Grayson County, TX

FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data

Population: 135,451 · Cities: Sherman , Denison

Relatively Low Riskier than 80% of US counties
Very Low Relatively Low Relatively Moderate Relatively High Very High

Grayson County has experienced 21 federally declared disasters since 1982, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2021. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.

Grayson County's highest-rated hazards are hail, tornado, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 130% 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. Grayson County has been designated in 21 declarations since 1982, covering 8 disaster types including severe storm (5), fire (4), hurricane (4).

2002–2026
Year Type Event name
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
2011 Fire Wildfires
2008 Fire Wildfires
2008 Hurricane Hurricane Ike
2007 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
2006 Fire Extreme Wildfire Threat

Showing the 10 most recent of 21 total declarations since 1982.

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 86 0 0
Inland Flooding Relatively Moderate 79.5 43 2 $592K
Coastal Flooding Not Applicable 0 0
Earthquake Relatively Low 66.7
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate 92.7 47 0
Tornado Relatively High 92.9 5 1 $780K
Hurricane Very Low 53.3 0 0
Hail Relatively Moderate 93.4 181 0 $719K
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate 55.7 0 0
Winter Weather Relatively Low 57 0 0
Ice Storm Relatively High 91.6
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate 82.2
Lightning Relatively Low 56.2 2 1 $100K
Drought Relatively Low 47.7 0 0
Landslide Very Low 60.9 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

Grayson 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 59th Moderate
Household characteristics 80th High
Racial & ethnic minority status 62nd Moderate
Housing type & transportation 59th 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 69th Relatively High
Risk to homes 69th Relatively High
Buildings in direct exposure zone 64.7%

NOAA tracked 277 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 84 in 2016–20 vs 193 in 2021–25 (+130% — 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

Compare Grayson County with other counties → All Texas counties →

Frequently asked questions

What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Grayson County?

According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Grayson County, Texas are hail, tornado, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.

Has Grayson County received federal disaster declarations?

Yes. Grayson County has received 21 federal disaster declarations since 1982, including declarations in 2021. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (5 declarations).

Has Grayson County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?

No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Grayson County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Winter Storm in 2021.

How does Grayson County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?

Among neighboring counties, Collin County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Marshall County, OK has the lowest (Relatively Low). Grayson County is rated Relatively Low overall.

How is Grayson County's composite disaster risk index calculated?

Grayson 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. Grayson County's composite score of 80 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 80% of US counties.

Embed this county

Copy the code below to embed a live risk summary for Grayson County in an article, report, or dashboard.

FIPS: 48181 · JSON API · See national hazard leaderboards to compare Grayson County against top counties nationwide.