Jim Wells County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jim Wells County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.5 of 100, higher than 86% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hurricane. Its storm record holds 627 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 | Relatively High | 98.6 | $17M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.1 | $11M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | $732K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | $1.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 82.0 | $298K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 81.4 | $629K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | $1.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 70.9 | $113K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 63.3 | $6.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $164K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 40.9 | $263K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 32.7 | $21K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 23.9 | $25K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 10.0 | $17 |
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 | 154 | 0 | $2.4M | 121st of 254 | 2248th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 102 | 0 | – | 20th of 254 | 243rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 98 | 0 | $9.0M | 52nd of 254 | 224th of 3,063 |
| Hail | 87 | 0 | $2.3M | 192nd of 254 | 2195th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 0 | $4.0M | 82nd of 254 | 1324th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 44 | 0 | $4.8M | 99th of 254 | 1132nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | $659K | 42nd of 254 | 1331st of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 0 | $13K | 16th of 254 | 138th of 2,972 |
| Winter storms | 9 | 1 | $62K | 215th of 254 | 2876th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $1.6M | 30th of 254 | 664th of 1,849 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $69K | 134th of 254 | 2775th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $685K | 106th of 254 | 1826th 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 Jim Wells County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.