Nueces County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Nueces County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.6 of 100, higher than 96% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hurricane, heat wave. Its storm record holds 1,408 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 | 98.9 | $25M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.6 | $83M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.0 | $11M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.0 | $3.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.1 | $12M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.5 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.2 | $2.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.3 | $44M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 91.6 | $1.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 82.8 | $185K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $350K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 72.2 | $1.0M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 74.0 | $182K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 46.1 | $174K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.1 | $743 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 313 | 3 | $12M | 10th of 254 | 278th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 287 | 0 | $33M | 57th of 254 | 1696th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 230 | 3 | – | 13th of 254 | 133rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 147 | 0 | – | 35th of 254 | 170th of 3,063 |
| Hail | 134 | 0 | $13M | 170th of 254 | 1937th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 107 | 2 | $174M | 5th of 254 | 39th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 42 | 1 | $7.8M | 25th of 254 | 1035th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 29 | 0 | $1.6B | 9th of 254 | 362nd of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 23 | 23 | – | 4th of 254 | 65th of 2,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 0 | $585K | 60th of 254 | 1795th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | $2.7M | 15th of 254 | 764th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 15 | 0 | $1.0M | 198th of 254 | 2819th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 11 | 1 | $1.5M | 22nd of 254 | 606th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 0 | $334K | 39th of 254 | 264th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Nueces County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.