Armstrong County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48011 · population 1,844 · 909 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 779 records for Armstrong County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 477 days; the most frequent are hail reports (318 records). The deadliest single record is the February 14, 2021 extreme cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Armstrong, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1998, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “8 Ball Fire” on February 18, 2026.
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
- 779on 477 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 20 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $303Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 48strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 2026
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 Armstrong County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 318 since 1959. 63% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 318 | 164 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $245K | 60 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 119 | 99 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 113 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 85 | 60 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $22K | 29 of 254 |
| Drought | 67 | 66 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $300M | 144 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 53 | 52 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $883K | 52 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 30 | 1955-2023 | 0 | 0 | $403K | 119 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 30 | 26 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 6 of 254 |
| Floods | 23 | 17 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 198 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 17 | 2007-2021 | 1 | 0 | – | 34 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 12 | 10 | 2013-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 4 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 73 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 188 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 Armstrong County had?
NOAA records 48 tornadoes in Armstrong County from 1955 to 2023, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 119th of 254 Texas counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 49 tornadoes whose track touched Armstrong County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 48: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 17 people, 0 of them in Armstrong County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-18 01:00, as SPC files it | Howardwick | F4 | 65 mi | 16 |
| 1970-04-17 22:30, as SPC files it | Pampa | F4 | 130 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Armstrong County (48)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-21 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EFU 0.89 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-13 | Washburn, Armstrong County | EF0 11.3 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2021-03-13 | Washburn, Armstrong County | EF1 1.55 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2021-03-13 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EFU 3.11 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-22 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EF0 2.08 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-22 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EF0 2.45 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-23 | Washburn, Armstrong County | EF0 0.71 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-07 | Wayside, Armstrong County | EF0 11.49 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-10 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EF1 2.8 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-11-16 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EF0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-22 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EF1 10.34 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2010-04-22 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | EF0 1.83 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-14 | Claude, Armstrong County | EF0 0.16 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2007-04-21 | Claude, Armstrong County | EF0 4.21 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-21 | Wayside, Armstrong County | EF1 3.33 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2007-04-21 | Claude, Armstrong County | EF0 0.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-11 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-11 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-11 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-11 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-05 | Goodnight, Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-05 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-05 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-05 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-18 | Claude, Armstrong County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-31 | Claude, Armstrong County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-23 | Armstrong County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1995-07-23 | Washburn, Armstrong County | F1 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-26 | Wayside, Armstrong County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-01 | Armstrong County | F2 6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-05-25 | Armstrong County | F2 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-07-12 | Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-05-14 | Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-06-10 | Armstrong County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-06-10 | Armstrong County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-05-17 | Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-11 | Armstrong County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1977-05-17 | Armstrong County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1977-05-17 | Armstrong County | F1 6.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1977-05-17 | Armstrong County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-05-28 | Armstrong County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-08-07 | Armstrong County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-04-13 | Armstrong County | F2 18.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-04-13 | Armstrong County | F2 14.9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1968-06-09 | Armstrong County | F0 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-05-25 | Armstrong County | F0 0.4 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-16 | Armstrong County | F0 2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-16 | Armstrong County | F0 2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Armstrong County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 high wind ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindGoodnight, Armstrong County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | High WindArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindGoodnight, Armstrong County | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindGoodnight, Armstrong County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindClaude, Armstrong County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-30 | Thunderstorm WindGoodnight, Armstrong County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | High WindArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-03 | WildfireArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-14 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong Around 0500 CST on the 14th, Armstrong County saw wind chill values drop to -15°F to -30°F, which lasted until around 0800 CST on the 15th. Winds reached speeds of 15 to 25 mph while temperatures were near of below 0°F. The coldest ambient temperature came in at -11°F which was recorded by 3 different West Texas ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-12-08 | Winter WeatherArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong Slick roads during the morning hours due to freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused a fatality about one and a half miles from the rim of Palo Duro Canyon south of Claude. The vehicle went off State Road 207 between 0615 CST and 0630 CST. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-10-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | $110M | |
| 2012-11-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2012-12-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2013-01-01 | DroughtArmstrong County · forecast zone Armstrong | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 2013-05-28 | Thunderstorm WindWashburn, Armstrong County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2025-09-20 | Thunderstorm WindWashburn, Armstrong County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2021-03-13 | TornadoWashburn, Armstrong County | EF0 11.3 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1998-05-03 | Thunderstorm WindWashburn, Armstrong County | 0 | 0 | $27K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 13, 1973 (tornado, Armstrong County); June 10, 1984 (tornado, Armstrong County); July 1, 1987 (tornado, Armstrong County).
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 Armstrong 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 80 | 107 | 88 | 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 28 | 33 | 37 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 12 | 30 | 42 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 5 | 26 z | 31 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 17 | 20 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
Drought in the 2010s: 26 records against 5 in the decade before, 26 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 Armstrong 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?
63% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 40 · Mar 67 · Apr 97 · May 174 · Jun 162 · Jul 43 · Aug 58 · Sep 36 · Oct 15 · Nov 29 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Armstrong County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Armstrong County: 7 major disasters, 6 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for fire (5) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-18 | FM-5619 | Fire | 8 Ball Fire |
| 2021-02-19 | DR-4586 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-14 | EM-3554 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 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 |
| 2001-01-08 | DR-1356 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Armstrong County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Armstrong County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $4.8M | 79 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $219K | once in about 136 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $552K | 8.7 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $35K | 9.9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $131K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $296K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $11K | once in about 1,032 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $6K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Armstrong 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
- Hail in TexasThe state's hail reports, 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 Armstrong CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Armstrong County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis