PlainHazard

Deaf Smith County, Texas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48117 · population 18,563 · 1,497 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 933 records for Deaf Smith County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 542 days; the most frequent are hail reports (349 records). The most damaging was the November 1, 2012 drought ($25.7 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
933on 542 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
034 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$174Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
41strongest F3
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 Deaf Smith County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 349 since 1956. 70% of its hail reports since 1956 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.

Deaf Smith County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 349 186 1956-2026 0 0 $597K 123 of 254
Severe thunderstorm wind 184 115 1962-2026 0 0 $1.0M 167 of 254
High wind and dust storms 149 84 1996-2026 0 2 $53K 33 of 254
Drought 69 69 1996-2026 0 0 $168M 193 of 254
Winter storms 60 59 1996-2026 0 0 $846K 94 of 254
Tornadoes 41 32 1957-2025 0 24 $3.2M 179 of 254
Floods 25 18 1998-2025 0 0 $554K 231 of 254
Extreme cold 24 24 2007-2021 0 0 – 43 of 254
Wildfires 21 20 2006-2022 0 8 $481K 28 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 6 6 2013-2014 0 0 – 78 of 254
Heavy rain 5 4 2013-2019 0 0 – 99 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 Deaf Smith County had?

NOAA records 41 tornadoes in Deaf Smith County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 24 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 41 tornadoes whose track touched Deaf Smith County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 41, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Deaf Smith County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1971-04-19 00:30, as SPC files itHerefordF36.1 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.

Every tornado record filed for Deaf Smith County (41)
Every tornado recorded in Deaf Smith County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-06-04 Simms, Deaf Smith County EF0 0.83 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $45K
2025-04-25 Bootleg, Deaf Smith County EFU 1.11 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2025-04-25 Hereford, Deaf Smith County EF1 0.59 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $50K
2020-06-22 Milo Center, Deaf Smith County EF0 1.29 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2015-06-12 Hereford, Deaf Smith County EF0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2013-05-28 Walcott, Deaf Smith County EF0 2.06 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2013-05-28 Bootleg, Deaf Smith County EF0 2.14 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2006-07-28 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 3 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2006-06-21 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2005-06-11 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $53K
2005-06-11 Dawn, Deaf Smith County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2003-06-03 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2003-06-03 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2002-08-30 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2002-05-05 Dawn, Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2002-05-05 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2000-05-25 Dawn, Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-28 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1996-05-25 Hereford, Deaf Smith County F2 3 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $282K
1989-05-15 Deaf Smith County F0 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1982-05-09 Deaf Smith County F0 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $30 step
1981-07-07 Deaf Smith County F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1978-05-31 Deaf Smith County F0 2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1978-05-26 Deaf Smith County F0 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1978-05-26 Deaf Smith County F0 2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $250K step
1978-05-25 Deaf Smith County F0 6.1 mi x 60 yd 0 0 $250K step
1976-04-15 Deaf Smith County F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $25K step
1974-05-24 Deaf Smith County F1 3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1972-07-02 Deaf Smith County F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1972-06-21 Deaf Smith County F1 1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1972-06-21 Deaf Smith County F1 5.9 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1971-04-19 Deaf Smith County F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $3K step
1971-04-19 Deaf Smith County F3 6.1 mi x 133 yd 0 24 –
1968-05-31 Deaf Smith County F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd 0 0 –
1967-06-01 Deaf Smith County F2 4.7 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –
1967-03-19 Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1967-03-19 Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1964-06-12 Deaf Smith County F0 0.5 mi x 13 yd 0 0 –
1960-06-10 Deaf Smith County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1958-06-16 Deaf Smith County F1 3.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $3K step
1957-05-24 Deaf Smith County F0 1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $30 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 Deaf Smith County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 hail ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

A supercell thunderstorm moved from Oldham County into Deaf Smith County, producing baseball size hail.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1339788)
The 12 most recent records kept for Deaf Smith County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-24 Thunderstorm WindHereford Municipal Airport, Deaf Smith County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-24 Thunderstorm WindWalcott, Deaf Smith County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-23 HailDawn, Deaf Smith County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $5K
2026-06-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 –
2026-05-26 Strong WindDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 43 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-14 Thunderstorm WindHereford, Deaf Smith County 55 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-14 Thunderstorm WindWalcott, Deaf Smith County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-14 Thunderstorm WindWalcott, Deaf Smith County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 –
2026-04-17 High WindDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 53 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 –
2026-03-17 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1971-04-19 TornadoDeaf Smith County F3 6.1 mi x 133 yd 0 24 –
2006-05-20 WildfireDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith A wildfire sixteen miles north-northwest of Bootleg burned four thousand eight hundred and eighty acres. Four people were injured along with two homes saved but one home destroyed. Also...five outbuildings were saved but one outbuilding was destroyed. 0 4 $146K
2012-05-05 WildfireDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith A wildfire began approximately 1320CST about seven miles southeast of Hereford Texas in southeastern Deaf Smith county. The wildfire started in a pasture near County Road EE and County Road 1 and consumed an estimated six hundred and forty acres. The wildfire destroyed a house that was being remodeled and three ... 0 3 $103K
2009-12-08 High WindDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith A winter storm moved across the southern Texas Panhandle during the morning which produced some freezing rain or freezing drizzle. The icy roads in the south central Texas Panhandle were the cause of a fatality during the early morning hours. The storm later caused high winds during the afternoon which caused some ... 52 kt wind 0 2 –
2011-01-02 WildfireDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith The Pheasant Hunters 2 Wildfire began around 1313 CST about nine miles west of Hereford Texas in Deaf Smith county. The wildfire was reported to be under control around 1820 CST and was located near County Road 6 and County Road L. The wildfire consumed an estimated four hundred and fifty acres, and no structures were ... 0 1 $20K
The costliest records in Deaf Smith County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2012-11-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 $26M
2012-12-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 $19M
2013-06-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 $15M
2013-01-01 DroughtDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 0 $13M
2003-06-20 Thunderstorm WindHereford, Deaf Smith County 90 kt wind 0 0 $449K
2004-09-27 Flash FloodHereford, Deaf Smith County 0 0 $422K
1996-05-25 TornadoHereford, Deaf Smith County F2 3 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $282K
2006-05-20 WildfireDeaf Smith County · forecast zone Deaf Smith 0 4 $146K

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 25, 1978 (tornado, Deaf Smith County); May 26, 1978 (tornado, Deaf Smith 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 Deaf Smith 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).

Deaf Smith County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail9119124510811342
Severe thunderstorm wind021055487935
High wind and dust storms––––1506335
Drought––––5519 z40
Winter storms––––8152611
Tornadoes2611321034

Drought in the 2010s: 19 records against 5 in the decade before, 19 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 Deaf Smith 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?

70% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 33 · Feb 44 · Mar 63 · Apr 113 · May 191 · Jun 228 · Jul 72 · Aug 54 · Sep 29 · Oct 30 · Nov 29 · Dec 47 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Deaf Smith County

FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Deaf Smith County: 9 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and severe ice storm (3).

Declarations including Deaf Smith County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
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
2016-02-09DR-4255Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
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
1992-09-09DR-960Severe StormExcessive 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.

How many floods has Deaf Smith County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Deaf Smith County from 1998 to 2025, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Deaf Smith County ranks 2358th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $33,000 on 10 claims filed in Deaf Smith County; the most in one year was 5 in 1990. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1984: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 5 · 2012: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2023: 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 Deaf Smith County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Deaf Smith County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.8 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Deaf Smith County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
DroughtRelatively High$4.2M110 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively High$4.3M6.6 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively High$407K11 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$1.4M2.8 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$4.8M2.3 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.2M1 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$654Konce in about 209 years (modeled)
LightningRelatively Low$110K49 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 Deaf Smith County

  1. Potter County 1,986
  2. Randall County 1,882
  3. Quay County, NM 1,009
  4. Curry County, NM 992
  5. Deaf Smith County 933
  6. Castro County 777
  7. Oldham County 770
  8. Parmer County 693

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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