Borden County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48033 · population 627 · 897 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 265 records for Borden County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 174 days; the most frequent are hail reports (103 records). The most damaging was the August 1, 1996 drought ($40.6 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1992, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storms” on February 19, 2021.
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
- 265on 174 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $43Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2021
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 Borden County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 103 since 1961. 68% of its hail reports since 1961 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 | 103 | 69 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 182 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 74 | 57 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $607K | 185 of 254 |
| Floods | 22 | 15 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $90K | 210 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 13 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 17 | 17 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 175 of 254 |
| Drought | 16 | 16 | 1996-2006 | 0 | 0 | $41M | 218 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 7 | 1954-2019 | 0 | 0 | $128K | 229 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 179 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 144 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 Borden County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Borden County from 1954 to 2019, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Borden County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Borden County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-05 | Gail, Borden County | EF0 0.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-28 | Gail, Borden County | EF0 1.06 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-05 | Gail, Borden County | F0 0.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2005-06-05 | Lake J B Thomas, Borden County | F2 5 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $121K |
| 2005-06-05 | Lake J B Thomas, Borden County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-05 | Gail, Borden County | F0 0.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-05 | Gail, Borden County | F0 0.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-07 | Borden County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-04-28 | Borden County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-06-13 | Borden County | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-04-21 | Borden County | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Borden County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 4, 2020 thunderstorm wind ($9,122 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A thunderstorm moved across Borden County and produced winds estimated to be 100 to 120 mph five miles southeast of Gail. A localized microburst occurred according to a National Weather Service storm survey with three broken powerline poles. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 889986)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-23 | HailGail, Borden County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-24 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 53 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-08-01 | DroughtBorden County · forecast zone Borden | 0 | 0 | $41M | |
| 2005-06-05 | HailLake J B Thomas, Borden County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $310K |
| 2005-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $227K |
| 2005-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $151K |
| 2005-06-05 | TornadoLake J B Thomas, Borden County | F2 5 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $121K |
| 2020-06-04 | Thunderstorm WindGail, Borden County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $114K |
| 2005-06-05 | HailLake J B Thomas, Borden County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 1998-05-25 | HailGail, Borden County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $36K |
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 Borden 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 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 37 | 26 | 14 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 14 | 27 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 14 | 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
68% of its hail reports since 1961 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 6 · Feb 10 · Mar 19 · Apr 32 · May 71 · Jun 67 · Jul 8 · Aug 11 · Sep 20 · Oct 9 · Nov 5 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Borden County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Borden County: 8 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe ice storm (3) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 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 Borden County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Borden County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.7 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 | $1.8M | 73 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $208K | once in about 104 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $318K | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $65K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $67K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $2K | once in about 164 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $47K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $9K | 5.7 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Borden 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 Borden CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Borden County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis