Natural Disaster Risk in Cameron County

Natural Hazard Profile: Cameron County, Texas

Cameron County is located in the United States in Texas, home to roughly 420,083 residents. The county experiences an exceptionally varied climate from humid subtropical in the east to desert in the west, with overlapping tornado, hurricane, flood, and drought seasons shaping the natural hazards faced by its communities. FEMA assesses risk at this county level, providing the baseline for every city and ZIP code within its boundaries.

FEMA rates Cameron County's composite natural disaster risk at 8.0 out of 10 — very high risk. Cold wave events are the primary hazard risk, driven by periodic invasions of Arctic air that drive wind chills to life-threatening levels and stress heating systems. Residents should also account for hurricane and heat risk in their preparedness planning.

Cameron County's risk score, considerably above the 5.6/10 state average and well above the U.S. national average of 4.5/10. Of the 18 hazard categories tracked by FEMA for Cameron County, the highest-scoring are cold wave, hurricane, and heat. These scores reflect county-level data and represent the baseline risk that all communities in the county share.

Given Cameron County's very high risk classification, residents should treat disaster preparedness as a year-round priority. This means maintaining updated homeowners and flood insurance, building a 72-hour emergency kit, knowing the evacuation routes for the primary hazards, and signing up for local emergency alert systems.