Jones County, TX

FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data

Population: 19,599

Very Low Riskier than 38% of US counties
Very Low Relatively Low Relatively Moderate Relatively High Very High

Jones County has experienced 24 federally declared disasters since 1990, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.

Jones County's highest-rated hazards are hail, drought, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 34% 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. Jones County has been designated in 24 declarations since 1990, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (6), fire (5), flood (5).

2002–2026
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
2019 Flood Severe Storms And Flooding
2018 Fire 335 Fire
2016 Severe Storm Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
2016 Flood Severe Storms And Flooding
2015 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding

Showing the 10 most recent of 24 total declarations since 1990.

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 Relatively Low 39.7 8 2 $6.3M
Coastal Flooding Not Applicable 0 0
Earthquake Very Low 20.2
Heat Wave Relatively Low 55 0 0
Tornado Relatively Low 54.4 9 0
Hurricane Very Low 32.1 0 0
Hail Relatively Moderate 91.5 93 0
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate 55.1 0 0
Winter Weather Relatively Low 56.5 0 0
Ice Storm Relatively Low 30.4
Cold Wave Very Low 19.5
Lightning Very Low 14.9 0 0
Drought Relatively Moderate 87.8 0 0
Landslide Very Low 31.2 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

Jones County ranks in the 58th 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 58th Moderate
Socioeconomic status 77th High
Household characteristics 23rd Very low
Racial & ethnic minority status 81st High
Housing type & transportation 36th 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 84th Very High
Risk to homes 85th Very High
Buildings in direct exposure zone 52.7%

NOAA tracked 110 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 47 in 2016–20 vs 63 in 2021–25 (+34% — 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 Jones County with other counties → All Texas counties →

Frequently asked questions

What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Jones County?

According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Jones County, Texas are hail, drought, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.

Has Jones County received federal disaster declarations?

Yes. Jones County has received 24 federal disaster declarations since 1990, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (6 declarations).

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

Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Jones County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1990.

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

Among neighboring counties, Taylor County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Shackelford County, TX has the lowest (Very Low). Jones County is rated Very Low overall.

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

Jones 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. Jones County's composite score of 38 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 38% of US counties.

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