Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Cherokee County, TX

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
48073
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 2025-08-24. Plan: Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086), approved 2020-08-25.

Since the plan was approved on 2020-08-25: 4 new hazard declarations (3 incidents): EM-3554-TX (Severe Winter Storm), DR-4586-TX (Severe Winter Storms), DR-4781-TX (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), DR-4798-TX (Hurricane Beryl).

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 166 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($6,776,394 a year), Cold Wave ($2,496,236) and Tornado ($1,917,983).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 6.

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 2025-08-24
Plan:
Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)
Approved:
2020-08-25
Days since expiry:
402
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

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 2020-08-25)

New federal declarations:
4 new hazard declarations (3 incidents): EM-3554-TX (Severe Winter Storm), DR-4586-TX (Severe Winter Storms), DR-4781-TX (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), DR-4798-TX (Hurricane Beryl)
Storm Events records since approval:
166 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 6
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 expiry
Cherokee CountyCountyExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Alto townTownExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Cuney townTownExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Gallatin cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Jacksonville cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
New Summerfield cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Reklaw cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Rusk cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Troup cityCityApproved, expires 2031-07-13Smith County (FEMA plan 111578)2026-07-142031-07-131,747
Wells townTownExpired on 2025-08-24Cherokee County (FEMA plan 106086)2020-08-252025-08-24-402
Carlisle Independent School DistrictSchool/School DistrictApproved, expires 2026-11-16Rusk County (FEMA plan 104882)2021-11-172026-11-1647

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 LowRelatively Low$6,654,453$12,274$109,668$6,776,39478
2Cold WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$13,373$91,554$2,391,309$2,496,2366
3TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$1,458,347$2,756$456,880$1,917,98325
4Strong WindRelatively HighRelatively High$678,047$133,439$932,253$1,743,739196Includes 3 Strong Wind records (a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
5Heat WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$288$775$1,380,034$1,381,09879
6DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$1,120,516n/a$1,120,51650
7HurricaneRelatively LowRelatively Low$326,283$144,528$17,120$487,9312
8LightningRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$38,799n/a$351,596$390,3954
9Ice StormRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$259,354n/a$106,988$366,3434
10WildfireRelatively LowRelatively Low$209,966$1,023$40,617$251,6073
11HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$123,336$4,051$6,205$133,592131
12EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$79,730n/a$24,550$104,281Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
13Winter WeatherRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$78,724$580$13,066$92,36926
14LandslideRelatively LowVery Low$2,691n/a$78$2,7700No 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 9507 (Relatively Low, 49.4); tract 9501 (Very Low, 39.6); tract 9506 (Very Low, 33.4)
Hurricanetract 9501 (Relatively Low, 77.9); tract 9508.02 (Relatively Low, 77.1); tract 9508.01 (Relatively Low, 73.7)
Landslidetract 9508.02 (Relatively Low, 91.5); tract 9503.02 (Relatively Low, 91.0); tract 9508.01 (Relatively Low, 90.6)
Tornadotract 9501 (Relatively High, 84.0); tract 9507 (Relatively High, 82.0); tract 9505 (Relatively High, 78.6)
Wildfiretract 9501 (Relatively Moderate, 93.0); tract 9510 (Relatively Moderate, 90.7); tract 9508.02 (Relatively Moderate, 90.7)

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 9507 is Census Tract 9507). 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 chill6 records, 2010 to 2026 (6 zone-level)2 days to 4 days (median 3 days); 6 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 2026-01-24 to 2026-01-27, zone-levelCold/Wind Chill, 2010-01-07, $100,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2010 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)50 records, 1996 to 2026 (50 zone-level)7 days to 476 days (median 42 days); 16 with a recorded value476 days (about 15.6 months), 2010-12-01 to 2012-03-20, a run of 16 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (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)199 records, 1959 to 20260.55 in to 4 in (median 1 in); 199 with a recorded value4 in hail, 2019-04-06Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Jacksonville city (30 records), Rusk city (28 records), Alto town (10 records), New Summerfield city (8 records), Gallatin city (7 records), Wells town (4 records), Cuney town (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)79 records, 2000 to 2025 (79 zone-level)1 day to 94 days (median 4 days); 53 with a recorded value2011-06-01 to 2011-09-02 (4 records, 3 of them monthly summary records), zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson2 records, 2008 to 2024 (2 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Hurricane (Typhoon) record (NOAA's event type name), 2008-09-13, category 1, $750,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars); NWS zone TXZ149Countywide (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)4 records, 1997 to 2000 (4 zone-level)No damage reported in 4 records.Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)78 records, 1997 to 2025Flash Flood, 2007-07-08, $250,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Rusk city (15 records), Cuney town (8 records), Jacksonville city (8 records), Alto town (4 records), Gallatin city (2 records), Reklaw city (2 records).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)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)4 records, 1996 to 2022Lightning, 1996-07-24, $300,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Rusk city (2 records), Jacksonville city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)3 records, 2008 to 2021 (3 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 43 kt (49 mph) (median 43 kt (49 mph)); 3 with a recorded value43 kt (49 mph) measured gust, Strong Wind, 2021-10-28; NWS zone TXZ149Strong Wind, 2008-12-27, $2,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)251 records, 1970 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 90 kt (104 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 204 with a recorded value90 kt (104 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1997-04-04Thunderstorm Wind, 2009-05-03, $100,000 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Jacksonville city (56 records), Rusk city (42 records), Alto town (16 records), New Summerfield city (7 records), Cuney town (6 records), Gallatin city (6 records), Reklaw city (6 records), Wells town (6 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)45 records, 1953 to 2025F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF1); 43 with a recorded valueF3 tornado, 1987-11-15, 21 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 500 yd wide, $25,000,000 property; crops not recorded (1987 dollars), 2 direct deaths, 75 direct injuriesEvent records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Alto town (4 records), Reklaw city (4 records), Rusk city (4 records), Jacksonville city (2 records), Wells 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)3 records, 2011 (3 zone-level)Wildfire, 2011-08-17, $75,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars), 2 direct injuries (reported for the zone); NWS zone TXZ149Countywide (zone-level records).Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)26 records, 2006 to 2026 (26 zone-level)Winter Storm, 2021-02-16, $800,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars); NWS zone TXZ149Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone 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: 28 declarations covering 19 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
2024-07-092024-07-05DR-4798-TXMajor disasterHurricane BerylHurricaneno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2024-05-172024-04-26DR-4781-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Wind, Tornado$1,164,062.10new since last plan; within last 5 years
2021-02-192021-02-11DR-4586-TXMajor disasterSevere Winter StormsIce Storm$365,085.99new since last plan
2021-02-142021-02-11EM-3554-TXEmergencySevere Winter StormIce Stormno Public Assistance recordednew since last plansame incident as DR-4586
2020-08-242020-08-23EM-3540-TXEmergencyTropical Storms Marco and LauraHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval
2020-03-252020-01-20DR-4485-TXMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$9,877.05in the 12 months before plan approval
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3458-TXEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approvalsame incident as DR-4485
2016-04-252016-04-17DR-4269-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$535,714.71
2015-05-292015-05-04DR-4223-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$902,267.88
2011-09-092011-08-30DR-4029-TXMajor disasterWildfiresWildfire$134,700.40
2008-09-132008-09-07DR-1791-TXMajor disasterHurricane IkeHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding$1,781,329.36
2008-09-102008-09-07EM-3294-TXEmergencyHurricane IkeHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1791
2008-03-142008-03-14EM-3284-TXEmergencyWildfiresWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2007-06-292007-06-16DR-1709-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado$643,429.37
2006-01-112005-11-27DR-1624-TXMajor disasterExtreme Wildfire ThreatWildfire$26,895.14
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 counted$294,555.75
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$15,875.47
2003-02-012003-02-01EM-3171-TXEmergencyLoss of the Space Shuttle ColumbiaNon-natural, not counted$66,225.07
2001-06-092001-06-05DR-1379-TXMajor disasterTx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001Hurricane$93,410.81
2001-01-082000-12-12DR-1356-TXMajor disasterSevere Winter Ice StormIce Storm$228,000.19
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
1990-05-021990-04-15DR-863-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1989-05-191989-05-04DR-828-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1989-04-231989-03-28DR-823-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1987-11-201987-11-15DR-802-TXMajor disasterSevere Storms & TornadoesTornadoPA 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 Wave6403001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought5016516001996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail19923219001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave7952644001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane2101411996 to 2026-06-30
Ice Storm4000211996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding7819310811996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning4101001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind25433830211955 to 2026-06-30Includes 3 Strong Wind records.
Tornado45613611950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire3000501996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather261107001996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-01-24Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2026 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2021-10-28Strong Wind43 kt (49 mph) measured gustproperty not reported; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2021 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2019-04-13TornadoEF3, 18.27 mi within this county, 880 yd wide$10,000,000 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars)1, 20MORRILL to REKLAWdeaths or injuries recorded
2012-01-16Strong Wind35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2012 dollars)1, 0NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2011-08-17Wildfire$75,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2011 dollars)0, 2NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2011-06-01Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2011 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2010-12-01Drought$0 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (2010 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2008-09-13Hurricane (Typhoon), NOAA's event type namecategory 1$750,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ149 (CHEROKEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2007-07-08Flash Flood$250,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)0, 0JACKSONVILLEB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1997-04-04Thunderstorm Wind90 kt (104 mph), measurement type not recorded$5,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)0, 0RUSK to STRIKER CREEK RESB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1996-07-24Lightning$300,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 0RUSKB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
1987-11-15TornadoF3, 21 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 500 yd wide$25,000,000 property; crops not recorded (1987 dollars)2, 75location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (750 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 Wave0.789event-days per yearabout 0.789 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 5 of 30 years)event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)152005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought22.6event-days per yearabout 22.6 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 15 of 30 years)event-days in 15 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (50%)7982000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.000772annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0772%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail3.63events per yearabout 3.63 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)138.0 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave19.1event-days per yearabout 19.1 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 13 of 30 years)event-days in 13 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (43.3%)3242005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.0401events per yearabout 1 in 25 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)191851 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 Storm1.04event-days per yearabout 1.04 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 3 of 30 years)event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)701946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding1.54event-days per yearabout 1.54 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 19 of 30 years)event-days in 19 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (63.3%)431996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.413events per year (modeled)about 1 in 2 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning61.8days per year with a strikeabout 61.8 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind3.79events per yearabout 3.79 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1451986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.684events per yearabout 0.68 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00158annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.158%Possible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)Storm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from Storm Events, not NRI.
Winter Weather3.26event-days per yearabout 3.26 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 14 of 30 years)event-days in 14 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (46.7%)622005-11-12 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 202577302.57
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202511300.367
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025171305.7
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202521300.7
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202514300.467
TornadoEF2-31996 to 202511300.367
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 Wave14 of 1466.685.391.5Relatively High 11, Relatively Moderate 3
Drought4 of 1495.898.298.9Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 2, No Rating 10
Earthquake14 of 1413.222.549.4Relatively Low 1, Very Low 13
Hail14 of 1444.757.670.9Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 13
Heat Wave14 of 1460.384.190.1Relatively High 7, Relatively Moderate 7
Hurricane14 of 1454.163.277.9Relatively Low 14
Ice Storm14 of 1475.989.894.0Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 9
Inland Flooding14 of 148.749.578.4Relatively Moderate 7, Relatively Low 5, Very Low 2
Landslide14 of 1452.881.691.5Relatively Low 8, Very Low 6
Lightning14 of 1458.885.691.8Relatively High 11, Relatively Moderate 3
Strong Wind14 of 1485.194.798.9Very High 4, Relatively High 10
Tornado14 of 1454.068.484.0Relatively High 4, Relatively Moderate 10
Wildfire14 of 1458.888.493.0Relatively Moderate 7, Relatively Low 6, Very Low 1
Winter Weather14 of 1457.177.687.6Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 9

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
Cherokee CountyCountyExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 4$2,728,050.460 total; 0 since its planIncludes $118,459.90 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-1606-TX, EM-3171-TX).
Alto townTownExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$209,780.4834 total; 6 since its planIncludes $23,876.19 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-1606-TX, EM-3216-TX).
Cuney townTownExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded15 total; 4 since its plan
Gallatin cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded15 total; 1 since its plan
Jacksonville cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 2$932,295.8497 total; 15 since its planIncludes $43,106.59 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-1606-TX).
New Summerfield cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$2,012.6315 total; 0 since its planIncludes $2,012.63 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-1606-TX).
Reklaw cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded12 total; 6 since its plan
Rusk cityCityExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$258,472.2891 total; 5 since its planIncludes $9,146.26 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-1606-TX).
Troup cityCityApproved, expires 2031-07-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; not yet covered
Wells townTownExpired on 2025-08-24FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$13,485.9211 total; 0 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 2020-08-25county-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$10,285,323,009$148,999,86150,317$13,373$91,554$2,391,3090.00013%$0
Droughtn/a$70,941,925n/an/a$1,120,516n/a1.58% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$18,172,834,680n/a50,412$79,730n/a$24,5500.000439%
Hail$10,285,325,828$148,999,86150,317$123,336$4,051$6,2050.0012%$0
Heat Wave$10,285,323,009$148,999,86150,317$288$775$1,380,034under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$10,285,279,548$148,939,52250,316$326,283$144,528$17,1200.00317%$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Ice Storm$10,285,323,009n/a50,317$259,354n/a$106,9880.00252%$365,085.99
Inland Flooding$10,274,414,203$7,924,7411,072$6,654,453$12,274$109,668n/a (see note)$0$1,164,062.10NRI 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$119,432,368n/a543$2,691n/a$780.00225%
Lightning$10,285,325,828n/a50,317$38,799n/a$351,5960.000377%$250,000
Strong Wind$10,285,325,828$148,999,86150,317$678,047$133,439$932,2530.00659%$0$0$1,164,062.10
Tornado$10,285,325,828$148,999,86150,317$1,458,347$2,756$456,8800.0142%$366,000$1,164,062.10
Wildfire$1,692,490,916$96,963,54619,433$209,966$1,023$40,6170.0124%
Winter Weather$10,285,323,009$148,999,86150,317$78,724$580$13,0660.000765%$800,000

Totals since 2020-08-25 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 81 county-coded records, 81 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $616,000; 85 zone-level records, 85 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $800,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $1,529,148.09 on 4 counted declarations, 2 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
Population50,317
Building value (total, not at risk)$10,285,325,828
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$148,999,861
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$11,434,888
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)$5,830,366
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingRelatively Low
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)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition6Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

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 total0060602
of which: Jacksonville city0020202
of which: Cherokee County (unincorporated area)0040400
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 insuredproperties
Cherokee County4807390040400
Alto town4807400000000
Cuney town4803910000000
Gallatin city4803920000000
Jacksonville city4801230020202
New Summerfield city4811530000000
Reklaw city4806180000000
Rusk city4801240000000
Troup city4805700000000
Wells town4807410000000

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 residential0060602
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0000000
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 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 6 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, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the 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). Cherokee County, TX: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 48073). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/tx/48073/ 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: contact@hazardplain.org

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.