Home › Texas › Motley County

Motley County, Texas

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
239th of 254highest risk in Texas
$2Mexpected losses a year
17federal declarations
Photo: Aleatoric Consonance, CC BY 2.0

Motley County, Texas has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 97% of US counties. It ranks 239th of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are drought, wildfires and hail. FEMA estimates about $1.8 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $1,700 per resident. Since 1986 it has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (10 major disasters). The most recent was in February 2021 (severe winter storms). No homes here carry federal flood insurance.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Motley County

Drought

Moderate
$728,642 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 89 times a year.
  • Check local water restrictions.
  • Choose drought-tolerant plants.
$298,542 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 105 years.
  • Clear dry plants and debris within 5 feet of the house.
  • Get home insurance quotes early; availability varies by area.

Hail

Low
$244,851 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 5 times a year.
  • Ask about the roof age and any impact-rated shingles.
  • Check your home policy for a separate wind and hail deductible.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
DroughtModerate81.6
$729K
WildfireLow80.3
$299K
HailLow56.9
$245K
Inland floodingVery Low1.6
$223K
TornadoVery Low14.9
$100K
Strong windVery Low15.4
$92K
Cold waveVery Low11.2
$66K
Ice stormVery Low26.6
$18K
Heat waveVery Low11.3
$16K
Winter weatherVery Low17.2
$10K
LightningVery Low2.5
$6K
EarthquakeVery Low4.4
$3K
HurricaneVery Low9.8
$1K
LandslideVery Low5.2
$6

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 high 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 Motley County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Fire5
Severe Storm4
Hurricane4
Severe Ice Storm2
Tornado1
Drought1

Most recent

Feb 19, 2021Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Feb 14, 2021Severe Winter StormEmergency
Feb 9, 2016Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 1, 2011WildfiresMajor disaster
Feb 27, 2011Matador FireFire management
Aug 3, 2010Hurricane AlexMajor disaster
Mar 14, 2008WildfiresEmergency
Jan 11, 2006Extreme Wildfire ThreatMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Show all 17
Sep 2, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 1, 1999Extreme Fire HazardsEmergency
Aug 26, 1998Tropical Storm CharleyMajor disaster
Sep 10, 1993Extreme Fire HazardEmergency
Sep 9, 1992Excessive Rain & HailMajor disaster
May 2, 1990Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 1986TornadoesMajor disaster

Texas also had 106 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 321 storm reports in Motley County since 1955, with 4 deaths and 16 injuries and about $5.6 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF3 tornado on June 21, 2023 near Whiteflat.

28tornadoes
184hail reports, largest 5 inches
99damaging thunderstorm winds
7floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jun 21, 2023EF3Whiteflat15 / 4
May 1, 1984F3–1 / 0
May 24, 1960F3–0 / 0
Apr 22, 2010EF2Northfield0 / 0
Mar 23, 1973F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
May 1, 1984Tornado–$3M
Jun 4, 2002HailMatador$850K
Aug 12, 2004HailMatador$300K
Jun 4, 2002HailMatador$250K
Apr 22, 2015HailFlomot$150K
May 25, 1999HailRoaring Spgs$100K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 18, 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.

Flood insurance in Motley County

Check your address flood zone ›
0%of homes have federal flood insurance (0 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$0paid on 0 flood claims since 1978
n/acostliest year

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 Motley County

$88,000median home value (Texas $283,800, US $332,700)
1961median year homes were built (Texas 1992, US 1980)
80%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
9.1%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

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; 734 housing units.

Compare in Texas

All 254 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Harris CountyVery HighInland flooding
Dallas CountyVery HighInland flooding
Tarrant CountyHighInland flooding
Bexar CountyHighInland flooding
Travis CountyHighInland flooding
Collin CountyHighTornado
Denton CountyHighTornado
Hidalgo CountyHighHurricane

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Floyd CountyVery Low14
Crosby CountyVery Low14
Hall CountyVery Low16
Dickens CountyVery Low14
Briscoe CountyVery Low14
Cottle CountyVery Low17
King CountyVery Low15

Common questions about Motley County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Motley County?

Drought has the highest expected yearly losses in Motley County, about $728,642 a year in FEMA's estimate. Wildfire is second at $298,542.

How many federal disasters has Motley County had?

Motley County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1986, including 10 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storms in February 2021.

Is Motley County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 239th 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 Motley County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Motley County had?

NOAA records list 28 tornadoes in Motley County since 1950. The strongest was an EF3 tornado on June 21, 2023 near Whiteflat. The weather service has also logged 184 hail reports and 7 floods here.

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.