Hays County Disaster Risk

Hays County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 91th 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.

Hays County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (96th percentile), flooding (93th percentile), wildfire (88th percentile), hurricane (64th percentile), earthquake (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 96th 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.

Hays County's composite risk percentile is 91th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Hays County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Hays County's tornado risk is at the 96th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Hays County is at the 93th 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.

Hays County's composite risk score of 91th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (96th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.