Natural hazards · Hereford

Hereford, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hereford comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1989. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Hereford?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hereford to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and cold waves.

Tornadoes32%Cold waves18%Inland flooding17%Hail16%Strong wind7%Winter weather5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Hereford faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Winter weather

5% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Hereford flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hereford, from FEMA’s records.

6paid claims since 1989

$33Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Allison: 1 claim, $577

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hereford isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Deaf Smith County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Hereford

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Hereford itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Hereford.

Brought FEMA money into HerefordDeclared for Deaf Smith County only

2015

Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$41K to the City of Hereford for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

1 household applied for aid $19K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$11K to the City of Hereford for repairs

Deaf Smith County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Hereford covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hereford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hereford. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Hereford total about $4.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.