Cameron County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Cameron County has experienced 34 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Storms And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Cameron County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, hurricane, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 355% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (98th 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. Cameron County has been designated in 34 declarations since 1967, covering 8 disaster types including hurricane (16), flood (5), severe storm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Marco And Laura |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hanna |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2018 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 34 total declarations since 1967.
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 | Relatively Low | 83.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | 69 | 0 | $208.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 67 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 50.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.3 | 62 | 1 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | 8 | 1 | $766K |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.6 | 30 | 0 | $27K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 87.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 94.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.3 | 3 | 0 | $7.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Cameron County ranks in the 98th 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 | 98th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 99th | High |
| Household characteristics | 92nd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 100th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 83rd | 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 | 76th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 78th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 24.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 172 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 31 in 2016–20 vs 141 in 2021–25 (+355% — 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 Cameron County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Cameron County, Texas are cold wave, hurricane, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Cameron County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Cameron County has received 34 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (16 declarations).
Has Cameron County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Cameron County include Severe Storms And Flooding (2025), Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Cameron County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Hidalgo County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Kenedy County, TX has the lowest (Very Low). Cameron County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Cameron County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Cameron 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. Cameron County's composite score of 97 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 97% of US counties.