Galveston County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Galveston County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.4 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, lightning, hurricane. Its storm record holds 832 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 | 99.4 | $53M |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.4 | $2.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.0 | $42M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.9 | $19M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 96.9 | $4.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.6 | $63M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.5 | $1.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 88.6 | $5.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 93.5 | $5.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52.2 | $627K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 84.9 | $734K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.5 | $559K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56.4 | $413K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.8 | $121 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 15.9 | $14K |
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 | 232 | 0 | $108M | 6th of 254 | 362nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 128 | 6 | $12.0B | 1st of 254 | 98th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 126 | 9 | $112M | 1st of 254 | 2nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 121 | 0 | $4.2M | 37th of 254 | 410th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 36 | 0 | $190M | 196th of 254 | 1097th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 28 | 22 | $7.3B | 1st of 254 | 110th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 26 | 20 | – | 2nd of 254 | 28th of 2,080 |
| Heat | 26 | 3 | – | 85th of 254 | 660th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 25 | 5 | $6.0M | 3rd of 254 | 79th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 0 | – | 197th of 254 | 2817th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $29K | 81st of 254 | 2309th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 10 | $13M | 184th of 254 | 2593rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | $37K | 32nd of 254 | 1025th 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 Galveston County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.