Ellis County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Ellis County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.6 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,112 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.5 | $3.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.2 | $1.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.6 | $3.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.9 | $6.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.8 | $6.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.5 | $24M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 63.6 | $106K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 86.1 | $805K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 58.0 | $126K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 41.9 | $447K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 41.7 | $81K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 52.2 | $92K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 51.1 | $303K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 39.2 | $640 |
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 | 439 | 0 | $35M | 38th of 254 | 422nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 304 | 1 | $26M | 42nd of 254 | 1433rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 110 | 2 | $10.0M | 63rd of 254 | 1145th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 74 | 0 | $2.9M | 125th of 254 | 504th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 63 | 0 | $90M | 56th of 254 | 633rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 56 | 2 | – | 56th of 254 | 465th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 34 | 0 | $2.1M | 105th of 254 | 2437th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $1.4M | 28th of 254 | 746th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | $199K | 38th of 254 | 1075th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 2 | $653K | 132nd of 254 | 2139th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 0 | $694K | 94th of 254 | 490th of 2,972 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $85K | 118th of 254 | 2719th 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 Ellis County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.