Gaines County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Gaines County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 57.6 of 100, higher than 57% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, drought. Its storm record holds 565 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 | 95.6 | $2.2M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.2 | $1.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $1.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.4 | $3.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 77.1 | $776K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.2 | $62K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 47.3 | $139K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 46.9 | $212K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 43.7 | $42K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 43.5 | $651K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39.4 | $18K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 30.4 | $2.3M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 19.9 | $19K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 3.6 | $3 |
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 | 233 | 0 | $66M | 160th of 254 | 1806th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 146 | 0 | $14M | 175th of 254 | 2462nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 70 | 0 | $3.9M | 133rd of 254 | 1838th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 0 | $8.9M | 172nd of 254 | 1883rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 34 | 0 | $73K | 69th of 254 | 2042nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 23 | 0 | $21K | 185th of 254 | 2776th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | $42M | 240th of 254 | 1980th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 202nd of 254 | 2423rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 162nd of 254 | 2317th 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 Gaines County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.