Brown County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48049 · population 38,073 · 944 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 809 records for Brown County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 439 days; the most frequent are hail reports (391 records). The deadliest single record is the May 12, 2019 flood: 1 death and $5,772 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1989, 23 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
- 809on 439 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 424 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $145Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 38strongest F5
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Brown County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 391 since 1959. 64% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in April and May. 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 | 391 | 189 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.3M | 49 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 176 | 118 | 1955-2025 | 1 | 8 | $8.3M | 87 of 254 |
| Drought | 77 | 77 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.5M | 119 of 254 |
| Floods | 69 | 56 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | $86M | 81 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 38 | 30 | 1955-2019 | 0 | 13 | $41M | 125 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 35 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $61K | 112 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2007-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | 111 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 5 | 2009-2015 | 0 | 2 | $96K | 96 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2005-2018 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 119 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2007-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2007-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 94 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 Brown County had?
NOAA records 38 tornadoes in Brown County from 1955 to 2019, the strongest rated F5, with 0 deaths and 13 injuries recorded in the county. That is 125th 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 39 tornadoes whose track touched Brown County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 38: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-04-19 17:30, as SPC files it | Brownwood | F5 | 10.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Brown County (38)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-03-13 | Zephyr, Brown County | EF1 1.39 mi x 230 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-18 | May, Brown County | EF1 4.36 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-18 | May, Brown County | EF0 0.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-18 | Cross Cut, Brown County | EF1 3.3 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-26 | Byrd, Brown County | EF0 3.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-26 | Lake Brownwood, Brown County | EF1 0.99 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-20 | Zephyr, Brown County | EF0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-20 | Blanket, Brown County | EF1 3.65 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2013-05-20 | Lake Brownwood, Brown County | EF0 1.17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-04-10 | Bangs, Brown County | EF1 1.54 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 2007-05-02 | Brookesmith, Brown County | EF1 4.77 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2004-12-06 | Brownwood, Brown County | F1 6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2004-03-04 | Cross Cut, Brown County | F0 1 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 1997-05-19 | Owens, Brown County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-09 | Brownwood Airport, Brown County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $184K |
| 1996-05-29 | Bangs, Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-07 | May, Brown County | F1 5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $174K |
| 1995-05-07 | Grosvenor, Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1994-05-29 | Brownwood, Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1994-05-29 | Lake Brownwood, Brown County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1994-05-25 | Early, Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1989-06-10 | Brown County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-07-03 | Brown County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-06-02 | Brown County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-08-11 | Brown County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-08-17 | Brown County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-06-06 | Brown County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-10-30 | Brown County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-05-01 | Brown County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-04-20 | Brown County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-04-19 | Brown County | F5 10.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 11 | $2.5M step |
| 1970-04-26 | Brown County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1969-06-12 | Brown County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-04-24 | Brown County | F1 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-10-13 | Brown County | F2 4.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1958-06-21 | Brown County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-06-21 | Brown County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-04 | Brown County | F2 2 mi x 100 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 Brown County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 17, 2021 thunderstorm wind ($11,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A roof to an agricultural barn was damaged on the southwest side of Brownwood. And a chain link fence was blown down at Gordon Wood Stadium.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 946956)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodWoodland Hgts, Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-19 | HailBrownwood, Brown County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | HailBrownwood, Brown County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter WeatherBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Thunderstorm WindBrownwood Airport, Brown County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-01 | DroughtBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-07 | Flash FloodBrookesmith, Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindZephyr, Brown County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-28 | HailWinchell, Brown County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-22 | Heavy RainBlanket, Brown County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindBrownwood Airport, Brown County | 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-12 | FloodRicker, Brown County Brownwood Fire Chief said the driver a 2006 Nissan Frontier pickup went around a road block on CR 257 at 10 Mile Crossing about 1:30 a.m. CDT Sunday. The fire chief estimated the water was about 30-foot deep at that point. The truck was submerged and swept down Pecan Bayou. A woman drowned at County Road 257 where it ... | 1 | 0 | $6K | |
| 2015-07-08 | Flash FloodThrifty, Brown County A man drowned when his truck was swept off the road by rushing waters approximately 6 miles north of Bangs where Jim Ned Creek crosses FM 2492 near County Road 105. The driver was able to exit the vehicle but was quickly washed downstream. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-02-24 | Thunderstorm WindBrownwood, Brown County One man was fatally injured when an apparent downburst flipped his mobile home. | 1 | 0 | $17K | |
| 1997-06-22 | Flash FloodBrownwood, Brown County Streams and creeks rose rapidly and overflowed in heavy rains. A motorist drowned when he attemped to cross a rapidly overflowing low water crossing on County Road 411 near Hogg Creek. His suburban was washed off the road by swift water. The passenger escaped and was rescued unharmed. The attempted crossing occurred ... | 1 | 0 | $552K | |
| 1976-04-19 | TornadoBrown County | F5 10.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 11 | $2.5M step |
| 2020-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindLake Brownwood, Brown County The Brown County Emergency Manager reported extensive damage to multiple docks, including Kirkland Docks on Lake Brownwood resulting in four minor injuries. There were tree limbs blown down and some trees were snapped. The winds were estimated at 70 to 80 mph. A special thanks to Brownwood Lake Patrol, Brownwood and ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2013-10-12 | Thunderstorm WindBrownwood, Brown County Two old rotten trees fell onto a vehicle that had two passengers. Both passengers who were in the vehicle were injured. | 43 kt wind | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2011-06-16 | WildfireBrown County · forecast zone Brown A Circle P wildfire burning near Lake Brownwood prompted the evacuation of about 600 church camp kids Thursday afternoon from the Heart of Texas Baptist Encampment to the Brownwood Coliseum. One firefighter injured his shoulder while another suffered a heat stroke. The fire was located along FM 2125 east of Lake ... | 0 | 2 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-07-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $69M | |
| 2000-06-15 | Flash FloodBrownwood, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 1998-08-01 | DroughtBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | $4.5M | |
| 2021-02-14 | Cold/Wind ChillBrown County · forecast zone Brown | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2018-10-17 | FloodGrosvenor, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 1993-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindBrownwood, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1993-10-17 | Thunderstorm WindBrownwood, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1994-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindConcord, Brown County | 0 | 0 | $995K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 19, 1976 (tornado, Brown County); October 13, 1960 (tornado, Brown 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 Brown 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 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 95 | 84 | 102 | 61 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 51 | 39 | 28 | 31 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 11 | 35 z | 29 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 35 | 16 | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 17 | 6 |
Drought in the 2010s: 35 records against 11 in the decade before, 35 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 Brown 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?
64% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 18 · Feb 32 · Mar 60 · Apr 125 · May 281 · Jun 128 · Jul 27 · Aug 24 · Sep 19 · Oct 53 · Nov 19 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Brown County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Brown County: 15 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (7) and flood (5).
| 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 |
| 2019-02-25 | DR-4416 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2018-07-23 | FM-5258 | Fire | 259 Fire |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-06-16 | FM-2774 | Fire | Camp Bowie Fire |
| 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 |
| 2002-07-04 | DR-1425 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
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 Brown County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 69 flood or flash flood records for Brown County from 1996 to 2026, on 56 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Brown County ranks 480th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $9.6 million on 533 claims filed in Brown County; the most in one year was 117 in 2002. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 1 · 1982: 7 · 1983: 7 · 1985: 2 · 1986: 3 · 1988: 2 · 1989: 18 · 1990: 60 · 1991: 66 · 1992: 26 · 1994: 9 · 1997: 14 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 68 · 2002: 117 · 2003: 13 · 2004: 12 · 2005: 5 · 2006: 8 · 2007: 38 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 21 · 2016: 23 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 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 Brown County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Brown County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $150K | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $12M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $813K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $459K | 38 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $620K | once in about 254 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Brown 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 Brown CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Brown County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis