Harris County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Harris County has experienced 41 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very High — among the most at-risk counties in the country.
Harris County's highest-rated hazards are inland flooding, tornado, and hurricane, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 16% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (92nd 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. Harris County has been designated in 41 declarations since 1973, covering 8 disaster types including hurricane (12), flood (12), severe storm (8).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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 | Flood | Tropical Storm Imelda |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hanna |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
Showing the 10 most recent of 41 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 | 85.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very High | 100 | 98 | 46 | $10.2B |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 83.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very High | 99.7 | 13 | 9 | — |
| Tornado | Very High | 100 | 33 | 1 | $11.0M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 100 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92 | 143 | 0 | $42K |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 99.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.9 | 28 | 5 | $588K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 75.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 88.4 | 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
Harris County ranks in the 92nd 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 | 92nd | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 97th | High |
| Household characteristics | 75th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 97th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 71st | 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 | 62nd | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 58th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 5.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 315 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 171 in 2016–20 vs 144 in 2021–25 (-16% — 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 Harris County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Harris County, Texas are inland flooding, tornado, and hurricane. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very High — among the most at-risk counties in the country.
Has Harris County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Harris County has received 41 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (12 declarations).
Has Harris County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Harris County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024), Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Harris County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Fort Bend County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Chambers County, TX has the lowest (Relatively Low). Harris County is rated Very High overall.
How is Harris County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Harris 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. Harris County's composite score of 100 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 100% of US counties.