Dallas County, Texas
Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.
Dallas County, Texas has a very high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is in the top 1% of US counties. It ranks 2nd of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, heat waves and hail. FEMA estimates about $973 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $373 per resident. Since 1966 it has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (14 major disasters). The most recent was in May 2024 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (4,809 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $69 million on 3,457 claims here.
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.
Top risks in Dallas County
- Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
- Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
- Check that cooling works before summer.
- Know where the nearest cooling center is.
- Ask about the roof age and any impact-rated shingles.
- Check your home policy for a separate wind and hail deductible.
All 18 hazards
What the ratings mean ›| Hazard | Rating | Score | Expected loss a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | 99.6 | $324M | ||
| Heat wave | 99.9 | $288M | ||
| Hail | 100.0 | $128M | ||
| Tornado | 99.8 | $115M | ||
| Cold wave | 99.9 | $98M | ||
| Earthquake | 91.3 | $5M | ||
| Strong wind | 98.5 | $5M | ||
| Ice storm | 99.7 | $5M | ||
| Lightning | 98.1 | $3M | ||
| Winter weather | 98.7 | $1M | ||
| Hurricane | 73.6 | $676K | ||
| Wildfire | 80.3 | $349K | ||
| Drought | 34.2 | $32K | ||
| Landslide | 46.4 | $917 |
Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively moderate and community resilience is very low in FEMA's measures.
Federal disaster history
Recent disasters nationwide ›Declarations by decade
Federal declarations for natural events that included Dallas County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.
By type
Most recent
Show all 25
Texas also had 106 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.
Storm history since 1952
Tornado risk by county ›The National Weather Service has logged 2,035 storm reports in Dallas County since 1952, with 50 deaths and 886 injuries and about $5.3 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF4 tornado on December 26, 2015 near New Hope.
Strongest tornadoes
| Date | Strength | Near | Hurt / killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF4 | New Hope | 468 / 10 |
| Apr 25, 1994 | F4 | Lancaster To | 48 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | – | 200 / 10 |
| Oct 20, 2019 | EF3 | Gribble | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 13, 1984 | F3 | – | 0 / 0 |
Most damaging storms
| Date | Type | Near | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20, 2019 | Tornado | Gribble | $1.6B |
| Jun 13, 2012 | Hail | Highland Park | $900M |
| Aug 22, 2022 | Flash Flood | Balch Spgs | $500M |
| Aug 22, 2022 | Flood | Florence Hill | $500M |
| Apr 3, 2012 | Tornado | De Soto Carroll Arpt | $400M |
| Oct 20, 2019 | Tornado | Garland | $400M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 5, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane risk by county ›Since 1871, 0 hurricanes and 4 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Dallas County, 1 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, with top winds near 60 mph about 62 miles away.
Strongest storms nearby
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 1900 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 60 mph | 62 mi |
| Sep 12, 1961 | Carla | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 64 mi |
| Jun 5, 1871 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 58 mi |
| Jun 27, 1902 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 40 mph | 59 mi |
Most recent storms
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 1961 | Carla | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 64 mi |
| Jun 27, 1902 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 40 mph | 59 mi |
| Sep 9, 1900 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 60 mph | 62 mi |
| Jun 5, 1871 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 58 mi |
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.
Flood insurance in Dallas County
Check your address flood zone ›National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.
Homes in Dallas County
Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 1,064,965 housing units.
Compare in Texas
All 254 ›| Largest counties | Overall risk | Top hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County | Inland flooding | |
| Dallas County | Inland flooding | |
| Tarrant County | Inland flooding | |
| Bexar County | Inland flooding | |
| Travis County | Inland flooding | |
| Collin County | Tornado | |
| Denton County | Tornado | |
| Hidalgo County | Hurricane |
Neighboring counties
| County | Overall risk | Declarations |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County | 25 | |
| Collin County | 17 | |
| Denton County | 21 | |
| Ellis County | 21 | |
| Kaufman County | 17 | |
| Rockwall County | 14 |
Common questions about Dallas County
What is the biggest natural hazard in Dallas County?
Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Dallas County, about $324 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Heat wave is second at $288 million.
How many federal disasters has Dallas County had?
Dallas County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1966, including 14 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in May 2024.
Is Dallas County a high-risk place to live?
Its overall rating is Very High, 2nd highest of 254 in Texas. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.
Do I need flood insurance in Dallas County?
Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 125 homes in Dallas County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.
How many tornadoes has Dallas County had?
NOAA records list 109 tornadoes in Dallas County since 1950. The strongest was an EF4 tornado on December 26, 2015 near New Hope. The weather service has also logged 842 hail reports and 325 floods here.
How many hurricanes have hit Dallas County?
NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 4 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Dallas County. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, with winds near 60 mph.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.