Tarrant County, Texas
Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.
Tarrant County, Texas has a relatively 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 4th of 254 counties in Texas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and hail. FEMA estimates about $608 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $289 per resident. Since 1966 it has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (13 major disasters). The most recent was in February 2021 (severe winter storms). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (4,999 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $62 million on 3,569 claims here.
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.
Top risks in Tarrant 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.
- Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
- Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
- 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 | 99.1 | $258M | ||
| Tornado | 99.9 | $144M | ||
| Hail | 100.0 | $113M | ||
| Heat wave | 99.5 | $50M | ||
| Cold wave | 98.8 | $29M | ||
| Earthquake | 88.3 | $4M | ||
| Ice storm | 97.5 | $3M | ||
| Lightning | 95.2 | $2M | ||
| Wildfire | 91.5 | $2M | ||
| Strong wind | 82.8 | $1M | ||
| Winter weather | 97.3 | $1M | ||
| Hurricane | 72.3 | $728K | ||
| Drought | 36.1 | $46K | ||
| Landslide | 68.0 | $5K |
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 low and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.
Federal disaster history
Recent disasters nationwide ›Declarations by decade
Federal declarations for natural events that included Tarrant 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 1955
Tornado risk by county ›The National Weather Service has logged 2,907 storm reports in Tarrant County since 1955, with 35 deaths and 304 injuries and about $2.3 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on March 28, 2000 near Ft Worth.
Strongest tornadoes
| Date | Strength | Near | Hurt / killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2000 | F3 | Ft Worth | 80 / 2 |
| May 4, 1960 | F3 | – | 12 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2002 | F3 | Ft Worth | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2000 | F3 | Arlington | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 2012 | EF2 | Kennedale | 7 / 0 |
Most damaging storms
| Date | Type | Near | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1995 | Hail | – | $220M |
| Apr 3, 2012 | Tornado | Kennedale | $200M |
| Mar 17, 2016 | Hail | Westover Hills | $200M |
| Mar 17, 2016 | Hail | Seminary Hill | $150M |
| Mar 24, 2021 | Hail | Hicks | $58M |
| Mar 24, 2021 | Hail | Haslet | $58M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 13, 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 1900, 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Tarrant County, 1 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, with top winds near 60 mph about 55 miles away.
Strongest storms nearby
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 1900 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 60 mph | 55 mi |
| Sep 12, 1961 | Carla | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 62 mi |
| Jun 27, 1902 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 40 mph | 60 mi |
Most recent storms
| Date | Storm | Strength | Closest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 1961 | Carla | Tropical storm, 45 mph | 62 mi |
| Jun 27, 1902 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 40 mph | 60 mi |
| Sep 9, 1900 | Unnamed | Tropical storm, 60 mph | 55 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 Tarrant 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 Tarrant 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; 843,257 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 25 | |
| Denton County | 21 | |
| Ellis County | 21 | |
| Johnson County | 16 | |
| Parker County | 23 | |
| Wise County | 20 |
Common questions about Tarrant County
What is the biggest natural hazard in Tarrant County?
Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Tarrant County, about $258 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $144 million.
How many federal disasters has Tarrant County had?
Tarrant County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1966, including 13 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storms in February 2021.
Is Tarrant County a high-risk place to live?
Its overall rating is Relatively High, 4th 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 Tarrant County?
Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 111 homes in Tarrant 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 Tarrant County had?
NOAA records list 110 tornadoes in Tarrant County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on March 28, 2000 near Ft Worth. The weather service has also logged 1,422 hail reports and 316 floods here.
How many hurricanes have hit Tarrant County?
NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Tarrant 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.