Willacy County, Texas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Willacy County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.5 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, drought. Its storm record holds 694 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 | 97.9 | $11M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 90.8 | $1.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | $5.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 65.6 | $239K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.6 | $300K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 48.9 | $46K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 39.0 | $97K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 40.4 | $10K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 30.9 | $2.1M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.7 | $7K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23.2 | $178K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 17.3 | $8K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.2 | $9K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 6.3 | $6 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 5.5 | $21K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 284 | 0 | $24M | 7th of 254 | 15th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 92 | 0 | $49M | 1st of 254 | 237th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 85 | 0 | – | 26th of 254 | 319th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 52 | 1 | $319K | 174th of 254 | 2457th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 44 | 0 | $7K | 226th of 254 | 2492nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 43 | 0 | $215M | 67th of 254 | 1194th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 29 | 0 | $884M | 6th of 254 | 280th of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 0 | $428K | 111th of 254 | 1268th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 13 | 10 | – | 5th of 254 | 73rd of 2,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $23K | 83rd of 254 | 2329th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | $27K | 16th of 254 | 768th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 0 | $13K | 228th of 254 | 2936th of 3,077 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | – | 70th of 254 | 396th of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 3 | 2 | $5.8M | 54th of 254 | 1224th 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 Willacy County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.