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A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Wills Point · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Wills Point than in 82% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wills Point gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, #88 of 642 in Texas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2000.

River and rain flooding 61%Tornadoes 14%Hail 11%

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

less than 82%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#88 of 642 in Texas
Hazard risk
A−#88 of 642
in Texas · lower than 82% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
61% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2
paid since 2000 · $19K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 15 declared for Van Zandt County
By hazard

What Wills Point 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

61%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 80% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Ice storms Earthquakes Winter storms Wildfire Cold waves Lightning Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 15% of Wills Point’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.2%), 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 Wills Point’s grade

River and rain flooding is 61% of the building damage FEMA expects in Wills Point, and Wills Point’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 80% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 6%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Wills Point sits
Wills Point
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− #88 of 642 in Texas; lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Wills Point’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding61%Tornadoes14%Hail11%Everything else14%

The typical Texas town has higher expected damage than 50% of U.S. towns; within the state, Wills Point has less expected damage per building than 86% of Texas towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Wills Point: $524K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in 2024, FEMA took 274 aid registrations from Wills Point addresses (the town has 1,536 homes).
A small-area figure. Wills Point covers 2 census tracts, combined by where 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 Wills Point flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2000

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wills Point, from FEMA’s records: 1.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2000: 1 claim2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 1 claim2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20002019
20002026
2
paid claims since 2000
$19K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Van Zandt County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Wills Point

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding274 households applied for aid$969K aid approved
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms189 households applied for aid$131K aid approved$16K to the City of Wills Point for repairs
  3. 2015Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$6K to the City of Wills Point for repairs
  4. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding26 households applied for aid$32K aid approved
  5. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$7K aid approved$63K to the City of Wills Point for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Wills PointVan Zandt County only

Van Zandt County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Wills Point after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Wills Point archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Wills Point 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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 Wills Point

Is Wills Point at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wills Point has lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #88 of 642 in Texas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (61%) and tornadoes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Wills Point flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Wills Point since 2000, $19K in all, or 1.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Wills Point 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 Van Zandt County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Wills Point?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wills Point’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 Wills Point?

By FEMA money that reached Wills Point, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2024): 274 households applied for aid, $969K approved.

Is Wills Point at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (61%), and Wills Point’s rate for it is lower than 80% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wills Point.

Town Square →
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Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Wills Point’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.