Deaf Smith County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Deaf Smith County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 61.8 of 100, higher than 61% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, hail, winter weather. Its storm record holds 933 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.1 | $4.2M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.4 | $4.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.7 | $407K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.0 | $1.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $4.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.7 | $2.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 85.8 | $654K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 33.4 | $110K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.8 | $125K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 26.2 | $95K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 20.9 | $15K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 13.1 | $1.4M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 2.6 | $3 |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 349 | 0 | $597K | 123rd of 254 | 1270th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 184 | 0 | $1.0M | 167th of 254 | 2421st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 149 | 0 | $53K | 33rd of 254 | 765th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 69 | 0 | $168M | 193rd of 254 | 1033rd of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 60 | 0 | $846K | 94th of 254 | 2399th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 0 | $3.2M | 179th of 254 | 1970th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 25 | 0 | $554K | 231st of 254 | 2642nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 0 | – | 43rd of 254 | 1339th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 21 | 0 | $481K | 28th of 254 | 221st of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 99th of 254 | 1723rd 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 Deaf Smith County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.