- Home
- Departments
- Emergency Management
- Prepare
- Local Hazards
Local Hazards
Every community faces risks from natural hazards, weather events, and other emergencies. In Snyder, these risks can impact daily life, homes, businesses, roads, utilities, and essential services.
A Hazard Mitigation Plan focuses on reducing risks and increasing resilience before disasters occur. It is a long-term planning document that uses data and public input to identify the hazards that could affect our community. The City of Snyder’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is developed in partnership with the West Central Texas Council of Governments (WCTGOC), and approved by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Maintaining an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan helps the City remain eligible for certain state and federal grant funding, including funding for mitigation projects and post-disaster recovery programs.
Some hazards occur more often, while others may be less frequent but more severe. Hazards are evaluated and prioritized based on potential impacts, including threats to life, property damage, and other community factors.
The hazards below are listed in order of priority.
Severe Wind
Strong winds can occur during thunderstorms, cold fronts, or other weather events. These winds can damage roofs, knock down trees and power lines, and create hazardous driving conditions. Even without a tornado, strong winds can cause significant property damage.
In Snyder, most thunderstorm winds occur during the months of March, April, May, and September. Straight line winds are responsible for most thunderstorm wind damages, which can cause damage equivalent to a strong tornado.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Severe Weather
Hail
Hail forms during strong thunderstorms and can damage vehicles, roofs, windows, and crops. Large hail can also cause injuries to people and livestock if they are outdoors. Hailstorms may occur with little warning.
The National Risk Index scored hail as the highest risk across Scurry County amongst identified natural hazards, slightly above wildfires; however, the expected annual losses were scored slightly below wildfires.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Thunderstorms & Lightning
Extreme Heat
Extreme heat occurs when temperatures remain high for extended periods. Heat can be especially dangerous for older adults, children, outdoor workers, and people without access to cooling. Heat-related illnesses can develop quickly.
Snyder's impact is considered moderate due the vulnerability for loss of human life and secondary hazards that may occur from sustained extreme heat, such as drought, expansive soil, power outages, wildfires, and urban fires.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Extreme Heat
Drought
Droughts occur regularly throughout the region and are a normal condition of the county; however, they vary greatly in intensity and duration.
Droughts can lead to secondary hazards, such as extreme heat, wildfires, and expansive soil. Extreme heat combined with drought is a dangerous situation because dying vegetation serves as a primary ignition source for wildfires. The impact of drought on wildlife and area farming is enormous often killing crops, grazing land, edible plants, and in severe cases, trees.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Drought
Winter Weather
Winter storms can bring freezing temperatures, ice, snow, and strong winds. These conditions can cause power outages, dangerous road conditions, and damage to water lines and infrastructure.
All jurisdictions within the county have been subject to winter storm watches, warnings, freezing rain, sleet, snow, and wind chill conditions on average 3-4 times per year.
To check road conditions during a winter storm, visit https://drivetexas.org/.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Winter Weather
Tornado
Tornadoes are violent windstorms that can cause severe damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. They may develop quickly during severe thunderstorms and require immediate action to seek shelter.
A total of 21 tornado events have been recorded by the Storm Prediction Center (NOAA) and NCEI databases for the county since 1950 with only one tornado event recorded in the last 10 years. The highest rated tornado documented within Scurry County was F3, occurring in three locations within a single tornadic event in 1968. All other historic occurrences were rated F0 or F1.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Tornadoes
Flooding
Flooding can occur from heavy rainfall, flash floods, or drainage system failures. Floodwaters can rise quickly, damage property, and make roads impassable. Even shallow water can be dangerous. Never drive around a barricade.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Floods
Lightning
Lightning is a dangerous weather hazard that often occurs during thunderstorms. It can strike people, buildings, trees, and power lines, causing injuries, fires, and power outages. Lightning can occur even when a storm appears to be some distance away.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Thunderstorms & Lightning
Earthquake
Earthquakes are sudden ground movements caused by shifts in the Earth’s crust. Earthquakes may occur without warning and can damage buildings, utilities, and roadways.
Although Scurry County has experienced an increase in the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes in recent years, the earthquake risk score remains relatively low.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Earthquakes
Expansive Soil
Expansive soil expands when it absorbs moisture and contracts as it dries. These changes can cause ground movement that may damage foundations, roads, sidewalks, and underground utilities over time.
Snyder and Scurry County may be affected by some degree of expansive soils. The most extensive damage from expansive soils occurs to bridges, highways, streets, and parking lots, especially when constructed during droughts that lead to excessive swelling following rain.
Wildfire
Wildfires can start quickly during dry, windy conditions and spread rapidly. They can threaten homes, ranchland, utilities, and roadways. Smoke from wildfires can also affect air quality and visibility. From 2019 to 2024, the Snyder Fire Department responded to 434 grass / wildland fires within Scurry County.
Nearly the entire population of Scurry County and participating jurisdictions live within a low to moderate wildfire risk area. However, all residents are in extremely close proximity of moderate to high wildfire risk areas. The wildfire ignition density is high, and the characteristic rate of speed (chains per hour) is significantly high for Scurry County. Wildfire incidents may have devastating impacts to wildlands, pastures, livestock, structures, and people.
Learn more: Snyder's Wildfire Risk
Learn more: Ready.gov – Wildfires
Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases can spread through person-to-person contact, contaminated surfaces, food, water, or airborne transmission. Outbreaks may affect public health, workplaces, schools, and essential services, and may require public health guidance or response measures.
In agricultural communities like Snyder, animals and livestock can also be affected. Monitoring animal health, practicing biosecurity, and following guidance from public health and agricultural authorities are important steps in reducing the spread of disease.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Pandemics
Learn more: Texas A&M AgriLife – Livestock Health & Disease
Terrorism
Acts of terrorism are intentional actions meant to cause harm, fear, or disruption. These incidents may target public places, infrastructure, or events. Staying aware and reporting suspicious activity helps keep the community safe.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Cybersecurity
Learn more: Ready.gov – Attacks in Public Spaces
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials incidents may involve the release of chemicals, fuel, or other dangerous substances due to transportation accidents, industrial incidents, or spills. These incidents may require evacuation or shelter-in-place actions.
Learn more: Ready.gov – Hazardous Materials
Weather Monitoring
Staying informed is one of the most important ways to protect yourself during severe weather. The following sources provide real-time forecasts, watches, and warnings for the Snyder area:
- National Weather Service Midland, Current Hazards
- National Weather Service Midland, Radar
- National Weather Service Midland, Social Media
Snyder is a StormReady Community
The City of Snyder is recognized by the National Weather Service as a StormReady community. This designation means the City meets national standards for emergency planning, communication, and coordination related to severe weather.
Being StormReady helps ensure timely warnings, coordinated response efforts, and clear public information before, during, and after severe weather events.