Bell County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Bell County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 91.1 of 100, higher than 91% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, hail, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,219 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 97.2 | $2.8M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.6 | $9.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.6 | $32M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.8 | $829K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.2 | $12M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.5 | $6.0M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.2 | $38M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 77.2 | $1.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.7 | $321K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 79.0 | $1.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $339K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 41.3 | $774 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.4 | $148K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 395 | 0 | $381M | 70th of 254 | 690th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 302 | 0 | $12M | 51st of 254 | 1618th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 194 | 11 | $7.9M | 31st of 254 | 773rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 113 | 0 | $3.2M | 62nd of 254 | 256th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 72 | 3 | $34M | 50th of 254 | 561st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 55 | 3 | – | 70th of 254 | 525th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 35 | 2 | $663K | 117th of 254 | 2484th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 13 | 2 | $1.4M | 24th of 254 | 631st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 0 | $198K | 91st of 254 | 2438th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | $54M | 86th of 254 | 1914th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $27K | 27th of 254 | 974th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 0 | $2.0M | 48th of 254 | 319th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Bell County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.