Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Taylor County, TX

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
48441
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Expired on 2025-01-20. Plan: West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258), approved 2020-01-21.

Update: FEMA tracker shows a plan in review.

Since the plan was approved on 2020-01-21: 3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents) and 208 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($22,901,040 a year), Hail ($19,039,741) and Tornado ($3,053,601).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Expired on 2025-01-20
Plan:
West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)
Approved:
2020-01-21
Days since expiry:
618
Update underway:
FEMA tracker shows a plan in review

Until a new plan is approved, FEMA mitigation project grants (HMGP, FMA) need a FEMA exception (44 CFR 201.6(a)(3)).

What changed since your last plan (approved 2020-01-21)

New federal declarations:
3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): EM-3554-TX (Severe Winter Storm), DR-4586-TX (Severe Winter Storms), FM-5440-TX (Mesquite Heat Fire); also 2 COVID-19 declarations (not counted)
Storm Events records since approval:
208 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 4, SRL 7 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 68
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Taylor CountyCountyExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Abilene cityCityExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Buffalo Gap townTownExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Lawn townTownExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Merkel townTownExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in review
Trent townTownExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Tuscola cityCityExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Tye cityCityExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-08-25
Clyde Consolidated Independent School DistrictSchool/School DistrictApproved, expires 2031-09-22Callahan County (FEMA plan 111557)2026-09-232031-09-221,818
Jim Ned Consolidated Independent School DistrictSchool/School DistrictNo approved plan on recordnonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan in review
Winters Independent School DistrictSchool/School DistrictApproved, expires 2031-01-22Runnels County (FEMA plan 110875)2026-01-232031-01-221,575
West Central Texas Council of GovernmentsRegional Planning AgencyExpired on 2025-01-20West Central Texas Council of Governments Planning Area 1 (FEMA plan 105258)2020-01-212025-01-20-618FEMA tracker shows a plan in reviewthis jurisdiction approved 2020-06-10

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$19,426,814$177,501$3,296,725$22,901,04095
2HailVery HighVery High$18,077,448$47,329$914,964$19,039,741402
3TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,065,888$1,442$1,986,271$3,053,60122
4Heat WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$269$348$2,425,940$2,426,5574
5WildfireRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,264,441$448$131,759$1,396,64710
6Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$337,338$33,278$877,632$1,248,24810Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
7LightningRelatively HighRelatively High$43,827n/a$1,045,808$1,089,6354
8Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$608,609$5,412$258,872$872,894258Includes 7 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
9DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$637,888n/a$637,88869
10Winter WeatherRelatively HighRelatively High$14,130$257$619,807$634,19455
11EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$104,634n/a$40,218$144,851Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
12Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$29,846n/a$106,032$135,8786
13HurricaneVery LowVery Low$64,816$3,147$2,183$70,1461Includes 1 Tropical Depression record (outside NRI's Hurricane definition).
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$110n/a$22$1320No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local landslide records (Storm Events records this hazard only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 109 (Very Low, 25.3); tract 131 (Very Low, 23.1); tract 113 (Very Low, 22.6)
Hurricanetract 134.02 (Very Low, 45.7); tract 109 (Very Low, 44.8); tract 134.04 (Very Low, 44.4)
Landslidetract 135.01 (Very Low, 79.0); tract 136.02 (Very Low, 73.6); tract 135.02 (Very Low, 70.5)
Tornadotract 134.02 (Relatively Moderate, 72.0); tract 109 (Relatively Moderate, 69.6); tract 134.04 (Relatively Moderate, 68.7)
Wildfiretract 135.01 (Relatively High, 97.2); tract 135.02 (Relatively High, 96.6); tract 136.02 (Relatively Moderate, 96.3)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 109 is Census Tract 109). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill8 records, 2007 to 2026 (8 zone-level)1 day to 3 days (median 2 days); 5 with a recorded value3 consecutive days, 2021-02-14 to 2021-02-16, zone-levelCold/Wind Chill, 2021-02-15, $7,800,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2021 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage2 records, 2009 to 2014 (2 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 2 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)69 records, 1998 to 2024 (69 zone-level)28 days to 546 days (median 60 days); 20 with a recorded value546 days (18 months), 2022-01-01 to 2023-06-30, a run of 18 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelDrought, 1998-08-01, property not reported; $30,000,000 crops (zone total, 1998 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)562 records, 1955 to 20260.75 in to 4.5 in (median 1 in); 562 with a recorded value4.5 in hail, 2014-06-12; same size also recorded on 2011-04-24, 2014-06-12Hail, 2014-06-12, $400,000,000 property; $0 crops (2014 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Abilene city (138 records), Merkel town (28 records), Tuscola city (28 records), Buffalo Gap town (26 records), Tye city (26 records), Trent town (18 records), Lawn town (17 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)4 records, 2022 to 2024 (4 zone-level)1 day to 31 days (median 9.5 days); 4 with a recorded valueJuly 2022 (1 monthly summary record), zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson1 record, 2007 (1 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Tropical Depression record, 2007-08-16 to 2007-08-18, $0 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars); NWS zone TXZ127Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)6 records, 1996 to 2020 (6 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2007-01-12, $300,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars); NWS zone TXZ127Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)95 records, 1996 to 2026Flash Flood, 2002-07-06, $15,000,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Abilene city (39 records), Buffalo Gap town (7 records), Tuscola city (4 records), Merkel town (3 records), Trent town (2 records), Tye city (1 record).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)4 records, 2004 to 2015Lightning, 2013-05-15, $250,000 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Abilene city (3 records).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)9 records, 2004 to 2024 (9 zone-level)39 kt (45 mph) to 58 kt (67 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 9 with a recorded value58 kt (67 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2005-06-03; NWS zone TXZ127Strong Wind, 2009-04-09, $10,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2009 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)361 records, 1955 to 202549 kt (56 mph) to 83 kt (96 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 291 with a recorded value83 kt (96 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2023-09-05Thunderstorm Wind, 1998-07-12, $3,300,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Abilene city (97 records), Tye city (16 records), Merkel town (10 records), Tuscola city (9 records), Buffalo Gap town (8 records), Lawn town (6 records), Trent town (6 records).Speeds under 20 kt (likely entry errors) are left out of the observed range.
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)65 records, 1951 to 2026F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF0); 63 with a recorded valueF3 tornado, 1982-03-14, 2 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 173 yd wide, $2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1982 dollars), 5 direct injuriesTornado, 2019-05-18, $10,000,000 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Tye city (5 records), Abilene city (4 records), Buffalo Gap town (3 records), Tuscola city (3 records), Trent town (2 records), Lawn town (1 record), Merkel town (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)10 records, 2006 to 2022 (10 zone-level)Wildfire, 2009-03-05, $150,000 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars); NWS zone TXZ127Countywide (zone-level records).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)55 records, 1996 to 2026 (55 zone-level)Winter Storm, 2003-02-24, $200,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars), 5 direct injuries (reported for the zone); NWS zone TXZ127Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

A monthly summary record covers most or all of a month; it does not count days at wave conditions.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 22 declarations covering 15 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2022-05-182022-05-18FM-5440-TXFire managementMesquite Heat FireWildfireno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2021-02-192021-02-11DR-4586-TXMajor disasterSevere Winter StormsIce Storm$498,883.46new since last plan
2021-02-142021-02-11EM-3554-TXEmergencySevere Winter StormIce Stormno Public Assistance recordednew since last plansame incident as DR-4586
2020-03-252020-01-20DR-4485-TXMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$13,168,915.13new since last plan
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3458-TXEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordednew since last plansame incident as DR-4485
2009-03-052009-03-05FM-2798-TXFire managementTuscola FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2009-02-272009-02-27FM-2795-TXFire managementRhodes Ranch FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2008-03-142008-03-14EM-3284-TXEmergencyWildfiresWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2007-10-022007-08-14DR-1730-TXMajor disasterTropical Storm ErinHurricanePA not declared for this county
2007-06-292007-06-16DR-1709-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado$108,499.85
2006-01-112005-11-27DR-1624-TXMajor disasterExtreme Wildfire ThreatWildfire$27,621.24
2005-09-242005-09-23DR-1606-TXMajor disasterHurricane RitaHurricane: evacuation support (county designated for sheltering evacuees, no Individual Assistance), not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-09-212005-09-20EM-3261-TXEmergencyHurricane RitaHurricane: evacuation support (county designated for sheltering evacuees, no Individual Assistance), not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1606
2005-09-022005-08-29EM-3216-TXEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not counted$175,820.91
2002-07-042002-06-29DR-1425-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$860,334.85
1999-09-011999-08-01EM-3142-TXEmergencyExtreme Fire HazardsWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1998-08-261998-08-22DR-1239-TXMajor disasterTropical Storm CharleyHurricane; Inland Flooding: designated for Hazard Mitigation only (no Public or Individual Assistance for this county); not countedPA not declared for this county
1996-02-231996-02-23EM-3117-TXEmergencyExtreme Fire HazardWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1993-09-101993-08-30EM-3113-TXEmergencyExtreme Fire HazardDrought (primary); also designated: Wildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1990-05-021990-04-15DR-863-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
1989-05-191989-05-04DR-828-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1981-10-231981-10-23DR-648-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1998-06-231998-06-04EM-3127-TXEmergencyFireWildfire
1963-09-241963-09-24DR-159-TXMajor disasterHurricane CindyHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1961-09-161961-09-16DR-118-TXMajor disasterHurricane CarlaHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1960-07-151960-07-15DR-103-TXMajor disasterHeavy Rains, Hail, Floods & TornadoesHail; Inland Flooding; Tornado
1959-07-081959-07-08DR-93-TXMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1958-06-061958-06-06DR-85-TXMajor disasterTornadoes, Rain, Hail & FloodsTornado (primary); also designated: Hail, Inland Flooding
1957-04-291957-04-29DR-72-TXMajor disasterHurricane, Rain, Wind, Hail & FloodsHurricane (primary); also designated: Hail, Inland Flooding
1954-07-011954-07-01DR-18-TXMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1953-06-191953-06-19DR-9-TXMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1953-05-151953-05-15DR-2-TXMajor disasterTornado & Heavy RainfallTornado

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

91 Fire Management declarations (1988-03-12 to 2009-04-10) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Public Assistance not placed in any Texas county: 1 row, $902,084.65; listed on the Texas state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave10602001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought6921420101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail56291571001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave4404001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane1000101996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Tropical Depression record.
Ice Storm6100111996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding9518815501996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning4000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind37054950001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 7 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records.
Tornado65321301950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire10101811996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather55923001996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2023-09-05Thunderstorm Wind83 kt (96 mph) estimated gust$0 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)0, 0TYEnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2022-07-01Heat$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2022 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ127 (TAYLOR), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2021-02-14Extreme Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2021 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ127 (TAYLOR), zone-levelnew since last planB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2014-06-12Hail4.5 in$400,000,000 property; $0 crops (2014 dollars)0, 12HAMBYdeaths or injuries recorded
2014-06-12Hail4.5 in$4,000,000 property; $0 crops (2014 dollars)0, 0ABILENE ELMDALE ARPTB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2013-05-15Lightning$250,000 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars)0, 0ABILENEB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2009-03-05Wildfire$150,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2009 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ127 (TAYLOR), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2007-08-18Flash Flood$30,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)1, 0GUIONdeaths or injuries recorded
2005-06-03High Wind58 kt (67 mph) estimated gustdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone TXZ127 (TAYLOR), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2002-07-06Flash Flood$15,000,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)0, 0COUNTYWIDEB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1985-04-28TornadoF2, 2.5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 300 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1985 dollars)1, 0location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded
1982-03-14TornadoF3, 2 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 173 yd wide$2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1982 dollars)0, 5location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (1,251 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave1.05event-days per yearabout 1.05 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)202005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought41.2event-days per yearabout 41.2 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 15 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (50%)1,5822000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.000357annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0357%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail5.65events per yearabout 5.65 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)214.7 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave10event-days per yearabout 10 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)1442005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.0077events per yearabout 1 in 130 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.517event-days per yearabout 0.517 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)351946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding2.25event-days per yearabout 2.25 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 24 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (80%)631996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.151events per year (modeled)about 1 in 7 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning47.3days per year with a strikeabout 47.3 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind2.11events per yearabout 2.11 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)811986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.673events per yearabout 0.67 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00314annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.314%LikelyStorm Events records in 7 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (23.3%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather5.84event-days per yearabout 5.84 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 25 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (83.3%)1112005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 2025245308.17
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202552301.73
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025187306.23
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202536301.2
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202526300.867
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202518300.6
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20253300.1
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave41 of 4116.235.660.1Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 34, Very Low 1
Drought24 of 4167.877.698.3Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 7, Very Low 13, No Rating 17
Earthquake41 of 411.613.525.3Very Low 41
Hail41 of 4169.198.899.8Very High 28, Relatively High 11, Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 1
Heat Wave41 of 411.560.487.2Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 26, Relatively Low 10, Very Low 3
Hurricane41 of 4118.537.945.7Very Low 41
Ice Storm41 of 410.836.864.3Relatively Low 25, Very Low 16
Inland Flooding41 of 410.434.293.9Relatively High 4, Relatively Moderate 15, Relatively Low 13, Very Low 9
Landslide39 of 418.912.179.0Very Low 39, No Rating 2
Lightning41 of 410.473.495.5Relatively High 14, Relatively Moderate 23, Relatively Low 1, Very Low 3
Strong Wind41 of 418.052.878.8Relatively Moderate 19, Relatively Low 20, Very Low 2
Tornado41 of 413.351.172.0Relatively Moderate 14, Relatively Low 24, Very Low 3
Wildfire41 of 4124.774.597.2Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 16, Very Low 18
Winter Weather41 of 4112.687.597.4Very High 3, Relatively High 30, Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 2, Very Low 1

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Taylor CountyCountyExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 6$611,888.030 total; 0 since its plan
Abilene cityCityExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 6, SRL 6; any 68$1,295,939.14281 total; 31 since its planWhole community, including the part in Galveston County and Jones County; in-county portion (county table): FMA RL 4, FMA SRL 6, NFIP RL 60, NFIP SRL 6, any category 61. Includes $751,874.67 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4485-TX, EM-3216-TX).
Buffalo Gap townTownExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$4,376.0844 total; 8 since its plan
Lawn townTownExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$26,137.4224 total; 4 since its plan
Merkel townTownExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded42 total; 8 since its plan
Trent townTownExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded28 total; 2 since its plan
Tuscola cityCityExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$140,417.0644 total; 8 since its plan
Tye cityCityExpired on 2025-01-20FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded48 total; 11 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets
  • Texas A&M Forest Service TxWRAP for wildfire risk; Texas State Hazard Mitigation Plan hazard list for B1-a exclusions.

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2020-01-21county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$337,338$33,278$877,6320.00116%$7,800,000
Droughtn/a$8,496,530n/an/a$637,888n/a7.51% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$52,222,866,856n/a143,208$104,634n/a$40,2180.0002%
Hail$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$18,077,448$47,329$914,9640.0623%$0
Heat Wave$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$269$348$2,425,940under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$64,816$3,147$2,1830.000223%
Ice Storm$29,004,793,836n/a143,119$29,846n/a$106,0320.000103%$0$498,883.46
Inland Flooding$29,001,016,618$5,289,81626,272$19,426,814$177,501$3,296,725n/a (see note)$0NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$77,036,281n/a306$110n/a$220.000143%
Lightning$29,007,455,587n/a143,142$43,827n/a$1,045,8080.000151%
Strong Wind$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$608,609$5,412$258,8720.0021%$0$0
Tornado$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$1,065,888$1,442$1,986,2710.00367%$60,000
Wildfire$5,797,043,635$17,184,95437,244$1,264,441$448$131,7590.0218%$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Winter Weather$29,007,455,587$40,618,544143,142$14,130$257$619,807under 0.0001%$0

Totals since 2020-01-21 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 165 county-coded records, 165 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $60,000; 43 zone-level records, 43 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $7,800,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $498,883.46 on 3 counted declarations, 1 of them with Public Assistance.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population143,142
Building value (total, not at risk)$29,007,455,587
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$40,618,544
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Moderate
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$41,945,221
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$11,706,233
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)4Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)7
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition67Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition6

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total4767668022
of which: Taylor County (unincorporated area)0160603
of which: Tuscola city0010100
of which: Abilene city4660661019
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file381271319

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredpropertiesNote
Taylor County4810140160603
Abilene city4854506667668020Whole community, including the part in Galveston County and Jones County; in-county portion (county table): FMA RL 4, FMA SRL 6, NFIP RL 60, NFIP SRL 6, any category 61.
Buffalo Gap town4811380000000
Lawn town4810150000000
Merkel town4810160000000
Trent town4811300000000
Tuscola city4810170010100
Tye city4810180000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential4665566022
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0010100
non-residential0111100
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 1 property is FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 64 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Taylor County, TX: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 48441). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/tx/48441/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]