Galveston County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Galveston County has experienced 31 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Galveston County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, lightning, and hurricane, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 35% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (74th 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. Galveston County has been designated in 31 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (14), 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 |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura |
| 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 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 31 total declarations since 1973.
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 | 84.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 93.6 | 44 | 6 | $10.0B |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 88.6 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 93.5 | 5 | 1 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.9 | 11 | 0 | $896K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.5 | 18 | 0 | $10 |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 15.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.4 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.4 | 9 | 0 | $1.3M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 96.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.8 | 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
Galveston County ranks in the 74th 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 | 74th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 70th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 62nd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 83rd | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 66th | 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 | 87th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 89th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 20.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 94 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 57 in 2016–20 vs 37 in 2021–25 (-35% — 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 Galveston County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Galveston County, Texas are cold wave, lightning, and hurricane. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Galveston County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Galveston County has received 31 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (14 declarations).
Has Galveston County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Galveston County include Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Galveston 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 Chambers County, TX has the lowest (Relatively Low). Galveston County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Galveston County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Galveston 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. Galveston County's composite score of 95 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 95% of US counties.