Anderson County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48001 · population 57,845 · 1,063 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 737 records for Anderson County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 472 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (241 records). The deadliest day on its record was April 29, 2016: flash flood records filed for Anderson County that day count 6 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 31 declarations naming the county since 1966, 28 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Beryl” on July 9, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 737on 472 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1398 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $124Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 35strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 31latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Anderson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 241 since 1959. The rank column places the county among Texas's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 241 | 163 | 1959-2026 | 2 | 2 | $4.1M | 66 of 254 |
| Hail | 224 | 125 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $348K | 133 of 254 |
| Drought | 67 | 66 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 168 of 254 |
| Floods | 60 | 39 | 1997-2025 | 8 | 0 | $4.4M | 132 of 254 |
| Heat | 49 | 47 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 29 | 1953-2025 | 2 | 88 | $83M | 152 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 24 | 24 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 4 | $25M | 160 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 10 | 8 | 2011-2018 | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | 64 of 254 |
| Lightning | 8 | 7 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 2 | $1.0M | 44 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2019-2026 | 0 | 0 | $926K | 126 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 1997-1998 | 0 | 1 | $7K | 60 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2006-2008 | 0 | 0 | $287K | 132 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2005-2008 | 0 | 0 | $142K | 68 of 254 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Anderson County had?
NOAA records 35 tornadoes in Anderson County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 88 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 36 tornadoes whose track touched Anderson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 35: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-11-15 15:03, as SPC files it | Palestine | F3 | 10.5 mi | 1 |
| 1987-03-17 05:20, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F1 | 0.2 mi | 1 |
| 1981-05-09 14:10, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 15 mi | 0 |
| 1974-10-31 08:50, as SPC files it | Elkhart | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1955-04-12 11:30, as SPC files it | Frankston to Berryville | F3 | 5.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Anderson County (35)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-06 | Frankston, Anderson County | EF0 4.83 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| 2008-10-06 | Tennessee Colony, Anderson County | EF0 6.95 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2006-12-29 | Palestine, Anderson County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $293K |
| 2006-12-29 | Palestine, Anderson County | F1 11.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 2006-12-29 | Bethel, Anderson County | F0 6.74 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2002-03-30 | Elkhart, Anderson County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-04 | Palestine, Anderson County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-04 | Tennessee Colony, Anderson County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 4 | $531K |
| 1999-04-26 | Palestine, Anderson County | F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1999-04-26 | Tennessee Colony, Anderson County | F0 1 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 1 | $53K |
| 1997-01-23 | Elkhart, Anderson County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 4 | $92K |
| 1996-04-28 | Montalba, Anderson County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-11-04 | Cayuga, Anderson County | F1 1.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1993-05-09 | Frankston, Anderson County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1991-11-19 | Anderson County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-04-27 | Anderson County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-17 | Anderson County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-04-01 | Anderson County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1987-12-06 | Anderson County | F1 11.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1987-11-15 | Anderson County | F3 10.5 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 59 | $25M step |
| 1987-03-17 | Anderson County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 1 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1984-05-02 | Anderson County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-02-11 | Anderson County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1981-05-09 | Anderson County | F2 9.9 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-05-09 | Anderson County | F3 9.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-10-16 | Anderson County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1979-06-06 | Anderson County | F1 6.2 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-05-11 | Anderson County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1974-10-31 | Anderson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-10-31 | Anderson County | F3 2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 4 | – |
| 1973-06-03 | Anderson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-08-24 | Anderson County | F1 3.6 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-04-12 | Anderson County | F3 5.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 7 | $250K step |
| 1954-08-31 | Anderson County | F1 0.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-11-19 | Anderson County | F2 5.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Anderson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 2, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | HeatAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindTennessee Colony, Anderson County | 49 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-29 | HailTucker, Anderson County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindKossuth, Anderson County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-20 | Thunderstorm WindPalestine, Anderson County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-15 | HeatAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-29 | Flash FloodPalestine, Anderson County Significant and deadly flash flooding happened on Timber Drive in Palestine after 7.5 of water fell in one hour. A family of 5 died in this location while drying to escape the flood waters. Six of 10 homes on the cul-de-sac were completely destroyed by flood waters. Some residents had to be rescued from the roofs of ... | 5 | 0 | $984K | |
| 2023-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindFrankston, Anderson County Tree and roof damage was reported throughout the Frankston area. The roof of a restaurant was also damaged including loss of shingles, partial decking removal and collapse of portions of the awning. One tree fell onto a manufactured house, killing two adults in the home. A post event assessment determined 70-90 mph ... | 75 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $484K |
| 1987-11-15 | TornadoAnderson County | F3 10.5 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 59 | $25M step |
| 1987-03-17 | TornadoAnderson County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 1 | 3 | $25K step |
| 2016-06-13 | Flash FloodTennessee Colony, Anderson County Numerous FM and County Roads closed due to flooding. FM 321 was partially washed out in Tennessee Colony. One man was killed when he lost control of his car in high water on his way to work. | 1 | 0 | $18K | |
| 2016-04-30 | Flash FloodPalestine, Anderson County Nearly 7.5 of rain fell over Palestine in about one hour causing flooding across the city. Cars were flooded in downtown Palestine. Newspapers also reported that businesses and homes in low-lying areas across the city were flooded and damaged. A total of 35 homes sustained major damage and 3 businesses in Old Town ... | 1 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2016-04-29 | Flash FloodDeanwright, Anderson County A 30 year old male died in flood waters on Anderson County Road 370. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-02-23 | Heavy SnowAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson Four to six inches of snow fell across Anderson County. A NASA meteorologist recorded the highest amount of 6 inches at the Palestine upper air balloon facility. Several roads across the county were temporarily impassible as the snow was falling, but crews from TXDOT were able to treat the roadways and the roads were ... | 1 | 0 | $338K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-02-24 | Winter StormAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 0 | $24M | |
| 2010-06-09 | Flash FloodElkhart, Anderson County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2016-04-30 | Flash FloodPalestine, Anderson County | 1 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1993-05-09 | TornadoFrankston, Anderson County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1994-11-04 | TornadoCayuga, Anderson County | F1 1.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 2011-08-15 | WildfireAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson | 0 | 1 | $984K | |
| 2016-04-29 | Flash FloodPalestine, Anderson County | 5 | 0 | $984K | |
| 1996-11-07 | Thunderstorm WindPalestine, Anderson County | 0 | 0 | $941K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 15, 1987 (tornado, Anderson County, 1 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Anderson County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 5 | 7 | 26 | 68 | 55 | 47 | 31 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 53 | 47 | 57 | 39 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 14 | 34 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 14 | 19 | 14 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 7 | 37 z |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Heat in the 2020-26: 37 records against 7 in the decade before, 37 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Anderson County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Anderson County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 51 · Feb 45 · Mar 53 · Apr 125 · May 112 · Jun 88 · Jul 57 · Aug 55 · Sep 25 · Oct 51 · Nov 42 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Anderson County
FEMA's register lists 31 declarations that include Anderson County: 20 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and fire (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 2024-05-17 | DR-4781 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-04-21 | DR-4705 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021-02-19 | DR-4586 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-14 | EM-3554 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-08-24 | EM-3540 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Marco and Laura |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-04-25 | DR-4269 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2011-09-09 | DR-4029 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007-06-29 | DR-1709 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2006-01-11 | DR-1624 | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat |
| 2005-09-24 | DR-1606 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-21 | EM-3261 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-02 | EM-3216 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-02-01 | EM-3171 | Other | Loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia |
| 2001-06-09 | DR-1379 | Coastal Storm | Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1996-02-23 | EM-3117 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-930 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms |
| 1990-05-02 | DR-863 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1989-05-19 | DR-828 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1987-11-20 | DR-802 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1974-11-30 | DR-454 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1966-05-12 | DR-218 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Anderson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 60 flood or flash flood records for Anderson County from 1997 to 2025, on 39 days, with 8 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Anderson County ranks 2105th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $293,000 on 19 claims filed in Anderson County; the most in one year was 7 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Anderson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Anderson County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $23.2 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | $6.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.2M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $358K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $508K | 59 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $69K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $996K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $244K | once in about 584 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Anderson County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in TexasEvery Texas tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in TexasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Texas recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Anderson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Anderson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)31 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis