Smith County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Smith County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.2 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, cold wave, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,252 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 | 94.9 | $1.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.7 | $7.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.4 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.7 | $282K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.5 | $605K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.3 | $6.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | $996K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | $21M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 80.3 | $346K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.1 | $832K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 74.6 | $7K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.7 | $637K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.3 | $930K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 415 | 1 | $3.8M | 17th of 254 | 907th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 370 | 0 | $354K | 46th of 254 | 457th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 168 | 0 | $648K | 55th of 254 | 1053rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 82 | 2 | – | 27th of 254 | 326th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 76 | 2 | $107M | 27th of 254 | 340th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 52 | 0 | – | 180th of 254 | 826th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 39 | 0 | $596K | 86th of 254 | 2365th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 24 | 2 | $895K | 9th of 254 | 281st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 1 | $184K | 93rd of 254 | 2496th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $406K | 128th of 254 | 2127th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $992K | 132nd of 254 | 673rd of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 118th of 254 | 1876th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $2.7M | 106th of 254 | 1025th 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 Smith County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.