Hays County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hays County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.6 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 593 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 | 96.8 | $5.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.1 | $19M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.8 | $2.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.8 | $720K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86.1 | $2.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 93.2 | $68M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.1 | $4.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $4.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | $998K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 64.4 | $202K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 87.9 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 63.9 | $388K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 43.5 | $1K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 25.8 | $59K |
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 | 180 | 0 | $161M | 90th of 254 | 876th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 139 | 15 | $287M | 12th of 254 | 334th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 109 | 0 | $25M | 100th of 254 | 2146th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 78 | 0 | – | 46th of 254 | 208th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 1 | $99M | 122nd of 254 | 1414th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 29 | 0 | $2.5M | 81st of 254 | 2348th of 3,077 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 118th of 254 | 1349th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 113th of 254 | 2039th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $230K | 49th of 254 | 1100th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 0 | $8.4M | 67th of 254 | 372nd of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | – | 77th of 254 | 971st 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 Hays County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.