FEMA rates relative tornado risk for McLennan County as relatively high and reports historical annualized frequency of 0.73 events per year for the area.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for McLennan County reports historical annualized frequency of 0.73 events per year for tornado. FEMA's relative risk rating for the area is relatively high; the annualized frequency is a separate measure.
Hazard metrics cover FEMA county-equivalent geographies rather than individual addresses or parcels. Use local or state hazard maps before making a property, insurance, retrofit, or evacuation decision.
Select a hazard to inspect FEMA's figures for McLennan County.
Tornado
FEMA combines its area-wide loss estimate and community data in this relative rating. Event frequency appears separately below.
Relative FEMA score
98.7/100
FEMA annualizes recorded qualifying tornado occurrences across the FEMA geography and source period.
The area loss estimate combines FEMA's modeled losses to buildings, population, and agriculture across McLennan County. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
City risk summary
For Waco, FEMA rates tornado risk for McLennan County as relatively high, with a relative score of 98.7/100. The next highest relative scores are winter weather at 96.5/100 and heat wave at 95.9/100.
Using FEMA data for McLennan County, Waco is #28 among 53 covered Texas entries for tornado risk. Temple is about 33 straight-line miles from the Waco map point; its FEMA figures cover Bell County.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in Waco? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows Waco. All FEMA figures on this page cover McLennan County.
The FEMA figures cover McLennan County. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative tornado risk for McLennan County as relatively high. Its historical annualized frequency is 0.73 events per year. Damage at a specific address also depends on the building, soil, elevation, and exact hazard zone.
Among 53 Texas cities covered by this directory, Waco is #28 for relative tornado risk based on FEMA's score for McLennan County. Homes within Waco can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for McLennan County, the highest relative ratings are Tornado (Relatively High), Winter Weather (Relatively High), and Heat Wave (Relatively High). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover McLennan County. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives McLennan County an overall relative risk rating of relatively moderate. Conditions at a specific home depend on its hazard zones, building type, maintenance, insurance, and access to evacuation routes and emergency services.
Start with this step: Identify the lowest-floor interior room or nearby rated shelter you can reach quickly. Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts and keep a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio available. Use Ready.gov Tornadoes and local emergency guidance for a complete plan.
Distances are measured between city coordinates.
| City | Distance | Tornado rating | Relative score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple, TX | 33 mi | Relatively High | 98.9 |
| Killeen, TX | 46 mi | Relatively High | 98.9 |
| Round Rock, TX | 77 mi | Relatively High | 95.8 |
| Bryan, TX | 78 mi | Relatively High | 95.9 |
| Grand Prairie, TX | 78 mi | Very High | 99.8 |
Limited to products tagged for tornado or general preparedness.
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Hazard metrics come from FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0 (March 2023). City population and coordinates come from SimpleMaps US Cities Database. For current conditions, use official local maps, warnings, inspections, and professional advice.