Texas Cities Most Vulnerable to Natural Disasters

No one area in the world is completely safe from any disasters. At any given time, depending on your geographic location, your city or town can be vulnerable to a variety of storms, whether it's strong winds, hail, hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, and more. However, some states and cities are more prone to certain disasters and weather phenomena than others. One of these states is Texas, an area with an increased risk of extreme weather. Before you relocate to the Lone Star state, check out these Texas cities most vulnerable to natural disasters.

It's natural for people to fear weather disasters, which is why these Texas cities most vulnerable to natural disasters are experiencing steep population decline. For instance, the town of Lufkin, TX has experienced close to a 5% population decline since 2017. In Nacogdoches, TX, the population decline is over 3%. With that said, many of the cities on this list are experiencing major population growth. (Check out the 25 US Cities Best Prepared to Handle a Natural Disaster.)

Methodology:

To determine the Texas cities most vulnerable to natural disasters, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on natural hazard risk for U.S. census tracts from the March 2023 FEMA National Risk Index dataset. Cities were ranked based on the average National Risk Index score – a composite risk score of 18 natural hazards for all census tracts within their borders.

Data was aggregated from the census tract level to the city level using spatial boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line program. Supplemental data on the total value of all owner-occupied homes and populations is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Only places with at least 25,000 residents were considered.

50. Weatherford, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 74.8/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.2 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +11.6%
Total population: 32,168

49. Kyle, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 75.8/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.2 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +31.3%
Total population: 48,484

48. San Juan, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 76.0/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $0.9 million
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -2.8%
Total population: 35,463

47. Lufkin, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 77.2/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.2 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -4.8%
Total population: 34,165

46. Nacogdoches, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 77.3/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $0.8 million
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -4.3%
Total population: 32,148

45. Lewisville, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 77.8/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $7.9 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +20.6%
Total population: 125,028

44. Cleburne, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 78.2/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.2 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +7.6%
Total population: 31,849

43. Pharr, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 78.4/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.7 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +3.5%
Total population: 79,434

42. Longview, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 78.4/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.3 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -0.1%
Total population: 82,176

41. Denton, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 78.9/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $8.1 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +8.5%
Total population: 142,262

40. Amarillo, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 79.4/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $9.8 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +1.3%
Total population: 200,360

39. Huntsville, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 80.3/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.1 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +13.4%
Total population: 46,202

38. Mission, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 80.7/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.4 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +3.3%
Total population: 85,755

37. Plano, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 81.9/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $28.6 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +1.2%
Total population: 284,948

36. San Marcos, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 82.0/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.9 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +12.0%
Total population: 67,143

35. Greenville, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 82.6/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.0 million
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +9.5%
Total population: 28,923

34. League City, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 82.9/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $10.6 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +15.5%
Total population: 113,469

33. Corpus Christi, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 84.1/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $14.8 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -1.5%
Total population: 317,804

32. Frisco, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 85.2/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $28.5 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +30.1%
Total population: 202,075

31. Mission Bend, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 85.3/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.9 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -1.9%
Total population: 37,853

30. Harlingen, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 85.5/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.1 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +9.2%
Total population: 71,497

29. McKinney, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 86.3/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $19.0 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +19.1%
Total population: 196,160

28. Brownsville, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 87.1/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.7 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +2.7%
Total population: 186,999

27. Sugar Land, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 87.5/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $13.4 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +26.7%
Total population: 110,077

26. Missouri City, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 87.6/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.0 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +2.5%
Total population: 74,517

25. Allen, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 87.9/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $10.9 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +8.9%
Total population: 105,444

24. Weslaco, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 88.0/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.0 million
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +3.6%
Total population: 40,858

23. Beaumont, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 88.0/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.5 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: -3.3%
Total population: 114,573

22. Edinburg, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 88.0/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.2 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +17.2%
Total population: 100,964

21. Houston, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 88.1/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $136.4 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +1.3%
Total population: 2,296,253

20. Wylie, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 88.4/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.7 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +19.2%
Total population: 57,063

19. Prosper, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 88.8/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $5.7 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +84.2%
Total population: 31,507

18. Spring, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 89.0/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.4 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +10.4%
Total population: 63,930

17. Corsicana, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 89.2/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.0 million
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +6.0%
Total population: 25,107

16. Atascocita, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 89.2/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.9 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +18.6%
Total population: 89,121

15. Port Arthur, TX

FEMA National Risk Index score: 89.9/100
Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.7 billion
Population change, 2017 to 2022: +1.3%
Total population: 55,897

14. Victoria, TX

Victoria is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Victoria County. The population was 86,793 as of the 2010 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 census. Victoria is located 30 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. The city is a regional hub for a seven-county area known as the "Golden Crescent", and serves a retail trade area of over 250,000 people. Victoria is known as "The Crossroads" because of its location within a two-hour drive of Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. Victoria is named for General Guadalupe Victoria, who became the first president of independent Mexico. Victoria is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria in Texas. Victoria is located on the coastal plains of Texas about 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 20 miles from the nearest bay waters. It lies along and just to the east of the Guadalupe River. The top...