Key facts: Friendswood
Creek-side neighborhoods
Clear Creek rises with regional rain, and the water can stay high for days. Know your slab height and your nearest gauge.
Second-time floods
Homes that flooded before may have been repaired in a hurry. Ask to check wall cavities if a new leak brings an old smell.
Flood claims recorded in Galveston County
Friendswood sits in Galveston County. FEMA publishes every National Flood Insurance Program claim with personal details removed, which gives a plain record of where water has reached insured buildings here.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Flood insurance claims on record | 60,620 |
| Year with the most claims | 2008 (22,606) |
| Largest named event | Hurricane Ike (22,382) |
| Claims outside high-risk A and V zones | 31% |
| Claims on buildings built before 1975 | 54% |
County-wide counts of insured claims only. Uninsured losses, burst pipes and appliance leaks are not in this data.
What the Friendswood claim record shows
For Friendswood homes, the local precedents are the events behind the most Galveston County claims: Hurricane Ike (22,382 claims), Hurricane Harvey (8,712 claims) and Flooding (7,575 claims).
About 31% of claims with a recorded zone came from outside the high-risk A and V zones, so a moderate-risk label does not mean a Friendswood home stays dry.
If your Friendswood home is older, note that buildings from before 1975 make up 54% of county claims with a known build date. Many predate current flood maps, so inspect low outlets, ductwork and subfloors closely after any water event.
Federal disaster history for Galveston County
FEMA lists 31 federal declarations covering Galveston County. The most common types are hurricane (14), flood (5) and severe storm (3). The latest are Hurricane Beryl in 2024, Severe Winter Storms in 2021 and Severe Winter Storm in 2021. Federal aid can open after a declaration, so Friendswood owners should look it up before discarding damaged items.
Friendswood weather and your home
Weather records for Friendswood from 2015 through 2024 average 76 inches of precipitation a year, and May and September are the wettest months. The area averages 20.0 days a year with an inch or more.
Freezing nights are rare, at about 4 a year in Friendswood, so the bigger concerns are storms, plumbing failures and humidity.
At 20 heavy-rain days a year, clear gutters matter in Friendswood, and doors and low windows are worth watching.
When rain falls in Friendswood
Seasonal averages for Friendswood, 2015 through 2024. Plan roof, gutter and sump pump checks before the wettest stretch.
| Season | Average | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | 14.7 in | 19% |
| April to June | 22.1 in | 29% |
| July to September | 23.4 in | 31% |
| October to December | 15.9 in | 21% |
Modeled from Open-Meteo historical weather data. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow.
Friendswood home checklist from these records
- Don't rely on recent quiet years. Only 18% of Galveston County claims date from 2015 or later, so older floods still show what can happen.
- Test any sump pump before May, since Friendswood averages 20 days a year with an inch or more.
- Keep dated photos of each room. After Hurricane Ike, 22,382 insured Galveston County owners filed claims at about the same time.
What to tell the Friendswood contractor
- Distance to Clear Creek
- Whether the home flooded in Harvey
- Your slab elevation
Services Friendswood callers ask about
Questions
Friendswood water damage questions
Is flood insurance required?
Lenders require it in some zones; otherwise it's your choice, but worth considering.
How long does a flooded slab home take?
It varies, so the contractor will advise after seeing it.