Willacy County Disaster Risk

Willacy County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 77th 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.

Willacy County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (92th percentile), flooding (40th percentile), wildfire (29th percentile), tornado (23th percentile), earthquake (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 92th 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.

Willacy County's composite risk percentile is 77th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Willacy County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Willacy County's hurricane risk is at the 92th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Willacy County is at the 40th 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.

Willacy County's composite risk score of 77th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (92th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.