Bailey County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48017 · population 6,899 · 827 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 611 records for Bailey County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 453 days; the most frequent are hail reports (187 records). The deadliest single record is the January 28, 2010 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Bailey, which covers the county: 1 death and $27,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1992, 14 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on May 17, 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
- 611on 453 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 18 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $42Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 57strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Bailey County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 187 since 1960. 71% of its hail reports since 1960 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 | 187 | 122 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 98 of 254 |
| Drought | 92 | 92 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 55 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 82 | 74 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | 146 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 76 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 3 | $10M | 13 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 70 | 64 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 1 | $543K | 24 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 57 | 41 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 1 | $5.6M | 55 of 254 |
| Floods | 26 | 23 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $360K | 166 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 9 | 2008-2023 | 0 | 3 | $232K | 38 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 137 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2000-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 104 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 173 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 134 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 Bailey County had?
NOAA records 57 tornadoes in Bailey County from 1955 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 55th 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 62 tornadoes whose track touched Bailey County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 57: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-05-10 18:22, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 8.5 mi | 0 |
| 1963-05-21 18:11, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 5.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Bailey County (57)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-25 | Bula, Bailey County | EFU 2.05 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-23 | Enochs, Bailey County | EFU 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-23 | Enochs, Bailey County | EF2 1.19 mi x 1,400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-26 | Progress, Bailey County | EF0 3.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2019-05-04 | Circle Back, Bailey County | EFU 0.01 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-04 | Progress, Bailey County | EFU 0.01 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-09 | Enochs, Bailey County | EFU 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-26 | Needmore, Bailey County | EF0 0.75 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-23 | Muleshoe, Bailey County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2003-05-24 | Maple, Bailey County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-24 | Needmore, Bailey County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-05 | Muleshoe, Bailey County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-27 | Bailey County | F2 0.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-27 | Bailey County | F0 0.4 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-31 | Bailey County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-31 | Bailey County | F0 0.6 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-10-27 | Bailey County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-05-10 | Bailey County | F0 0.7 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1991-05-10 | Bailey County | F3 3.5 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1991-05-10 | Bailey County | F1 1.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1989-06-03 | Bailey County | F2 8 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-07-24 | Bailey County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-07-24 | Bailey County | F0 2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-05-30 | Bailey County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-05-30 | Bailey County | F0 4 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-04 | Bailey County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-04 | Bailey County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-04 | Bailey County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-04-06 | Bailey County | F0 0.2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-20 | Bailey County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-06-08 | Bailey County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-10 | Bailey County | F1 2.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-06-10 | Bailey County | F1 0.9 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1981-07-04 | Bailey County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1981-05-24 | Bailey County | F0 0.3 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-09-03 | Bailey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-07-18 | Bailey County | F0 0.4 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-06-04 | Bailey County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-06-01 | Bailey County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-05-03 | Bailey County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1974-05-04 | Bailey County | F1 3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-04-02 | Bailey County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-09 | Bailey County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-04-18 | Bailey County | F2 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-04-18 | Bailey County | F2 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-04-18 | Bailey County | F1 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-04-18 | Bailey County | F1 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-04-18 | Bailey County | F1 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-05-16 | Bailey County | F0 10.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-05-06 | Bailey County | F1 26.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1968-06-16 | Bailey County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-06-09 | Bailey County | F2 20.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1963-05-29 | Bailey County | F2 10.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1963-05-21 | Bailey County | F3 5.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-04-12 | Bailey County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1957-05-24 | Bailey County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-05-18 | Bailey County | F1 | 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 Bailey County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 26, 2019 tornado ($58,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Law enforcement initially reported a tornado near the town of Lariat. Broadcast media relayed a picture of a funnel cloud near the same time and location of the previous report. A NWS storm survey revealed that this tornado began in northern Bailey County along County Road 54 between Farm to Market Road 3125 and County Road 1038. This tornado went to the north-northeast to overturn a center pivot irrigation system before crossing into Parmer County and turning to the north-northwest.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 824900)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-22 | Strong WindBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | High WindBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-04 | Winter WeatherBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Strong WindBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-24 | Thunderstorm WindMuleshoe, Bailey County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindMuleshoe, Bailey County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-05 | HailEnochs, Bailey County | 3.10 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-28 | Winter StormBailey County · forecast zone Bailey A deadly winter storm produced widespread snow and ice accumulations and resulted in significant damage across the west Texas South Plains during the daytime hours of the 28th. Wintry precipitation began to overspread the region in the hours after sunrise. Although heavy snowfall (including thunder-snow) was common ... | 1 | 0 | $27K | |
| 2014-12-30 | Winter WeatherBailey County · forecast zone Bailey Following an arctic front the night prior, widespread freezing drizzle developed early on the morning of the 31st throughout much of the region before mixing with and changing to very light snow. East of the Caprock Escarpment, the duration of freezing drizzle was limited to just a couple of hours compared to nearly ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2008-01-28 | WildfireBailey County · forecast zone Bailey A wind-driven wildfire ignited three miles south-southwest of Muleshoe shortly before 15:30 CST and rapidly spread northeastward. The wildfire burned an estimated 20,000 acres of brush and grassland atop the area's sand hills. The city of Muleshoe was briefly threatened by the blaze and some homes were evacuated, but ... | 0 | 3 | $103K | |
| 2008-04-01 | High WindBailey County · forecast zone Bailey A potent storm system propagated eastward over the Southern Plains of the U.S. on the 10th and resulted in a widespread high wind and blowing dust event over much of the west Texas South Plains. Sustained wind speeds of 40 mph were common with gusts up to 72 mph recorded per the Texas Tech University West Texas ... | 56 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $55K |
| 1963-05-29 | TornadoBailey County | F2 10.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-12-26 | BlizzardBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 0 | 0 | $7.5M | |
| 1999-01-29 | Winter StormBailey County · forecast zone Bailey | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2003-09-07 | HailNeedmore, Bailey County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2002-06-09 | HailBula, Bailey County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2017-09-17 | HailEnochs, Bailey County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2004-06-16 | HailMuleshoe, Bailey County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2009-07-17 | HailEnochs, Bailey County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2009-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindNeedmore, Bailey County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 6, 1969 (tornado, Bailey County); June 10, 1982 (tornado, Bailey County); June 10, 1982 (tornado, Bailey 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 Bailey 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 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 47 | 80 | 21 | 16 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 10 | 20 | 44 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 33 | 15 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 29 | 28 | 19 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 25 | 25 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
71% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 40 · Mar 39 · Apr 62 · May 131 · Jun 139 · Jul 35 · Aug 26 · Sep 26 · Oct 26 · Nov 18 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bailey County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Bailey County: 10 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-17 | DR-4781 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2016-02-09 | DR-4255 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1992-09-09 | DR-960 | Severe Storm | Excessive Rain & Hail |
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 Bailey County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bailey County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.8 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 | $2.1M | 88 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively High | $1.7M | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $585K | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $67K | 7.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $673K | once in about 75 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $996K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $553K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $16K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bailey 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 Bailey CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bailey County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis