Travis County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Travis County has experienced 37 federally declared disasters since 1992, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Travis County's highest-rated hazards are tornado, hail, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 90% 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. Travis County has been designated in 37 declarations since 1992, covering 8 disaster types including fire (11), hurricane (8), flood (7).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2023 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2016 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 37 total declarations since 1992.
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 Moderate | 90.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 98.3 | 82 | 5 | $15.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 53.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.5 | 8 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.7 | 5 | 0 | $5.1M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 77.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very High | 99.4 | 152 | 0 | $300.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.3 | 8 | 1 | $690K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 80.1 | 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
Travis County ranks in the 57th 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 | 57th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 55th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 9th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 88th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 78th | 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 | 68th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 28.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 255 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 88 in 2016–20 vs 167 in 2021–25 (+90% — 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
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Travis County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Travis County, Texas are tornado, hail, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Travis County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Travis County has received 37 federal disaster declarations since 1992, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is fire (11 declarations).
Has Travis County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Travis County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1992.
How does Travis County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Hays County, TX has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Blanco County, TX has the lowest (Very Low). Travis County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Travis County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Travis 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. Travis County's composite score of 98 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 98% of US counties.