States › Texas › Willacy County
Willacy County, Texas
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
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 425 events for Willacy County, Texas, between 1950 and 2026; drought account for the largest share.
That is 72.0 events per 100 square miles, in line with the Texas figure of 63.3, and 209.2 per 10,000 residents against 56.0 statewide.
16 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 3 deaths and 3 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $232M and crop damage at $238M.
FEMA has designated the county in 29 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms And Flooding (major disaster, 21 May 2025).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 522 claims since 1978, of which 312 were paid, totalling $5.0M (about $16K per paid claim). FEMA counts 588 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" ($21M a year across 18 hazards).
52 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 16 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Texas and the United States
| Measure | Willacy County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 425 | 165,476 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 72.0 | 63.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 209.2 | 56.0 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 16 | 4,723 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 3 | 2,429 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $232M | $111B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 25.7 | 13.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $16K | $55K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 25.5 | 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
Trend: 299 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 78 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 2025 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $20K | — | 2 | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 90 mph | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2020 | Hurricane (Typhoon) | Tropical | — | $142M | $35M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Jul 2008 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $53M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $14K | $50M | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2008 | Flood | Flood | — | $14K | $50M | — | — | County |
| 14 Feb 2021 | Frost/Freeze | Cold | — | $17K | $42M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Jul 2020 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $6.0M | $36M | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2019 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $15M | $1.0M | — | — | County |
| 10 Oct 2023 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $12M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Oct 2015 | Tornado | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 24 May 1970 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 Jun 1962 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 23 Aug 2011 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $7.3M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Jun 2019 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Oct 2015 | Flood | Flood | — | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Oct 2015 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2010 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Mar 2012 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.5M | — | — | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 2025 | DR-4871 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 9 Jul 2024 | DR-4798 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl | 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 |
| 26 Jul 2020 | EM-3530 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Hanna | 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 |
| 17 Jul 2019 | DR-4454 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 25 Nov 2015 | DR-4245 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Aug 2010 | DR-1931 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Alex | Public assistance |
| 29 Jun 2010 | EM-3313 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Alex | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2008 | EM-3294 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike | Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2008 | EM-3290 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav | Public assistance |
| 24 Jul 2008 | DR-1780 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Dolly | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 14 Mar 2008 | EM-3284 | Emergency | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 18 Aug 2007 | EM-3277 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Dean | Public assistance |
| 11 Jan 2006 | DR-1624 | Major disaster | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat | Public assistance |
| 24 Sep 2005 | DR-1606 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita | 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 |
| 22 Aug 1999 | DR-1287 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Bret | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Aug 1998 | DR-1239 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley | — |
| 12 Apr 1991 | DR-900 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 9 Jan 1990 | DR-850 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freeze | Individual assistance |
| 7 Jan 1984 | DR-696 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freezing Weather | Individual assistance |
| 11 Aug 1980 | DR-627 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Allen | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Sep 1971 | DR-313 | Major disaster | Flood | Heavy Rains, High Winds & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Sep 1967 | DR-232 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Beulah | 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
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41 | 18 | $1,271,492 | $70,638 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | $17,118 | $17,118 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | $218,014 | $218,014 |
| 2021 | 5 | 2 | $31,570 | $15,785 |
| 2020 | 48 | 15 | $430,411 | $28,694 |
| 2019 | 38 | 31 | $1,098,595 | $35,439 |
| 2018 | 7 | 4 | $29,029 | $7,257 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 31 | 21 | $440,026 | $20,954 |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | $5,067 | $5,067 |
| 2010 | 2 | 1 | $4,420 | $4,420 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | $350 | $350 |
| 2008 | 55 | 32 | $359,198 | $11,225 |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 | $61,528 | $12,306 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | $24,742 | $24,742 |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2003 | 5 | 2 | $9,059 | $4,530 |
| 2002 | 21 | 18 | $197,092 | $10,950 |
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1999 | 29 | 3 | $23,723 | $7,908 |
| 1998 | 6 | 2 | $16,178 | $8,089 |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 1 | $254 | $254 |
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
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Cold wave | $11,491,632 | |
| Hurricane | $5,908,563 | |
| Inland flooding | $2,051,015 | |
| Drought | $1,000,584 | |
| Heat wave | $299,970 | |
| Lightning | $239,265 | |
| Tornado | $178,066 | |
| Hail | $97,486 | |
| Ice storm | $46,306 | |
| Strong wind | $21,155 | |
| Coastal flooding | $9,792 | |
| Earthquake | $9,465 | |
| Winter weather | $8,366 | |
| Wildfire | $7,429 | |
| Landslide | $6 |
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
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harold | 2023 | 44 mi | 58 mph |
| Nicholas | 2021 | 69 mi | 63 mph |
| Hanna | 2020 | 15 mi | 92 mph |
| Harvey | 2017 | 91 mi | 121 mph |
| Don | 2011 | 56 mi | 40 mph |
| Hermine | 2010 | 21 mi | 69 mph |
| Dolly | 2008 | 13 mi | 98 mph |
| Erin | 2007 | 99 mi | 40 mph |
| Erika | 2003 | 83 mi | 75 mph |
| Bret | 1999 | 31 mi | 144 mph |
| Charley | 1998 | 96 mi | 69 mph |
| Arlene | 1993 | 43 mi | 40 mph |
| Barry | 1983 | 75 mi | 81 mph |
| Allen | 1980 | 35 mi | 127 mph |
| Amelia | 1978 | 13 mi | 52 mph |
| Fern | 1971 | 62 mi | 63 mph |
| Edith | 1971 | 89 mi | 75 mph |
| Celia | 1970 | 96 mi | 138 mph |
| Candy | 1968 | 62 mi | 69 mph |
| Beulah | 1967 | 13 mi | 127 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1960 | 31 mi | 58 mph |
| Alma | 1958 | 69 mi | 52 mph |
| Ella | 1958 | 74 mi | 58 mph |
| Gerda | 1958 | 69 mi | 40 mph |
| Alice | 1954 | 69 mi | 81 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
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 Willacy County, TX?
NCEI records 44 hail events in Willacy County since 1950, in 21 different years; that is about 0.6 recorded events a year. 24 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Willacy County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 22 tornadoes in Willacy County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Willacy County?
21 May 2025: Severe Storms And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 29 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Willacy County, and how much was paid?
522 NFIP claims since 1978, 312 of them paid, for $5.0M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Willacy 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, "Very High" for social vulnerability and "Very Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Willacy County compare with the rest of Texas?
72.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 63.3 statewide, and 25.7 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.