Fort Bend County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Fort Bend County has experienced 28 federally declared disasters since 1983, most recently Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Fort Bend County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, tornado, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 41% 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. Fort Bend County has been designated in 28 declarations since 1983, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (12), flood (5), severe storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 28 total declarations since 1983.
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 | 80.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 97.6 | 23 | 3 | $8.0B |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 19.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 61.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.8 | 7 | 2 | — |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.2 | 11 | 0 | $5.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 73.9 | 24 | 0 | $50K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 46.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 93.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.4 | 5 | 0 | $158K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 84.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 53.6 | 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
Fort Bend County ranks in the 45th percentile (Low) 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 | 45th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 38th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 54th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 96th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 24th | Very low |
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 | 66th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 61st | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 14.6% | — |
NOAA tracked 70 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 44 in 2016–20 vs 26 in 2021–25 (-41% — frequency decreasing).
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 Fort Bend County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Fort Bend County, Texas are lightning, tornado, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Fort Bend County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Fort Bend County has received 28 federal disaster declarations since 1983, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (12 declarations).
Has Fort Bend County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Fort Bend County include Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1983.
How does Fort Bend County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Harris County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Austin County, TX has the lowest (Relatively Low). Fort Bend County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Fort Bend County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Fort Bend 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. Fort Bend County's composite score of 98 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 98% of US counties.