Galveston County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48167 · population 350,477 · 379 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 832 records for Galveston County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 513 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (232 records). NOAA records 128 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 6 deaths; its 60,620 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 5th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Hurricane Ike (2008). The deadliest day on its record was September 12, 2008: hurricane (typhoon) and storm surge/tide records filed for Galveston County that day count 20 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 31 declarations naming the county since 1973, 29 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Beryl” on July 9, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 832on 513 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 77259 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19.8Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 126strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 31latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Galveston County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 232 since 1964. The rank column places the county among Texas's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 232 | 152 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 7 | $108M | 6 of 254 |
| Floods | 128 | 99 | 1996-2025 | 6 | 0 | $12.0B | 1 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 126 | 104 | 1957-2024 | 9 | 243 | $112M | 1 of 254 |
| Hail | 121 | 80 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4.2M | 37 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 67 | 58 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $133K | 1 of 254 |
| Drought | 36 | 16 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $190M | 196 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 28 | 19 | 1998-2026 | 22 | 3 | $7.3B | 1 of 254 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 26 | 26 | 2008-2025 | 20 | 1 | – | 2 of 254 |
| Heat | 26 | 14 | 1999-2023 | 3 | 0 | – | 85 of 254 |
| Lightning | 25 | 22 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 3 | $6.0M | 3 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 5 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 197 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 0 | $29K | 81 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 10 | 0 | $13M | 184 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1997-2019 | 2 | 2 | $37K | 32 of 254 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Galveston County had?
NOAA records 126 tornadoes in Galveston County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 9 deaths and 243 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 254 Texas counties and 2nd of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 126 tornadoes whose track touched Galveston County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 126, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 9 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-09-12 03:15, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F4 | 1 mi | 8 |
| 1957-03-17 13:55, as SPC files it | Texas | F2 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
| 1976-03-08 13:01, as SPC files it | Alvin to League | F3 | 12.7 mi | 0 |
| 1967-08-18 10:08, as SPC files it | Texas | F3 | 0.5 mi | 0 |
| 1961-09-12 06:00, as SPC files it | Tiki Island | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1961-06-18 19:15, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 2.5 mi | 0 |
| 1959-05-21 06:00, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 4.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Galveston County (126)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-28 | Dickinson, Galveston County | EF1 7.4 mi x 850 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-14 | Arcadia, Galveston County | EF0 0.14 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2021-08-02 | Caplen, Galveston County | EF0 0.72 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-01-06 | Nadeau Hgts, Galveston County | EF1 2.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $545K |
| 2019-05-04 | Arcadia, Galveston County | EF0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2017-10-20 | Dickinson, Galveston County | EF0 0.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2017-08-27 | Kemah, Galveston County | EF0 0.73 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2017-08-25 | Galveston County | EF0 0.12 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $602 |
| 2017-05-22 | Scholes Field Gal, Galveston County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2016-07-17 | Scholes Field Gal, Galveston County | EF0 0.04 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-24 | League City S S Airport, Galveston County | EF0 1.44 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2015-10-31 | League City S S Airport, Galveston County | EF2 1.68 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2014-07-21 | Nadeau Hgts, Galveston County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2014-06-26 | Highland Bayou, Galveston County | EF0 0.04 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2012-01-09 | Hitchcock Volk Airport, Galveston County | EF0 0.57 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2011-11-08 | Texas City Gulf Airport, Galveston County | EF0 0.27 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2009-08-30 | Galveston County | EF1 0.33 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $688K |
| 2009-04-18 | Highland Bayou, Galveston County | EF0 1.09 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2008-02-16 | La Marque, Galveston County | EF0 0.01 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-07-06 | Santa Fe, Galveston County | EF0 0.3 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2007-07-05 | Virginia Pt, Galveston County | EF0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $43K |
| 2006-10-16 | Scholes Field Gal, Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2006-10-16 | Crystal Beach, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-10-16 | Hitchcock, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $32K |
| 2006-05-22 | Santa Fe, Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2004-10-04 | Friendswood, Galveston County | F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2004-08-28 | Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-11-17 | Santa Fe, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
| 2003-11-17 | Friendswood, Galveston County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $441K |
| 2003-11-17 | Friendswood, Galveston County | F1 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $321K |
| 2003-11-17 | Friendswood, Galveston County | F0 0.7 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2003-11-17 | Dickinson, Galveston County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 2003-06-17 | Scholes Field Gal, Galveston County | F0 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-30 | Texas City, Galveston County | F1 1.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2002-10-08 | Scholes Field Gal, Galveston County | F0 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $164K |
| 1999-07-12 | Texas City, Galveston County | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $177K |
| 1999-06-07 | Texas City, Galveston County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 1999-01-02 | Gilchrist, Galveston County | F0 0.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 1999-01-02 | Gilchrist, Galveston County | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 1998-09-10 | Galveston County | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1998-08-22 | League City, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 1998-02-16 | Jamaica Beach, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-02-10 | League City, Galveston County | F1 1.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 4 | $181K |
| 1997-02-12 | Galveston County | F0 1.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $221K |
| 1996-09-27 | Crystal Beach, Galveston County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 1996-09-01 | Galveston County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-12-17 | Dickinson, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1995-07-30 | High Island, Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1994-05-16 | Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1994-05-13 | Galveston County | F0 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1992-11-21 | Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-05-04 | Galveston County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-02-22 | Galveston County | F1 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-01-14 | Galveston County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-10-15 | Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-10-15 | Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-10-15 | Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-08-01 | Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-26 | Galveston County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1987-11-16 | Galveston County | F1 12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Galveston County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 22, 2025 lightning ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Coastal Galveston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-17 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Bolivar Peninsula | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-17 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindLeague City S S Airport, Galveston County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-14 | Thunderstorm WindGilchrist, Galveston County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-14 | Thunderstorm WindTexas City, Galveston County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-22 | LightningGalveston County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-06-12 | FloodDickinson, Galveston County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindHighland Bayou, Galveston County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-28 | Rip CurrentGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston Island | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindLeague City S S Airport, Galveston County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-26 | Rip CurrentGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston Island | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-12 | Storm Surge/TideGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston Storm tide ranged from 10 to 15 feet above mean sea level along the Galveston Bay, Clear Lake and associated tributaries which caused major flooding of coastal areas. Some higher surge levels up to 17 feet were indicated on the Bolivar Peninsula. At least 10 direct fatalities occurred in Galveston County. Number of ... | 12 | 0 | $5.5B | |
| 1961-09-12 | TornadoGalveston County | F4 1 mi x 100 yd | 8 | 200 | – |
| 2008-09-12 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Galveston County · forecast zone Galveston Ike produced damage due to high storm surge and high winds along Galveston Island, the Bolivar Peninsula, and along the Galveston Bay. Storm tides of 10 to 15 feet above mean sea level were observed in these areas. Several indirect fatalities due to preexisting medical conditions, lack of power and availability to ... | 8 | 0 | $1.4B | |
| 2021-02-15 | Cold/Wind ChillGalveston County · forecast zone Inland Galveston Very cold air and gusty winds overspread SE Texas behind an Arctic front with wind chill indices from near zero to single digits for much the period from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Increased power demand, wind and ice led to widespread power outages. Bursting pipes caused many to be without water as well. | 6 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2017-08-26 | Flash FloodSan Leon, Galveston County There were numerous water rescues across western and central Galveston County. Flood waters completely inundated hundreds to thousands of homes and businesses in League City, Dickinson and Santa Fe. Approximately 7,000 homes and 125 businesses were impacted by flood waters across the county. Clear Creek measured ... | 6 | 0 | $12.0B | |
| 2021-02-15 | Cold/Wind ChillGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston Island And Bolivar Peninsula Very cold air and gusty winds overspread SE Texas behind an Arctic front with wind chill indices from near zero to single digits for much the period from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Increased power demand, wind and ice led to widespread power outages. Bursting pipes caused many to be without water as well. | 4 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1997-06-17 | Heavy RainDickinson, Galveston County Car hydroplaned near FM 646 exit and ran into TDT truck on shoulder. 2 killed/2 injured. | 2 | 2 | $37K | |
| 2021-06-26 | Rip CurrentGalveston County · forecast zone Bolivar Peninsula A 16 year old male drowned near Gilchrist Beach after being caught in a rip current. A 32 year old male drowned after entering the water and attempting a rescue. | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-08-26 | Flash FloodSan Leon, Galveston County | 6 | 0 | $12.0B | |
| 2008-09-12 | Storm Surge/TideGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 12 | 0 | $5.5B | |
| 2008-09-12 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Galveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 8 | 0 | $1.4B | |
| 1998-09-07 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 2 | 0 | $362M | |
| 2000-09-01 | DroughtGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 0 | 0 | $175M | |
| 2001-06-05 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 0 | 0 | $53M | |
| 2005-09-23 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Galveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 0 | 3 | $23M | |
| 2003-07-14 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Galveston County · forecast zone Galveston | 0 | 0 | $13M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 31, 1981 (tornado, Galveston County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Galveston County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 7 | 11 | 33 | 66 | 56 | 26 | 33 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 19 | 39 | 52 | 18 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 15 | 24 | 26 | 19 | 19 | 12 | 4 |
| Hail | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 46 | 34 | 14 | 13 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 12 | 26 | 24 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 7 | 2 | 0 | 27 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Galveston County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 40 · Feb 42 · Mar 46 · Apr 96 · May 145 · Jun 111 · Jul 63 · Aug 93 · Sep 77 · Oct 60 · Nov 31 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Galveston County
FEMA's register lists 31 declarations that include Galveston County: 20 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (14) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 2021-02-19 | DR-4586 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-14 | EM-3554 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-12-09 | DR-4572 | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura |
| 2020-08-24 | EM-3540 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Marco and Laura |
| 2020-07-26 | EM-3530 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hanna |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-08-25 | DR-4332 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2015-11-25 | DR-4245 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3290 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007-08-18 | EM-3277 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dean |
| 2006-01-11 | DR-1624 | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat |
| 2005-09-24 | DR-1606 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-21 | EM-3261 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-02 | EM-3216 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-07-17 | DR-1479 | Hurricane | Hurricane Claudette |
| 2002-09-26 | DR-1434 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Fay |
| 2001-06-09 | DR-1379 | Coastal Storm | Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-10-21 | DR-1257 | Flood | Tx-Flooding 10/18/98 |
| 1998-09-23 | DR-1245 | Severe Storm | Hurricane Georges - Texas |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1994-10-18 | DR-1041 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms and Flooding |
| 1983-08-19 | DR-689 | Hurricane | Hurricane Alicia |
| 1979-09-25 | DR-603 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-07-28 | DR-595 | Flood | Storms & Flash Floods |
| 1973-07-11 | DR-398 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Galveston County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 128 flood or flash flood records for Galveston County from 1996 to 2025, on 99 days, with 6 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Galveston County ranks 5th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ike | 2008-09-12 | 2 | 20 |
| Hurricane Harvey | 2017-08-26 | 1 | 6 |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998-09-07 | 1 | 2 |
| Hurricane Rita | 2005-09-23 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Claudette | 2003-07-14 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Allison | 2001-06-05 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.5 billion on 60,620 claims filed in Galveston County; the most in one year was 22,606 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 7 · 1979: 5,461 · 1980: 255 · 1981: 2,382 · 1982: 50 · 1983: 7,483 · 1984: 241 · 1985: 47 · 1986: 93 · 1987: 21 · 1988: 95 · 1989: 2,801 · 1990: 29 · 1991: 156 · 1992: 72 · 1993: 51 · 1994: 179 · 1995: 385 · 1996: 116 · 1997: 189 · 1998: 2,720 · 1999: 31 · 2000: 45 · 2001: 1,914 · 2002: 465 · 2003: 715 · 2004: 57 · 2005: 375 · 2006: 205 · 2007: 79 · 2008: 22,606 · 2009: 440 · 2010: 55 · 2011: 41 · 2012: 47 · 2013: 31 · 2014: 28 · 2015: 177 · 2016: 104 · 2017: 8,853 · 2018: 163 · 2019: 121 · 2020: 171 · 2021: 223 · 2022: 20 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 789 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 8.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Galveston County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Galveston County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $198 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | $53M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $2.8M | 70 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $42M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $19M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $4.0M | 21 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $63M | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | $5.4M | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Galveston County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in TexasEvery Texas tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in TexasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Texas recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Galveston CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Galveston County's FEMA declarations (CSV)31 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis