Brazos County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Brazos County has experienced 19 federally declared disasters since 1992, most recently Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Brazos County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, lightning, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 78% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (80th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Brazos County has been designated in 19 declarations since 1992, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (7), flood (3), fire (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2008 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
Showing the 10 most recent of 19 total declarations since 1992.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 58.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.8 | 9 | 0 | $900K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 41.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.7 | 5 | 0 | $7.5M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 85.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 89.3 | 80 | 0 | $21K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 84.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.5 | 3 | 1 | $25K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 85 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 28.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Brazos County ranks in the 80th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 80th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 84th | High |
| Household characteristics | 15th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 84th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 94th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 63rd | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 60th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 34.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 103 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 37 in 2016–20 vs 66 in 2021–25 (+78% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Brazos County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Brazos County, Texas are cold wave, lightning, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Brazos County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Brazos County has received 19 federal disaster declarations since 1992, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (7 declarations).
Has Brazos County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Brazos County include Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1992.
How does Brazos County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Washington County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Burleson County, TX has the lowest (Very Low). Brazos County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Brazos County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Brazos County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Brazos County's composite score of 88 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 88% of US counties.