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Natural hazard risk in Kerr County, Texas

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 77.1 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$25.3 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1978
19[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$21.7 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
11[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates the overall natural hazard risk for Kerr County, Texas, as Relatively Low compared with other US counties[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA scores are lightning, winter weather and inland flooding[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Kerr County at $25.3 million a year, a FEMA estimate of average yearly loss and not money anyone paid[1]. Inland flooding drives most of that estimate, with $18.0 million a year[7], followed by tornado at $2.5 million a year[8]. FEMA rates social vulnerability in Kerr County Very High (score 86.1), which describes how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause[9]. FEMA rates community resilience Relatively Low (score 32.0), a measure of the county's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[10]. FEMA notes that the index does not predict next year's damage and that a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low[11].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
LightningRelatively High$784,000[12]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$239,000[13]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$18.0 million[7]
WildfireRelatively Low$450,000[14]
HailRelatively Moderate$647,000[15]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.5 million[8]
DroughtRelatively Moderate$532,000[16]
Heat WaveRelatively Low$548,000[17]
LandslideRelatively Low$2,854[18]
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$551,000[19]
HurricaneRelatively Low$171,000[20]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$791,000[21]
EarthquakeVery Low$13,000[22]
Ice StormVery Low$3,195[23]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[24].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityVery High86.1[9]
Community resilienceRelatively Low32.0[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Kerr County Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties (score 85.2)[7]. OpenFEMA lists 520 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 21,349 residential structures as of 2026-08-03, a penetration rate of 2.4%[25]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area the rate was 32.6%[25]. A HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP claims counts 373 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $21.7 million in total, with the most paid claims in 2025 (107)[3].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[7] Relatively Moderate, $18.0 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[25] 520 of 21,349 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[25] 1,172, of which 382 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 373 filed, $21.7 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[26]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 19 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Kerr County since 1978, including 7 for flooding[2]. The most recent is DR-4935-TX for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding, declared 2026-09-01[27]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 11 tornadoes in Kerr County from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated F2 and the most recent on 1995-05-07[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Kerr County, since 1978
Incident type Declarations
Flood[2] 7
Fire[2] 4
Hurricane[2] 3
Severe Ice Storm[2] 2
Severe Storm[2] 1
Drought[2] 1
Winter Storm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4935-TX[27] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2026-09-01
EM-3649-TX[27] Flooding 2026-07-18
DR-4879-TX[27] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2025-07-06
DR-4705-TX[27] Severe Winter Storm 2023-04-21
DR-4586-TX[27] Severe Winter Storms 2021-02-19

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Questions people ask

Is Kerr County, Texas at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Kerr County Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with an estimated Expected Annual Loss of $18.0 million a year[7]. OpenFEMA lists 7 flood declarations that include the county since 1978[2].
How do I check if a Kerr County address is in a flood zone?
Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[26]. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[26].
Does Kerr County get tornadoes?
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 11 tornadoes in Kerr County from 1950 to 2024, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[8].
Is Kerr County at risk of earthquakes or hurricanes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk in Kerr County Very Low[22] and hurricane risk Relatively Low[20] compared with other US counties.
How many federal disasters have been declared in Kerr County?
OpenFEMA lists 19 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Kerr County since 1978, 11 of them major disasters[2].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Kerr County is $25.3 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Low, score 68.0). Of this, buildings account for $16.3 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $8.4 million... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 19 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Kerr County since 1978 (11 major disaster, 8 emergency or fire management). By incident type: flood 7, fire 4, hurricane 3, severe ice storm 2, severe storm 1, drought 1, winter storm 1. Biological (such... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 373 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Kerr County, 284 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $21.7 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 11 recorded tornadoes touched Kerr County. The strongest were rated F2 (most recent of them on 1995-05-07). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 1995-05-07. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Kerr County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 77.1 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Kerr County are lightning (89.4, Relatively High), winter weather (88.0, Relatively High), inland flooding (85.2, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 85.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $18.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 2.75 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 78.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.5 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.23 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Kerr County is Very High (score 86.1). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Kerr County is Relatively Low (score 32.0). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 89.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $784,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 44.87 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 88.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $239,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 4 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 84.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $450,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0014 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 81.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $647,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 2.83 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 77.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $532,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 137.65 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 67.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $548,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 3.89 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 66.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2,854 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 63.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $551,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.67 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 61.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $171,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.02 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the... FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 55.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $791,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.63 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 16.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0002 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Kerr County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 9.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3,195 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.05 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Kerr County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  25. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 520 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Kerr County, out of 21,349 residential structures, a penetration rate of 2.4%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 1,172 residential structures and 382 contracts, a rate... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  26. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  27. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets 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). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.