Cherokee County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cherokee County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 61.6 of 100, higher than 61% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 752 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.7 | $1.7M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 88.2 | $1.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.9 | $1.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $366K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 78.3 | $2.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.4 | $390K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.5 | $1.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 67.5 | $92K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.8 | $252K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 70.7 | $488K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 64.1 | $3K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 59.2 | $6.8M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 39.3 | $134K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.0 | $104K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 251 | 0 | $1.2M | 60th of 254 | 1713th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 199 | 0 | – | 147th of 254 | 1518th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 79 | 1 | – | 37th of 254 | 378th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 78 | 0 | $415K | 108th of 254 | 1614th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 50 | 0 | – | 191st of 254 | 996th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 3 | $85M | 110th of 254 | 1249th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 30 | 0 | $871K | 141st of 254 | 2549th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $135K | 139th of 254 | 2199th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $968K | 67th of 254 | 1450th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 1 | $3K | 149th of 254 | 2824th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $98K | 138th of 254 | 720th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 151st of 254 | 2243rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $1.0M | 67th of 254 | 931st of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cherokee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.