Natural disaster risk in Starr County, Texas
Texas · population 65,565 · FIPS 48427
Overall: relatively moderate risk
Starr County has a composite risk score of 84.8 out of 100 — higher than 84% of US counties. It ranks 35 of 254 in Texas (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, heat wave, drought.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 12 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Starr County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 12 weeks in a row.
Drought in Starr County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively moderate 84.8 |
| Expected annual loss About $29.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 72.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 97 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 0.3 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Starr County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Very high 98 |
| Heat wave | Relatively moderate 81 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 69 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 60 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 84 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 78 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 72 |
| Hail | Relatively low 67 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 40 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 38 |
| Landslide | Very low 30 |
| Earthquake | Very low 29 |
| Lightning | Very low 21 |
| Strong wind | Very low 14 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Starr County
Federal declarations that designated Starr County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Starr County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4871-TX (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared 21 May 2025.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4871-TX | Major disaster | Severe Storms and Flooding | 21 May 2025 | Yes |
All FEMA declarations in Texas, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Starr County, Texas?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Starr County as relatively moderate, with a score of 84.8 out of 100 (higher than 84% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Starr County?
The hazards rated highest for Starr County are cold wave (very high), heat wave (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Starr County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Starr County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Starr County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Starr County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4871-TX (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared 21 May 2025.
Is Starr County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Starr County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 12 weeks in a row.
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