FEMA Records
15
Below median
Texas · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Ector County, TX
15 FEMA disaster declarations (1989-2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 15
- FEMA declarations
- 6
- Major disasters
- 83
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Ector County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 15 declarations, more than 23% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 28% below the Texas county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 17%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 17%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 15
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 187
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 48135 · Ector County 15 declarations · rank 2409/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-LIGHT · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-MID 15
- MAJOR-LIGHT 40%
- RANK-LOWER #2,409
- PHOTO-FINISH Polk
- NRI-MID 83
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Fire
- VS-ST-BELOW -28%
Nearest declaration peer: Polk, OR (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Texas state profile
Ector County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Ector County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Ector · this county 15
Ector · this county
15 declarations
- Flathead · near 15
Flathead · near
15 declarations
- Murray · near 15
Murray · near
15 declarations
- Polk · near 15
Polk · near
15 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Ector County carries 15 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2409 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Ector County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Ector County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Ector County
15 23rd percentile higher than 23% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Ector County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Ector County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $20.0M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very Low), while Hail carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Ector County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 187 paid claims, totaling $2.4M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $12.7K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Texas county averages 20.9 federal declaration records, while Ector County has 15. The gap is 28% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 82.8/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Low (roughly $46.4M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Moderate and community resilience Very Low, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Hail stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.9 times per year here, based on 147 historical events on record.
43 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Ector County, TX · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
11/30
15 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
15 declarations (0.7x state county average of 21)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
10/25
6 of 15 declarations are major disasters (40%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Ector County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Ector County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
40%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
83
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Ector County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | an average of 3.9 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Very High | an average of 5.7 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 458 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 6.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 43 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 3 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.9 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 72 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 3,322 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 174 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 13 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Fire 6
Hurricane 3
Severe Ice Storm 2
Biological 2
Severe Storm 2
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Ector County's record, 40% of its declarations. Wildfire is the one hazard here with its own dedicated federal instrument: the Fire Management Assistance Grant, which appears in this data as an FM record. An FMAG can be authorised while a fire is still burning, on a timescale of hours, because its purpose is to reimburse the cost of fighting a fire that threatens to become a major disaster.
That distinction matters when comparing counties. An FM declaration is not a presidential major disaster declaration and does not carry the same assistance programmes, so a fire-heavy county's total is not directly comparable with a hurricane-heavy county's total unless the declaration types are separated, which is why they are listed separately on this page.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 6 40.0%
of all 15 declarations
Emergency - 6 40.0%
of all 15 declarations
Fire Management - 3 20.0%
of all 15 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 3 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 15 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 15 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4586 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-19 |
| 3554 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-14 |
| 4485 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-25 |
| 3458 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 2901 | PLEASANT FARMS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2011-04-27 |
| 2881 | BATES FIELD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2011-04-03 |
| 3284 | WILDFIRES | EM | Fire | 2008-03-14 |
| 2745 | SOUTH ODESSA FIRE | FM | Fire | 2008-02-25 |
| 1624 | EXTREME WILDFIRE THREAT | DR | Fire | 2006-01-11 |
| 1606 | HURRICANE RITA | DR | Hurricane | 2005-09-24 |
| 3261 | HURRICANE RITA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-21 |
| 3216 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-02 |
| 3142 | EXTREME FIRE HAZARDS | EM | Fire | 1999-09-01 |
| 1239 | TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-08-26 |
| 828 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1989-05-19 |
Storm Events in Texas
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Ector County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 14,072 | 0 | 15 | $7.4B |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 10,293 | 41 | 141 | $369.9M |
| Drought | 7,032 | 0 | 0 | $86.0K |
| Flash Flood | 4,728 | 338 | 24 | $47.6B |
| Heat | 4,079 | 119 | 405 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
187
Total Paid
$2.4M
Avg Per Claim
$12.7K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 82.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$46.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively High
Winter Weather Very High
Wildfire Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
Worth noting for Ector County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Hail carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Fire. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Ector County's closest FEMA peer: Dougherty County, GA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Ector County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Ector County: NRI composite 82.8 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar Major-disaster share
Ector County: 6 of 15 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Ector County shows 15 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Ector County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Ector County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 82.8 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 15. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Ector County's NFIP claims file (187 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Ector County?
The most common disaster type in Ector County is Fire, with 6 declarations. Other disaster types include Hurricane (3), Severe Ice Storm (2), Biological (2).
How does Ector County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Texas average?
The typical Texas county has 20.9 FEMA declaration records; Ector County has 15, or 28% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 28% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Ector County received?
Ector County has received 6 major disaster declarations, representing 40% of all 15 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Ector County filed?
Ector County has 187 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.4M in payments, with an average of $12.7K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Ector County?
No. In Ector County, Hail has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $20.0M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Ector County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Ector County was 2005, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1989 to 2021.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Ector County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Ector County, Texas has an overall risk score of 82.8 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $46.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Ector County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Ector County as of the latest release is Hail (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Very High) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at an average of 3.9 times per year, drawn from 147 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Ector County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Texas profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events