Hidalgo County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hidalgo County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.0 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 11 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hurricane, hail. Its storm record holds 1,069 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 | 99.9 | $88M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.5 | $127M |
| Hail | Very High | 99.2 | $9.6M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 98.5 | $1.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.8 | $13M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.6 | $3.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.4 | $55M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.0 | $7.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.7 | $432K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.1 | $833K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.2 | $1.1M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.8 | $350K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79.0 | $828K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 48.3 | $685 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 232 | 0 | $135M | 37th of 254 | 176th of 3,063 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 210 | 0 | $20M | 168th of 254 | 2430th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 163 | 0 | $272M | 222nd of 254 | 2470th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 120 | 4 | – | 78th of 254 | 582nd of 3,076 |
| Floods | 116 | 4 | $550M | 112th of 254 | 1650th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 88 | 1 | $377M | 11th of 254 | 710th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 43 | 0 | $31M | 189th of 254 | 2066th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 30 | 0 | – | 12th of 254 | 662nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 21 | 0 | $161K | 76th of 254 | 2221st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 0 | $14M | 33rd of 254 | 240th of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 11 | 1 | $1.7M | 39th of 254 | 970th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 6 | 0 | $59K | 244th of 254 | 2997th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 5 | $679M | 66th of 254 | 928th 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 Hidalgo County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.