FEMA Records
32
Very high volume
Texas · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Hidalgo County, TX
32 FEMA disaster declarations (1967-2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 32
- FEMA declarations
- 22
- Major disasters
- 99
- NRI risk · Relatively High
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Hidalgo County. Its 32 FEMA declarations are 53% above the Texas county mean and exceed the count for 89% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 1%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 1%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively High
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 32
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 4,403
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 48215 · Hidalgo County 32 declarations · rank 344/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-HIGH · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-HIGH
- DECL-HEAVY 32
- MAJOR-MID 69%
- RANK-MID #344
- PHOTO-FINISH Perry
- NRI-HIGH 99
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Hurricane
- VS-ST-HIGH +53%
Nearest declaration peer: Perry, MS (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Texas state profile
Hidalgo County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Hidalgo County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- East Carroll · near 32
East Carroll · near
32 declarations
- Hidalgo · this county 32
Hidalgo · this county
32 declarations
- Nicholas · near 32
Nicholas · near
32 declarations
- Perry · near 32
Perry · near
32 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Hidalgo County carries 32 FEMA declaration records, ranked 344 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Hidalgo County ranks in the national declaration registry
Hidalgo County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Hidalgo County
32 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Hidalgo County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Hidalgo County is led by Hurricane (about $126.7M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Cold Wave carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Very 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 Hidalgo County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 4,403 claims and $117.8M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $26.8K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Hidalgo County's 32 federal records stand 53% above the Texas county mean of 20.9. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 99.0/100 (Relatively High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively High (roughly $309.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very High and community resilience Very Low, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.1 times per year here, based on 58 historical events on record.
77 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Hidalgo 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) Very High
23/30
32 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.5x national county average)
County Disaster Density Very High
19/25
32 declarations (1.5x state county average of 21)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
22 of 32 declarations are major disasters (69%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Hidalgo County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Hidalgo 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
69%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
99
Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Hidalgo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very High | roughly once every 8 years |
| Hail | Very High | roughly once every 2 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 9 modeled event-days per year |
| Drought | Relatively High | 66 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Very High | roughly once every 6 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 2.3 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively High | roughly once every 4 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | roughly once every 1 years |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 40 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | roughly once every 2 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 344 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3,861 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 7 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 15
Flood 5
Severe Storm 4
Severe Ice Storm 2
Biological 2
Fire 2
Freezing 2
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on Hidalgo County's federal record, 47% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
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 - 22 68.8%
of all 32 declarations
Emergency - 10 31.3%
of all 32 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 3 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
Show 7 earlier declaration years
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1971 | 1 | |
| 1967 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 32 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 32 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4871 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2025-05-21 |
| 4798 | HURRICANE BERYL | DR | Hurricane | 2024-07-09 |
| 4586 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-19 |
| 3554 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-14 |
| 3530 | HURRICANE HANNA | EM | Hurricane | 2020-07-26 |
| 4485 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-25 |
| 3458 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4454 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-07-17 |
| 4377 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-07-06 |
| 4272 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-06-11 |
| 4245 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-11-25 |
| 4223 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-05-29 |
| 1931 | HURRICANE ALEX | DR | Hurricane | 2010-08-03 |
| 3313 | TROPICAL STORM ALEX | EM | Hurricane | 2010-06-29 |
| 3294 | HURRICANE IKE | EM | Hurricane | 2008-09-10 |
| 3290 | HURRICANE GUSTAV | EM | Hurricane | 2008-08-29 |
| 1780 | HURRICANE DOLLY | DR | Hurricane | 2008-07-24 |
| 3284 | WILDFIRES | EM | Fire | 2008-03-14 |
| 3277 | HURRICANE DEAN | EM | Hurricane | 2007-08-18 |
| 1624 | EXTREME WILDFIRE THREAT | DR | Fire | 2006-01-11 |
Show 12 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1439 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2002-11-05 |
| 1287 | HURRICANE BRET | DR | Hurricane | 1999-08-22 |
| 1239 | TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-08-26 |
| 850 | SEVERE FREEZE | DR | Freezing | 1990-01-09 |
| 816 | HURRICANE GILBERT | DR | Hurricane | 1988-10-05 |
| 696 | SEVERE FREEZING WEATHER | DR | Freezing | 1984-01-07 |
| 627 | HURRICANE ALLEN | DR | Hurricane | 1980-08-11 |
| 313 | HEAVY RAINS, HIGH WINDS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1971-09-18 |
| 232 | HURRICANE BEULAH | DR | Hurricane | 1967-09-28 |
Storm Events in Texas
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Hidalgo 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
4,403
Total Paid
$117.8M
Avg Per Claim
$26.8K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively High
Score: 99.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively High
$309.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Very High
Hurricane Very High
Hail Very High
Heat Wave Relatively High
Drought Relatively High
Ice Storm Very High
Riverine Flooding Relatively High
Tornado Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively 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: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Hidalgo County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Very High), while the county's declaration history is led by Hurricane. 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
Hidalgo County's closest FEMA peer: Le Flore County, OK
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Hidalgo County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Hidalgo County shows 32 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
Similar Major-disaster share
Hidalgo County: 22 of 32 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Hidalgo County: NRI composite 99.0 (Relatively High).
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 Hidalgo County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Hidalgo 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: 99.0 (Relatively High).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 32. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Hidalgo County's NFIP claims file (4,403 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 Hidalgo County?
The most common disaster type in Hidalgo County is Hurricane, with 15 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (5), Severe Storm (4), Severe Ice Storm (2).
How does Hidalgo County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Texas average?
FEMA lists 32 declaration records for Hidalgo County. That is 53% above the Texas county mean of 20.9. Its count is also 54% above the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Hidalgo County received?
Hidalgo County has received 22 major disaster declarations, representing 69% of all 32 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Hidalgo County filed?
Hidalgo County has 4,403 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $117.8M in payments, with an average of $26.8K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Hidalgo County?
No. In Hidalgo County, Cold Wave has the highest National Risk Index rating (Very High), while Hurricane leads Expected Annual Loss at about $126.7M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Hidalgo County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Hidalgo County was 2008, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1967 to 2025.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Hidalgo County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Hidalgo County, Texas has an overall risk score of 99.0 out of 100 (Relatively High). On social vulnerability the county rates Very High; on community resilience, Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively High, representing $309.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Hidalgo County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Hidalgo County as of the latest release is Cold Wave (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Very High) and Hail (Very High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 3.1 times per year, drawn from 58 historical events on record. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
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 Hidalgo County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Texas profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events