Kenedy County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Kenedy County has experienced 21 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Kenedy County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, hurricane, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 40 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Kenedy County has been designated in 21 declarations since 1967, covering 5 disaster types including hurricane (14), severe ice storm (2), biological (2).
| 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 |
| 2010 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Alex |
| 2008 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
Showing the 10 most recent of 21 total declarations since 1967.
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 | Very Low | 44.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0 | 5 | 0 | $12K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.5 | 30 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 73.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 6.2 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 10.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 0.5 | 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
Kenedy County ranks in the 67th 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 | 67th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 64th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 99th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 100th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 4th | 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 | 88th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 86th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 96.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 40 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 7 in 2016–20 vs 33 in 2021–25 .
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 Kenedy County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Kenedy County, Texas are cold wave, hurricane, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Kenedy County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Kenedy County has received 21 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (14 declarations).
Has Kenedy County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Kenedy County include Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Kenedy County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Hidalgo County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Brooks County, TX has the lowest (Relatively Low). Kenedy County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Kenedy County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Kenedy 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. Kenedy County's composite score of 28 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 28% of US counties.