Cameron County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cameron County's overall risk Relatively High (score 97.3 of 100, higher than 97% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hurricane, heat wave. Its storm record holds 1,120 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.5 | $33M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.0 | $84M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.3 | $6.1M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.6 | $2.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 94.5 | $916K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 87.6 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.9 | $177K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.3 | $491K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | $32M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | $3.2M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | $678K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 67.0 | $547K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.8 | $379K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 50.4 | $170K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.3 | $330 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 251 | 0 | $53M | 16th of 254 | 62nd of 3,063 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 199 | 0 | $16M | 97th of 254 | 2118th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 149 | 0 | $386M | 34th of 254 | 821st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 122 | 2 | – | 32nd of 254 | 342nd of 3,076 |
| Hail | 103 | 0 | $80M | 210th of 254 | 2339th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 72 | 0 | $95M | 10th of 254 | 602nd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 68 | 1 | $20M | 26th of 254 | 323rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 48 | 0 | $852K | 47th of 254 | 1205th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 40 | 0 | $68K | 2nd of 254 | 247th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 24 | 23 | – | 3rd of 254 | 63rd of 2,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 23 | 0 | $1.3B | 8th of 254 | 361st of 1,849 |
| Winter storms | 11 | 0 | $78K | 219th of 254 | 2894th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $8.0M | 42nd of 254 | 1001st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cameron County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.