Wharton County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wharton County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.0 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, cold wave, drought. Its storm record holds 374 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.8 | $14M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.5 | $6.1M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 91.4 | $1.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.5 | $500K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 72.4 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.4 | $343K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.6 | $986K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.8 | $9.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $78K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 45.9 | $342K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.6 | $28K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 53.0 | $38K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 26.2 | $35K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 11.2 | $24 |
| Coastal Flooding | 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 | 117 | 0 | $3.0M | 153rd of 254 | 2358th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 80 | 0 | $20M | 225th of 254 | 2484th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 71 | 1 | $7.5M | 76th of 254 | 845th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 30 | 0 | $4.1M | 180th of 254 | 2223rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | $15M | 230th of 254 | 1821st of 3,063 |
| Heat | 13 | 0 | – | 122nd of 254 | 1407th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 8 | 1 | $6K | 225th of 254 | 2925th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $244M | 31st of 254 | 675th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $87K | 107th of 254 | 1961st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | $28K | 227th of 254 | 2793rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | $3K | 203rd of 254 | 2976th 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 Wharton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.