Cooke County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Cooke County has experienced 22 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Cooke County's highest-rated hazards are drought, hail, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 108% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Cooke County has been designated in 22 declarations since 1966, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (6), flood (4), severe ice storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
| 2008 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2006 | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
Showing the 10 most recent of 22 total declarations since 1966.
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 Moderate | 91.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 66.8 | 13 | 0 | $61K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 54.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 77.4 | 48 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.5 | 6 | 7 | $15.0M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 48.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | 92 | 0 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 31.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 86.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 37.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 39.2 | 2 | 0 | $100K |
| Drought | Relatively High | 98 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 63.8 | 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
Cooke County ranks in the 69th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 69th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 55th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 85th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 63rd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 62nd | Moderate |
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 | 84th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 82nd | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 73.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 160 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 52 in 2016–20 vs 108 in 2021–25 (+108% — 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 Cooke County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Cooke County, Texas are drought, hail, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Cooke County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Cooke County has received 22 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (6 declarations).
Has Cooke County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Cooke County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1966.
How does Cooke County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Denton County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Love County, OK has the lowest (Very Low). Cooke County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Cooke County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Cooke 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. Cooke County's composite score of 73 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 73% of US counties.