vleck after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Van Vleck archive →Van Vleck and its neighbors
Van Vleck 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Vleck | Dmore damage than 94% | hurricanes | 0 |
| Bay City | Dmore damage than 95% | hurricanes | 445 |
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 Van Vleck 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 Van Vleck
Is Van Vleck at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Van Vleck has higher expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (73%) and river and rain flooding (25%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Van Vleck 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 Matagorda County, 33% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 15.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Van Vleck?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Van Vleck’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 Van Vleck?
By FEMA money that reached Van Vleck, Hurricane Harvey (2017): 679 households applied for aid, $909K approved.
Is Van Vleck at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (73%), and Van Vleck’s rate for it is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Van Vleck.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Van Vleck’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.