Wharton County, TX
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Wharton County has experienced 26 federally declared disasters since 1990, most recently Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Wharton County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, cold wave, and drought, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 23 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (95th 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. Wharton County has been designated in 26 declarations since 1990, covering 8 disaster types including hurricane (11), flood (4), severe storm (3).
| 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 |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 26 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 | Very Low | 53 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.8 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 26.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.6 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 72.4 | 8 | 0 | $560K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.5 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 45.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 56 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 91.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 11.2 | 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
Wharton County ranks in the 95th 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 | 95th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 91st | High |
| Household characteristics | 93rd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 90th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 81st | 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 | 55th | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 51st | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 60.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 23 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 12 in 2016–20 vs 11 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 Wharton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Wharton County, Texas are hurricane, cold wave, and drought. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Wharton County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Wharton County has received 26 federal disaster declarations since 1990, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (11 declarations).
Has Wharton County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Wharton County include Hurricane Beryl (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1990.
How does Wharton 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 Austin County, TX has the lowest (Relatively Low). Wharton County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Wharton County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Wharton 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. Wharton County's composite score of 83 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 83% of US counties.