Howard County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Howard County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 54.8 of 100, higher than 54% 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 678 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 | 96.7 | $3.0M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.7 | $1.9M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89.5 | $959K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 81.3 | $171K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 66.1 | $1.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.3 | $638K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.4 | $395K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 45.4 | $4.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 41.7 | $531K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 37.6 | $112K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 33.9 | $15K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 24.7 | $18K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.8 | $27K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 15.6 | $52 |
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 | 319 | 0 | $98M | 48th of 254 | 474th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 144 | 0 | $2.2M | 89th of 254 | 2065th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 90 | 2 | $1.5M | 50th of 254 | 1013th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 54 | 0 | $4.4M | 78th of 254 | 872nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 0 | $169K | 57th of 254 | 1748th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 22 | 0 | $17K | 159th of 254 | 2641st of 3,077 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | $38M | 224th of 254 | 1725th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $156K | 85th of 254 | 1587th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $432K | 161st of 254 | 837th of 2,972 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 184th of 254 | 2326th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Howard County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.