Caldwell County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48055 · population 45,866 · 545 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 411 records for Caldwell County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 315 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (100 records). The deadliest single record is the October 17, 1998 flash flood: 6 deaths, 500 injuries and $36.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1972, 22 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
- 411on 315 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11652 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $318Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Caldwell County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 100 since 1997. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 100 | 74 | 1997-2021 | 11 | 620 | $200M | 14 of 254 |
| Hail | 92 | 63 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 9 | $607K | 142 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 80 | 67 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $26M | 91 of 254 |
| Drought | 73 | 73 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 22 | 1957-2023 | 0 | 23 | $91M | 90 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 22 | 22 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $68K | 88 of 254 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 2018-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 109 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2021-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 114 of 254 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2013-2023 | 0 | 0 | $110K | 71 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | $656K | 119 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | $69K | 171 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 121 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 Caldwell County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Caldwell County from 1957 to 2023, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 23 injuries recorded in the county. That is 90th 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Caldwell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Caldwell County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-26 | Niederwald, Caldwell County | EF0 0.49 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-21 | Stairtown, Caldwell County | EF2 2.88 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-05-12 | Mc Mahan, Caldwell County | EF0 0.73 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2018-03-28 | Brownsboro, Caldwell County | EF0 1.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2002-12-30 | Lockhart, Caldwell County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-11-12 | Lockhart, Caldwell County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2000-10-22 | Martindale, Caldwell County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 1998-06-05 | Lockhart, Caldwell County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 1998-06-05 | Lockhart, Caldwell County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-09-17 | Caldwell County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-05-03 | Caldwell County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-05-03 | Caldwell County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-08-10 | Caldwell County | F2 13.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 20 | $25M step |
| 1980-08-10 | Caldwell County | F1 7.4 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-04-07 | Caldwell County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1974-08-08 | Caldwell County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-09-13 | Caldwell County | F1 3.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-07-24 | Caldwell County | F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-02-25 | Caldwell County | F2 11.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-05-08 | Caldwell County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1965-08-28 | Caldwell County | F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-04-15 | Caldwell County | F2 6.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-11-12 | Caldwell County | F2 1 mi x 433 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-08-04 | Caldwell County | F2 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 1957-04-26 | Caldwell County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Caldwell County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 24, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 75 mph. Two large Oak trees were uprooted. Several medium size metal buildings (12x20, 10x12, 60x100) were damaged or destroyed. All of the damage was near Dale.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1297373)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindReedville, Caldwell County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Thunderstorm WindTaylorsville, Caldwell County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Caldwell County The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th. Deep moisture was in place across South Central Texas as the two systems approached, being fed at the ... | 6 | 500 | $36M | |
| 2018-12-07 | Flash FloodMartindale, Caldwell County Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flash flooding sending Morrison Creek over SE River Rd. outside Martindale. Two people were killed when their vehicle was swept into the flood waters. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-05-27 | Flash FloodNiederwald, Caldwell County A 3 year old girl downed after being swept into a small flooded creek. The girl went missing around 5 pm and her body was recovered shortly before midnight approximately 50-75 yards downstream. A 5 year old was successfully rescued and recovered from his near drowning. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-10-31 | Flash FloodDale, Caldwell County Caldwell County reported several flooded roads during the morning hours including FM 1979 at the San Marcos River, Old Colony Line Road, and FM 86. A flash flood fatality occurred near Track Road and FM 20 East when a 51 year old teacher at Smithville Junior High was driving to work and his car was swept off the road. ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-10-31 | FloodNiederwald, Caldwell County A truck drove around a barricade at Brushy Creek on Polonia Road. The truck became submerged and the driver was able to escape unharmed. The passenger was not able to escape and got swept downstream. The body of the female passenger, age 57, was found more than a week later. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell Flooding along the San Marcos RiverIn Hays County, the flooding along the San Marcos River was most devastating to the eastern part of San Marcos, with many permanent homes flooded and several mobile homes washed from their sites, Homes and apartments were flooded along the San Marcos River on Riverside and Riviera ... | 0 | 50 | $91M | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell Plum Creek at Lockhart crested at 22.2 feet, with flood stage at 15 feet. The Creek was reported to be near a mile wide, flooding Highway 183 near Lockhart. | 0 | 50 | $54M | |
| 2001-11-15 | Flash FloodCountywide, Caldwell County Rainfall from mid-morning through the afternoon brought county totals to 4 to 6 inches over the western part of the county. Widespread flash flooding was reported from Martindale through Luling. Several families in low-lying areas were forced to evacuate. Several homes and mobile homes were flooded out as well. ... | 0 | 20 | $133K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-17 | FloodCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 50 | $91M | |
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Caldwell County | 6 | 500 | $36M | |
| 2003-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindMartindale, Caldwell County | 90 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $21M |
| 2017-08-26 | FloodNiederwald, Caldwell County | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2007-03-11 | Flash FloodLockhart, Caldwell County | 0 | 0 | $712K | |
| 2007-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindMaxwell, Caldwell County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $712K |
| 2011-09-04 | WildfireCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | $656K | |
| 2004-10-13 | Thunderstorm WindLockhart, Caldwell County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $234K |
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: August 10, 1980 (tornado, Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 48 | 34 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 16 | 13 | 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 27 | 37 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
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 Caldwell County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 21 · Feb 27 · Mar 33 · Apr 50 · May 77 · Jun 40 · Jul 25 · Aug 33 · Sep 26 · Oct 37 · Nov 23 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Caldwell County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Caldwell County: 15 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (6) 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 |
| 2017-08-25 | DR-4332 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-11-25 | DR-4245 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2013-12-20 | DR-4159 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2011-09-09 | DR-4029 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2006-01-13 | FM-2619 | Fire | Lockhart Fire |
| 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 |
| 2000-09-10 | FM-2336 | Fire | Tx-Milam Street Fire-9/9/00 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-10-21 | DR-1257 | Flood | Tx-Flooding 10/18/98 |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1972-05-20 | DR-333 | 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 Caldwell County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 100 flood or flash flood records for Caldwell County from 1997 to 2021, on 74 days, with 11 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Caldwell County ranks 1003rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Harvey | 2017-08-26 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.4 million on 180 claims filed in Caldwell County; the most in one year was 107 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1998: 33 · 2001: 11 · 2002: 1 · 2004: 3 · 2007: 1 · 2012: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2015: 107 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2025: 1; 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 Caldwell County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Caldwell County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $33.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.3M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $24M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 69 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $94K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $311K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $882K | 11 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 Caldwell 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
- Floods in TexasThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Caldwell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Caldwell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis