Zavala County Disaster Risk

Zavala County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 54th 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.

Zavala County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (67th percentile), hurricane (60th percentile), wildfire (35th percentile), tornado (29th percentile), earthquake (7th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 67th 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.

Zavala County's composite risk percentile is 54th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Zavala County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Zavala County's flooding risk is at the 67th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

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.

Zavala County's composite risk score of 54th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (67th percentile), along with hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.