States › Texas › Liberty County

Liberty County, Texas

Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.

FIPS 48291 · 97,621 residents (2021) · 1,158 sq mi · dominant hazard Wind

Hail · 87Tornado · 70Flood · 59Wind · 138Winter · 7

Liberty County within Texas. Dots: HailTornadoFloodWind event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.

The NCEI record lists 389 events for Liberty County, Texas, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.

That is 33.6 events per 100 square miles, below the Texas figure of 63.3, and 39.8 per 10,000 residents against 56.0 statewide.

6 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 3 deaths and 42 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $1.4B and crop damage at $7.4M.

FEMA has designated the county in 38 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Hurricane Beryl (major disaster, 9 Jul 2024).

National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 3,306 claims since 1978, of which 2,841 were paid, totalling $109M (about $38K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,918 residential flood policies in force.

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Low" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($33M a year across 18 hazards).

63 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 7 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.

6events, last 12 monthsto 30 Jun 2026

389events since 19503 deaths, 42 injuries recorded

38disaster declarationslast 9 Jul 2024

3,306NFIP flood claims$109M paid

Compared with Texas and the United States

Measure	Liberty County	Texas	US
Recorded events since 1950	389	165,476	1,977,440
Events per 100 square miles	33.6	63.3	56.0
Events per 10,000 residents	39.8	56.0	59.6
Events in the last 12 months	6	4,723	62,008
Deaths recorded by NCEI	3	2,429	26,435
Property damage (NCEI estimates)	$1.4B	$111B	$575B
NFIP claims per 1,000 residents	33.9	13.4	8.1
Average paid NFIP claim	$38K	$55K	$43K
Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years	62.9	24.7	16.1

County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.

Events by decade

Tornado: 3

Tornado: 5Wind: 2

Hail: 1Tornado: 8Wind: 1

Hail: 10Tornado: 4Wind: 18

Hail: 20Tornado: 22Flood: 17Wind: 41Winter: 1Tropical: 1Heat: 2Drought: 7

Hail: 34Tornado: 14Flood: 21Wind: 37Winter: 2Tropical: 4Heat: 4Drought: 2Lightning: 1Other: 3

Hail: 11Tornado: 7Flood: 15Wind: 28Winter: 4Tropical: 2Other: 1

Hail: 11Tornado: 7Flood: 6Wind: 11Other: 1

31950s71960s101970s321980s1111990s1222000s682010s362020s

Recorded events in Liberty County by decade and hazard group. HailTornadoFloodWindWinterTropicalHeatDroughtLightningOther NCEI recorded only tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind before 1996.

Trend: 136 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 208 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.

Events by type

Wind138

Hail87

Tornado70

Flood59

Drought9

Winter7

Tropical7

Heat6

Other5

Lightning1

Hazard	Events	Deaths	Share of state's events
■ Wind	138	—	0.3%	detail
■ Hail	87	—	0.2%	detail
■ Tornado	70	—	0.7%	detail
■ Flood	59	1	0.4%	detail
■ Drought	9	—	0.0%
■ Winter	7	—	0.1%
■ Tropical	7	2	1.2%
■ Heat	6	—	0.1%
■ Other	5	—	0.3%
■ Lightning	1	—	0.1%

Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.

Largest recorded events

Date	Event type	Group	Magnitude	Property damage	Crop damage	Deaths	Injuries	Geography
23 Sep 2005	Hurricane (Typhoon)	Tropical	—	$7.0M	—	2	—	Forecast zone
16 Oct 2006	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$10K	—	1	—	County
25 Aug 2017	Tropical Storm	Tropical	—	$1.0B	—	—	—	Forecast zone
12 Sep 2008	Hurricane (Typhoon)	Tropical	—	$220M	—	—	—	Forecast zone
18 May 1995	Tornado	Tornado	F1	$750K	$10K	—	12	County
18 May 1995	Tornado	Tornado	F1	$750K	$10K	—	12	County
19 Sep 2019	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$95M	—	—	—	County
13 Dec 1977	Tornado	Tornado	F3	$25K	—	—	5	County
26 May 1973	Tornado	Tornado	F2	$250K	—	—	4	County
11 Aug 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Wind	58 mph	$25K	—	—	2	County
20 Mar 1972	Tornado	Tornado	F1	—	—	—	2	County
21 Nov 1992	Tornado	Tornado	F3	$2.5M	—	—	1	County
21 Nov 1992	Tornado	Tornado	F4	$250K	—	—	1	County
22 Oct 1957	Tornado	Tornado	F3	$25K	—	—	1	County
12 Oct 2011	Tornado	Tornado	EF0	$25K	—	—	1	County
6 Apr 1990	Thunderstorm Wind	Wind	0 mph	—	—	—	1	County
19 May 2000	Flash Flood	Flood	—	$10M	—	—	—	County
1 Aug 1998	Drought	Drought	—	$1.0M	$7.3M	—	—	Forecast zone
7 Jun 2001	Tropical Storm	Tropical	—	$7.6M	—	—	—	Forecast zone
20 May 1983	Tornado	Tornado	F0	$2.5M	—	—	—	County

Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.

Federal disaster declarations

Declared	Number	Type	Incident	Title	Programs
9 Jul 2024	DR-4798	Major disaster	Hurricane	Hurricane Beryl	Individual assistance, Public assistance
17 May 2024	DR-4781	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
19 Feb 2021	DR-4586	Major disaster	Severe Ice Storm	Severe Winter Storms	Individual assistance, Public assistance
14 Feb 2021	EM-3554	Emergency	Severe Ice Storm	Severe Winter Storm	Public assistance
24 Aug 2020	EM-3540	Emergency	Hurricane	Tropical Storms Marco And Laura	Public assistance
25 Mar 2020	DR-4485	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
13 Mar 2020	EM-3458	Emergency	Biological	Covid-19	Public assistance
4 Oct 2019	DR-4466	Major disaster	Flood	Tropical Storm Imelda	Individual assistance
25 Aug 2017	DR-4332	Major disaster	Hurricane	Hurricane Harvey	Individual assistance, Public assistance
11 Jun 2016	DR-4272	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
25 Apr 2016	DR-4269	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
25 Nov 2015	DR-4245	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
29 May 2015	DR-4223	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
13 Sep 2008	DR-1791	Major disaster	Hurricane	Hurricane Ike	Individual assistance, Public assistance
10 Sep 2008	EM-3294	Emergency	Hurricane	Hurricane Ike	Public assistance
29 Aug 2008	EM-3290	Emergency	Hurricane	Hurricane Gustav	Public assistance
14 Mar 2008	EM-3284	Emergency	Fire	Wildfires	Public assistance
29 Jun 2007	DR-1709	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding	Individual assistance
11 Jan 2006	DR-1624	Major disaster	Fire	Extreme Wildfire Threat	Public assistance
24 Sep 2005	DR-1606	Major disaster	Hurricane	Hurricane Rita	Individual assistance, Public assistance
21 Sep 2005	EM-3261	Emergency	Hurricane	Hurricane Rita	Public assistance
2 Sep 2005	EM-3216	Emergency	Hurricane	Hurricane Katrina Evacuation	Public assistance
5 Nov 2002	DR-1439	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding	Individual assistance
9 Jun 2001	DR-1379	Major disaster	Coastal Storm	Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Sep 2000	FM-2329	Fire management assistance	Fire	Tx - Stanley Mainline Fire - 09/04/00	Public assistance
1 Sep 1999	EM-3142	Emergency	Fire	Extreme Fire Hazards	Public assistance
21 Oct 1998	DR-1257	Major disaster	Flood	Tx-Flooding 10/18/98	Individual assistance, Public assistance
26 Aug 1998	DR-1239	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Tropical Storm Charley	—
23 Feb 1996	EM-3117	Emergency	Fire	Extreme Fire Hazard	Public assistance
18 Oct 1994	DR-1041	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Thunderstorms And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
20 Mar 1992	DR-937	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance
26 Dec 1991	DR-930	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Thunderstorms	Individual assistance, Public assistance
2 May 1990	DR-863	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding	Individual assistance
18 Jul 1989	DR-836	Major disaster	Flood	Tropical Storm Allison	Individual assistance, Public assistance
19 May 1989	DR-828	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
19 Aug 1983	DR-689	Major disaster	Hurricane	Hurricane Alicia	Individual assistance, Public assistance
26 Apr 1979	DR-580	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
11 Jul 1973	DR-398	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance

Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.

Flood insurance claims

197820022026

NFIP claims by year of loss in Liberty County, 1978 to 2026 (hover for the amount paid).

Claims since 19783,306

Paid claims2,841

Total paid$109M

Average paid claim$38K

Repetitive-loss properties37994 severe

Residential policies in force1,9185.9% of 32,538 structures

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Amount paid	Average paid
2026	1	0	$0	—
2025	1	1	$9,765	$9,765
2024	146	126	$10,638,466	$84,432
2023	1	0	$0	—
2022	7	4	$174,491	$43,623
2021	6	2	$6,183	$3,091
2020	2	1	$4,471	$4,471
2019	441	421	$29,273,743	$69,534
2018	12	10	$121,739	$12,174
2017	590	521	$39,342,648	$75,514
2016	65	52	$1,059,320	$20,372
2015	110	93	$3,523,192	$37,884
2014	3	2	$73,455	$36,727
2013	1	1	$11,985	$11,985
2012	7	5	$101,133	$20,227
2011	2	0	$0	—
2010	2	0	$0	—
2009	6	5	$104,504	$20,901
2008	41	17	$395,501	$23,265
2007	9	8	$174,282	$21,785
2006	51	44	$767,281	$17,438
2005	22	13	$134,057	$10,312
2004	10	7	$45,819	$6,546
2003	12	11	$63,372	$5,761
2002	76	57	$543,041	$9,527

OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).

National Risk Index

Overall riskRelatively Lowscore 79.5 of 100

Expected annual loss$33MRelatively Low

Social vulnerabilityRelatively High

Community resilienceVery Low

Hazard (NRI)	Risk rating	Expected annual loss
Inland flooding	Relatively Low	$9,896,687
Tornado	Relatively High	$8,711,723
Hurricane	Relatively Moderate	$6,063,826
Cold wave	Relatively Moderate	$2,637,294
Lightning	Very High	$1,835,835
Heat wave	Relatively Moderate	$1,495,445
Drought	Relatively Moderate	$621,815
Wildfire	Relatively Low	$477,428
Ice storm	Relatively Moderate	$286,060
Strong wind	Relatively Low	$258,933
Hail	Relatively Low	$156,753
Earthquake	Very Low	$62,908
Winter weather	Relatively Low	$28,544
Coastal flooding	Very Low	$323
Landslide	Very Low	$79

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.

Hurricane and tropical storm passes

Tracks within 100 miles63

Tracks within 50 miles24

Hurricane strength within 50 miles7

Storm	Year	Closest approach	Max wind while within 100 mi
Beryl	2024	59 mi	81 mph
Nicholas	2021	39 mi	58 mph
Laura	2020	96 mi	150 mph
Imelda	2019	87 mi	46 mph
Cindy	2017	67 mi	52 mph
Harvey	2017	84 mi	46 mph
Edouard	2008	11 mi	63 mph
Ike	2008	23 mi	109 mph
Humberto	2007	51 mi	92 mph
Rita	2005	50 mi	115 mph
Grace	2003	57 mi	40 mph
Allison	2001	65 mi	52 mph
Dean	1995	72 mi	46 mph
Allison	1989	27 mi	52 mph
Chantal	1989	21 mi	81 mph
Jerry	1989	17 mi	86 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm	1987	31 mi	46 mph
Bonnie	1986	37 mi	86 mph
Alicia	1983	50 mi	115 mph
Chris	1982	67 mi	63 mph
Danielle	1980	53 mi	46 mph
Claudette	1979	34 mi	52 mph
Debra	1978	84 mi	58 mph
Delia	1973	80 mi	63 mph
Felice	1970	43 mi	69 mph

HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.

ZIP codes with flood claims

77535 1,076
77575 999
77327 777
77328 126
77368 85
77564 80
77561 70
77369 40
77582 39
77538 32
77533 9

ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.

Questions and answers

How often does it hail in Liberty County, TX?

NCEI records 87 hail events in Liberty County since 1950, in 37 different years; that is about 1.1 recorded events a year. 25 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.

Has Liberty County had a tornado?

Yes. NCEI records 70 tornadoes in Liberty County since 1950, 11 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.

When was the last federal disaster declaration for Liberty County?

9 Jul 2024: Hurricane Beryl, a major disaster declaration for hurricane. The county appears in 38 declarations since 1953.

How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Liberty County, and how much was paid?

3,306 NFIP claims since 1978, 2,841 of them paid, for $109M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.

Is Liberty County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?

FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Low" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Very Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.

How does Liberty County compare with the rest of Texas?

33.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 63.3 statewide, and 33.9 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 13.4. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.

Provenance

Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.