Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Culberson County, TX

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
48109
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: Approved, expires 2027-11-13. Plan: Culberson County (FEMA plan 107108), approved 2022-11-14.

Since the plan was approved on 2022-11-14: no new federal declaration.

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 169 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Drought ($1,928,401 a year), Inland Flooding ($513,928) and Strong Wind ($77,322).

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

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:
Approved, expires 2027-11-13
Plan:
Culberson County (FEMA plan 107108)
Approved:
2022-11-14
Days to expiry:
409

What changed since your last plan (approved 2022-11-14)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
169 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
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
Culberson CountyCountyApproved, expires 2027-11-13Culberson County (FEMA plan 107108)2022-11-142027-11-13409
Van Horn townTownApproved, expires 2027-11-13Culberson County (FEMA plan 107108)2022-11-142027-11-13409
Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School DistrictSchool/School DistrictApproved, expires 2027-11-13Culberson County (FEMA plan 107108)2022-11-142027-11-13409

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
1DroughtRelatively HighRelatively Highn/a$1,928,401n/a$1,928,4010No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
2Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$483,999$29,326$604$513,92817
3Strong WindVery LowVery Low$28,248$145$48,929$77,322342Includes 282 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
4WildfireRelatively LowVery Low$75,581$162$549$76,2920Declared 4 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
5HailVery LowVery Low$48,477$374$152$49,00341
6Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$44,100n/a$1,044$45,1440Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
7EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$22,586n/a$7,287$29,873Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
8Cold WaveVery LowVery Low$392$7,543$21,815$29,7500No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
9LightningVery LowVery Low$2,011n/a$23,593$25,6040No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$7,785$38$10,264$18,0875
11Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$3$21$17,887$17,9112
12TornadoVery LowVery Low$12,953$59$543$13,5542
13HurricaneVery LowVery Low$930$394$1$1,3250No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14AvalancheVery LowVery Low$1n/a$145$1450No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15LandslideVery LowVery Low$86n/a$29$1140No 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 wildfire, lightning and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: 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.

NRI rating of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardCensus tractNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 9503 (Very Low, 26.4)
Earthquaketract 9503 (Relatively Low, 62.4)
Hurricanetract 9503 (Very Low, 41.1)
Landslidetract 9503 (Relatively Low, 85.2)
Tornadotract 9503 (Relatively Low, 33.8)
Wildfiretract 9503 (Relatively Moderate, 95.5)

A tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9503 is Census Tract 9503). 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
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill0Wind 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)0Storm 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)51 records, 1956 to 20260.75 in to 2.5 in (median 1 in); 51 with a recorded value2.5 in hail, 2017-09-23; same size also recorded on 2012-04-11Hail, 2018-05-23, $15,000 property; crops not reported (2018 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Van Horn town (9 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)2 records, 2021 (2 zone-level)1 day; 2 with a recorded value1 consecutive day, 2021-06-20, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm 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)0Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)17 records, 2002 to 2026Flash Flood, 2026-06-14, $10,000 property; $0 crops (2026 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Van Horn town (3 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)0Storm 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)283 records, 2019 to 2026 (283 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 90 kt (104 mph) (median 56 kt (64 mph)); 283 with a recorded value90 kt (104 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2023-02-26; NWS zone TXZ271Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)69 records, 1969 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 67 with a recorded value87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2020-08-17Thunderstorm Wind, 1996-07-17, $50,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Van Horn town (8 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)6 records, 1982 to 2002F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF0); 6 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1982-06-12, 15 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 67 yd wide, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1982 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Van Horn 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)0Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)5 records, 2020 to 2026 (5 zone-level)No damage reported in 5 records.Countywide (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.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 12 declarations covering 5 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 dollarsNotes
2021-02-192021-02-11DR-4586-TXMajor disasterSevere Winter StormsIce Stormno Public Assistance recorded
2021-02-142021-02-11EM-3554-TXEmergencySevere Winter StormIce Stormno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4586
2020-03-252020-01-20DR-4485-TXMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3458-TXEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4485
2011-07-012011-04-06DR-1999-TXMajor disasterWildfiresWildfire$51,653.63
2008-03-142008-03-14EM-3284-TXEmergencyWildfiresWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2006-01-112005-11-27DR-1624-TXMajor disasterExtreme Wildfire ThreatWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
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 countedno Public Assistance recorded
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

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
Avalanche0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Drought0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail51314001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Inland Flooding17404001996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Strong Wind35216145209001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 282 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado6000001950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000401996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 4 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)
Winter Weather5101001996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-06-14Flash Flood$10,000 property; $0 crops (2026 dollars)0, 0VAN HORN CO ARPTnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2026-06-04Flash Flood$10,000 property; $0 crops (2026 dollars)0, 0(GDP)GUADALUPE PASSnew since last plan; within last 5 yearslarge reported damage
2023-05-09Thunderstorm Wind56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust$50,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)0, 0VAN HORNnew since last plan; within last 5 yearslarge reported damage
2023-02-26High Wind90 kt (104 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2023 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ271 (GUADALUPE AND DELAWARE MOUNTAINS), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2021-06-20Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2021 dollars)0, 0NWS zone TXZ271 (GUADALUPE AND DELAWARE MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2020-08-17Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust$20,000 property; crops not reported (2020 dollars)0, 0VAN HORNB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2018-07-07Thunderstorm Wind78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust$30,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)0, 0VAN HORNlarge reported damage
2018-05-23Hail2 in$15,000 property; crops not reported (2018 dollars)0, 0PINE SPGSB1-c most damaging: Hail
2017-09-23Hail2.5 indamage not reported0, 0PINE SPGSB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2006-09-01Flash Flood$10,000 property; $0 crops (2006 dollars)0, 0VAN HORNlarge reported damage
1996-07-17Thunderstorm Windspeed not recorded$50,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 1VAN HORNdeaths or injuries recorded
1982-06-12TornadoF2, 15 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 67 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1982 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (433 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
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave0.475event-days per yearabout 0.475 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)9.022005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought121event-days per yearabout 121 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)3,0452000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.00198annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.198%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.822events per yearabout 0.82 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)31.2 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave4.49event-days per yearabout 4.49 days per yearPossible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)82.72005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.00564events per yearabout 1 in 177 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)21851 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 Storm0.364event-days per yearabout 0.364 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)251946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNo Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025
Inland Flooding0.464event-days per yearabout 0.464 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 10 of 30 years)event-days in 10 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (33.3%)131996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.65events per year (modeled)about 0.65 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning50days per year with a strikeabout 50 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.32events per yearabout 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)131986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.352events per yearabout 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00216annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.216%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather5.22event-days per yearabout 5.22 days per yearPossible (from Storm Events: 2 of 30 years)event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)99.12005-11-12 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 202524300.8
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20255300.167
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202551301.7
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20256300.2
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
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

NRI risk score of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardTract scoreNRI score, 0 to 100Rating
Avalanche26.4Very Low
Cold Wave50.8Relatively Moderate
Drought99.8Very High
Earthquake62.4Relatively Low
Hail89.3Relatively High
Heat Wave43.3Relatively Low
Hurricane41.1Very Low
Ice Storm96.1Relatively High
Inland Flooding71.9Relatively Moderate
Landslide85.2Relatively Low
Lightning90.0Relatively High
Strong Wind94.3Relatively High
Tornado33.8Relatively Low
Wildfire95.5Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather96.4Very High

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.

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 plan
Culberson CountyCountyApproved, expires 2027-11-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Van Horn townTownApproved, expires 2027-11-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded21 total; 2 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 2022-11-14county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$745,430n/aunder 1$1n/a$145under 0.0001%
Cold Wave$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$392$7,543$21,815under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$5,523,091n/an/a$1,928,401n/a34.9% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$2,289,368,819n/a2,188$22,586n/a$7,2870.000987%
Hail$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$48,477$374$1520.00407%$0
Heat Wave$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$3$21$17,887under 0.0001%
Hurricane$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$930$394$1under 0.0001%
Ice Storm$1,191,584,988n/a2,188$44,100n/a$1,0440.0037%
Inland Flooding$1,191,451,993$12,744,884132$483,999$29,326$604n/a (see note)$21,000NRI 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$44,727,968n/a11$86n/a$290.000191%
Lightning$1,191,584,988n/a2,188$2,011n/a$23,5930.000169%
Strong Wind$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$28,248$145$48,9290.00237%$55,000$0
Tornado$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$12,953$59$5430.00109%
Wildfire$278,317,118$12,047,202277$75,581$162$5490.0272%
Winter Weather$1,191,584,988$20,465,5732,188$7,785$38$10,2640.000653%$0

Totals since 2022-11-14 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 19 county-coded records, 19 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $76,000; 150 zone-level records, 150 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

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
Population2,188
Building value (total, not at risk)$1,191,584,988
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$20,465,573
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$2,693,614
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)$132,840
Social vulnerability ratingVery High
Community resilience ratingVery 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 definition0Severe 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 total0000000
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
Culberson County4801620000000
Van Horn town4801630000000

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: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

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 0 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). Culberson County, TX: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 48109). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/tx/48109/ 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.