Smith County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Smith County has experienced 33 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Smith County's highest-rated hazards are heat wave, lightning, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 277 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (82nd 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. Smith County has been designated in 33 declarations since 1965, covering 9 disaster types including hurricane (8), fire (6), severe storm (5).
| 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 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Marco And Laura |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
| 2011 | Fire | Wildfires |
Showing the 10 most recent of 33 total declarations since 1965.
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 | 80.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | 82 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.3 | 73 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.3 | 13 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | 108 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.9 | 7 | 0 | $126K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 74.6 | 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
Smith County ranks in the 82nd 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 | 82nd | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 73rd | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 79th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 80th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 77th | High |
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 | 66th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 64th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 48.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 277 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 133 in 2016–20 vs 144 in 2021–25 (+8% — relatively stable).
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 Smith County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Smith County, Texas are heat wave, lightning, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Smith County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Smith County has received 33 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (8 declarations).
Has Smith County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Smith County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Smith County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Gregg County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Rusk County, TX has the lowest (Relatively Low). Smith County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Smith County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Smith 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. Smith County's composite score of 84 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 84% of US counties.