Hidalgo County Disaster Risk

Hidalgo County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 9th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Hidalgo County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (83th percentile), earthquake (33th percentile), flooding (15th percentile), hurricane (7th percentile), tornado (2th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 83th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Hidalgo County's composite risk percentile is 9th, compared to the New Mexico state average of 59th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Hidalgo County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in New Mexico.

Yes, Hidalgo County's wildfire risk is at the 83th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Hidalgo County is at the 15th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Hidalgo County's composite risk score of 9th percentile is below the New Mexico state average of 59th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 83th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.