Polk County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Polk County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 75.6 of 100, higher than 75% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, strong wind. Its storm record holds 364 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.4 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 88.2 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.0 | $5.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.5 | $4.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $3.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.9 | $213K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 77.1 | $910K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75.5 | $192K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 63.8 | $7.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 43.3 | $36K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 49.3 | $902 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 36.4 | $86K |
| Hail | Very Low | 20.1 | $50K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 121 | 0 | $859K | 164th of 254 | 1894th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 113 | 8 | $34M | 161st of 254 | 2393rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 47 | 0 | $367M | 145th of 254 | 1928th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 3 | $29M | 163rd of 254 | 1768th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | $15M | 234th of 254 | 1868th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 12 | 0 | – | 120th of 254 | 1383rd of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 11 | 0 | $29K | 214th of 254 | 2875th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $177M | 44th of 254 | 783rd of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | $490K | 226th of 254 | 2786th 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 Polk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.