San Augustine County, Texas Natural Disaster Risk

FEMA National Risk Index assessment · TX

Very Low

Composite Risk Score

17.6

National percentile: 18th

San Augustine County faces very low composite natural disaster risk (NRI Risk Index score 17.6, 18th national percentile), driven primarily by strong wind and hurricane exposure. Expected annual loss across all 18 hazard types is $4M.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 · Updated December 2025

Risk Overview

San Augustine County carries a very low composite natural disaster risk, with a National Risk Index score of 17.6 out of 100 — placing it in the 18th national percentile and among the lowest-risk counties in the country. The score blends Expected Annual Loss, Social Vulnerability, and Community Resilience across all 18 FEMA hazard types.

Risk here concentrates in strong wind (damaging straight-line winds outside of tornadoes and hurricanes) at Medium risk — $823K in expected annual loss and about 3.26 events per year; hurricane (tropical cyclones bringing extreme wind, rain, and storm surge) at Low risk — $462K in expected annual loss and about 0.08 events per year; and heat wave (prolonged periods of extreme heat that threaten health and infrastructure) at Low risk — $289K in expected annual loss and about 20.74 events per year. Across all hazards, FEMA estimates $4M in expected annual loss for a population of 8K.

Beyond physical exposure, San Augustine County has a very high social vulnerability rating (how susceptible the population is to harm) and a very low community resilience rating (its capacity to prepare for and recover from disasters). That combination — a more vulnerable population with limited resilience — can amplify the human cost of any given event.

The county's disaster history tells the same story: San Augustine County has received 26 federal disaster declarations since 1989, including 8 for hurricane events and 5 for fire events. The most recent was Hurricane Beryl (hurricane), declared in July 2024.

Among 254 Texas counties, San Augustine County ranks #198 for overall natural disaster risk.

Expected Annual Loss $4M Annualized county-level EAL
Social Vulnerability Very High Population sensitivity
Community Resilience Very Low Capacity to recover
Population 8K Latest estimate

Top Hazards

Medium $823K/yr
Low $462K/yr
Low $289K/yr

All 18 Hazard Risks

Strong Wind Medium 3.26 / yr$823K
Hurricane Low 0.08 / yr$462K
Heat Wave Low 20.74 / yr$289K
Wildfire Very Low 0.00 / yr$39K
Ice Storm Low 1.00 / yr$58K
Lightning Low 67.56 / yr$118K
Tornado Low 0.42 / yr$607K
Landslide Very Low 0.20 / yr$182
Cold Wave Low 0.58 / yr$220K
Winter Weather Very Low 2.21 / yr$13K
Earthquake Very Low 0.00 / yr$23K
Riverine Flood Very Low 0.61 / yr$1M
Hail Very Low 3.09 / yr$22K
Avalanche Very Low 0.00 / yr$0
Coastal Flood Very Low 0.00 / yr$0
Drought Very Low 29.41 / yr$0
Tsunami Very Low 0.00 / yr$0
Volcanic Activity Very Low 0.00 / yr$0

Disaster History

San Augustine County has received 26 federal disaster declarations since 1989, most recently Hurricane Beryl in July 2024. Most frequent causes: Hurricane (8), Fire (5), Flood (3).

DeclaredTypeDisaster
July 2024HurricaneHurricane Beryl
May 2024FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
February 2021Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
February 2021Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
August 2020HurricaneTropical Storms Marco and Laura
March 2020BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
March 2020BiologicalCovid-19
August 2017HurricaneHurricane Harvey
March 2016FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
May 2015Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

Showing the 10 most recent of 26 declarations.

Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (OpenFEMA).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overall natural disaster risk for San Augustine County?

San Augustine County has a composite FEMA National Risk Index score of 17.6 out of 100, placing it in the Very Low category and the 18th national percentile. This combines Expected Annual Loss, Social Vulnerability, and Community Resilience across 18 hazard types.

What are the top natural hazards in San Augustine County?

The three highest-rated hazards are Strong Wind (Medium, $823K EAL), Hurricane (Low, $462K EAL), Heat Wave (Low, $289K EAL). These account for most of the county's expected annual losses.

How does San Augustine County compare to other Texas counties?

San Augustine County ranks #198 of 254 Texas counties for overall natural disaster risk, with a very low rating.

How many federally declared disasters has San Augustine County had?

FEMA records 26 federal disaster declarations for San Augustine County since 1989, most often 8 for hurricane events and 5 for fire events. The most recent was Hurricane Beryl, declared in July 2024.

What does Expected Annual Loss (EAL) mean?

EAL is FEMA's estimate of average annual dollar losses from natural hazards, calculated from historical event data and exposure models. San Augustine County's $4M EAL is a statistical average, not a guarantee for any specific year or address.