Carson County, Texas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48065 · population 5,799 · 920 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,208 records for Carson County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 639 days; the most frequent are hail reports (617 records). The deadliest single record is the December 18, 2005 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Carson, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $32,000 in damage 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 “North 207 Fire” on December 15, 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
1,208on 639 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
530 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$335Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
92strongest F4
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 Carson County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 617 since 1958. 64% of its hail reports since 1958 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.

Carson County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 617 266 1958-2025 0 0 $1.8M 14 of 254
Severe thunderstorm wind 172 124 1959-2026 0 5 $1.3M 78 of 254
Tornadoes 92 61 1951-2025 0 19 $61M 18 of 254
High wind and dust storms 84 67 1996-2026 2 1 $39K 26 of 254
Drought 69 69 1996-2026 0 0 $186M 139 of 254
Winter storms 66 63 1996-2026 3 1 $1.0M 31 of 254
Wildfires 43 38 2006-2026 0 4 $84M 3 of 254
Floods 25 17 2000-2025 0 0 $2K 202 of 254
Extreme cold 22 21 2007-2021 0 0 – 24 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 11 10 2013-2018 0 0 – 28 of 254
Heavy rain 6 3 2013-2013 0 0 – 89 of 254
Lightning 1 1 1999-1999 0 0 $221K 137 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 Carson County had?

NOAA records 92 tornadoes in Carson County from 1951 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 19 injuries recorded in the county. That is 18th of 254 Texas counties and 232nd of 3,080 U.S. 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 96 tornadoes whose track touched Carson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 92: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Carson County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Carson County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1970-04-17 22:30, as SPC files itPampaF4130 mi1
1992-06-27 18:31, as SPC files itUnnamedF420 mi0
2001-05-29 18:15, as SPC files itPanhandle to White DeerF310 mi0
1971-10-17 21:30, as SPC files itUnnamedF32.3 mi0
1951-06-06 20:06, as SPC files itWhite DeerF310.4 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.

Every tornado record filed for Carson County (92)
The 60 most recent of 92 tornadoes in Carson County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-05-26 White Deer, Carson County EFU 0.01 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2023-05-18 Pantex, Carson County EF0 0.09 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $19K
2020-06-19 Groom, Carson County EF0 0.43 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2020-06-19 Groom, Carson County EF0 0.71 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2020-03-30 Masterson, Carson County EFU 3.55 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2019-04-17 Pantex, Carson County EFU 1.97 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2018-06-12 Panhandle, Carson County EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2016-06-13 Masterson, Carson County EF2 3.72 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2015-11-16 Groom, Carson County EF0 0.22 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2015-11-16 Groom, Carson County EF2 9.05 mi x 175 yd 0 0 –
2015-04-16 Conway, Carson County EF0 2.25 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2012-12-14 Pantex, Carson County EF0 3 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2009-06-05 White Deer, Carson County EF0 1.29 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2009-04-29 Panhandle, Carson County EF0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $11K
2009-04-29 Mc Bride, Carson County EF1 0.9 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $21K
2007-04-21 Groom, Carson County EF2 12.38 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $102K
2005-06-09 White Deer, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-15 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2001-09-19 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-29 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-29 Conway, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-29 Conway, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-29 Panhandle, Carson County F3 10 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $417K
2001-05-29 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-29 Pomeroy, Carson County F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-04-30 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2001-04-10 Mc Bride, Carson County F1 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $50K
2000-06-25 Skellytown, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2000-06-25 Panhandle, Carson County F0 1.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1999-06-29 Conway, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1999-06-29 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1999-06-29 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1999-06-29 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1997-06-14 Skellytown, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1997-06-09 White Deer, Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-29 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-07 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1996-06-02 Conway, Carson County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1996-06-02 White Deer, Carson County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1996-05-24 Skellytown, Carson County F0 0.6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1995-07-02 Carson County F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1995-07-02 Panhandle, Carson County F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1995-05-22 White Deer, Carson County F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1993-04-28 Pantex, Carson County F1 2.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1992-06-27 Carson County F4 5 mi x 1,583 yd 0 0 $25M step
1992-04-16 Carson County F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1991-05-29 Carson County F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1991-05-29 Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1990-07-15 Carson County F0 1.9 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1990-07-15 Carson County F0 1.5 mi x 73 yd 0 0 –
1990-07-15 Carson County F0 1.2 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-08 Carson County F0 1.2 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-08 Carson County F0 1.2 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-08 Carson County F0 1 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-08 Carson County F2 2.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $250 step
1990-06-08 Carson County F0 0.9 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-08 Carson County F0 1.1 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-08 Carson County F0 0.8 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
1989-06-11 Carson County F1 4 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
1988-08-17 Carson County F0 0.1 mi x 30 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 Carson County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 17, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($60,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

Thunderstorm winds knocked down eight power poles near County Road M and 14.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1294436)
The 12 most recent records kept for Carson County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-29 Thunderstorm WindPantex, Carson County 54 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Thunderstorm WindPantex, Carson County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-25 Thunderstorm WindPantex, Carson County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-01 DroughtCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 –
2026-05-23 Thunderstorm WindPantex, Carson County 65 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-14 WildfireCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 –
2026-04-18 WildfireCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 –
2026-04-12 WildfireCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 –
2026-02-17 High WindCarson County · forecast zone Carson 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-01-23 Winter WeatherCarson County · forecast zone Carson 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Carson County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2005-12-18 Winter WeatherCarson County · forecast zone Carson A cold and moist airmass across the Texas panhandle resulted in an extended period of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle and dangerous driving conditions. Department of Public Safety officials cited weather as the primary cause of numerous accidents...which resulted in at least fifteen injuries and five ... 1 1 $32K
2016-06-15 Dust StormCarson County · forecast zone Carson Traffic pile up on Interstate 40. Reported to be caused by reduce visibility in blowing dust. Time estimated by radar. 1 0 –
2015-05-27 Dust StormCarson County · forecast zone Carson Shortly after 4:30 PM CDT, outflow from thunderstorms moved north reaching Interstate 40 west of Groom. Despite recent rains, the wind was able to loft dust reducing visibility causing a multiple vehicle chain reaction accident eastbound near mile marker 102 involving one SUV and five tractor trailers. The accident ... 1 0 –
2011-12-25 Winter WeatherCarson County · forecast zone Carson The Texas Department of Public Safety reported that one to two inches of snow in Carson county resulted in icy conditions which caused the driver of a pickup truck traveling eastbound on Interstate 40 near Groom, Texas on the Farm to Market Road 294 overpass to lose control of the vehicle around 0547CST. The vehicle ... 1 0 $33K
2007-11-24 Winter WeatherCarson County · forecast zone Carson A female motorist was killed when she lost control of her vehicle two miles west of Conway on Interstate 40 and was struck by a tractor-trailer. 1 0 –
1951-06-06 TornadoCarson County F3 10.4 mi x 100 yd 0 12 $250K step
1998-07-12 Thunderstorm WindConway, Carson County Four tractor trailer rigs were blown over on Interstate 40. Four people were taken to the hospital for treatment. 0 4 –
2017-03-06 WildfireCarson County · forecast zone Carson The Dumas Complex Wildfire was comprised of several merged wildfires including the Reclamation wildfire, the Willow Vista wildfire, the Bluebonnet wildfire, the East wildfire, and the Folsom wildfire. The Dumas Complex wildfire began around 1443CST about seven miles north of Claude Texas in Carson County. The wildfire ... 0 3 –

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.

The costliest records in Carson County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-03-12 WildfireCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 $84M
2012-11-01 DroughtCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 $39M
2013-05-01 DroughtCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 $19M
2013-08-01 DroughtCarson County · forecast zone Carson 0 0 $6.3M
2008-06-19 HailPantex, Carson County 2.00 in hail 0 0 $685K
2001-05-29 TornadoPanhandle, Carson County F3 10 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $417K
1995-07-02 HailPanhandle, Carson County 4.50 in hail 0 0 $387K
2000-03-07 Thunderstorm WindConway, Carson County 60 kt wind 0 0 $257K

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: June 27, 1992 (tornado, Carson 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 Carson 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).

Carson County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail411183214420814753
Severe thunderstorm wind131915584342
Tornadoes491110291775
High wind and dust storms––––1193034
Drought––––5529 z30
Winter storms––––719319

Drought in the 2010s: 29 records against 5 in the decade before, 29 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 Carson 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 1958 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 39 · Feb 48 · Mar 62 · Apr 185 · May 267 · Jun 322 · Jul 73 · Aug 61 · Sep 44 · Oct 35 · Nov 34 · Dec 38 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Carson County

FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Carson County: 8 major disasters, 6 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for fire (5) and severe ice storm (3).

Declarations including Carson County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2021-12-15FM-5422FireNorth 207 Fire
2021-02-19DR-4586Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-14EM-3554Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-03-25DR-4485BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3458BiologicalCovid-19
2011-07-01DR-1999FireWildfires
2008-03-14EM-3284FireWildfires
2006-01-11DR-1624FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-24DR-1606HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3261HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-02EM-3216HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2001-01-08DR-1356Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
1999-09-01EM-3142FireExtreme Fire Hazards
1998-08-26DR-1239Severe StormTropical Storm Charley
1992-07-02DR-949TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes

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 Carson County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Carson County from 2000 to 2025, on 17 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Carson County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $36,000 on 3 claims filed in Carson County; the most in one year was 1 in 2000. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

2000: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2015: 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 Carson County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Carson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.5 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Carson County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
DroughtRelatively High$5.9M83 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively Moderate$1.2M9.2 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$1.1Monce in about 146 years (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$124K10 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Low$1.2Mabout once a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$467K3.5 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$43Konce in about 3 years (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Low$512K2.5 a year (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Carson County

  1. Potter County 1,986
  2. Randall County 1,882
  3. Hutchinson County 1,233
  4. Carson County 1,208
  5. Gray County 1,179
  6. Moore County 993
  7. Donley County 811
  8. Armstrong County 779
  9. Roberts County 553

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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