El Paso County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48141 · population 864,454 · 1,014 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 763 records for El Paso County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 441 days; the most frequent are drought records (184 records). The deadliest single record is the January 6, 1997 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone El Paso, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1974, 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
- 763on 441 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1345 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $933Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 El Paso County most?
The most frequent records are drought records: 184 since 2011. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 184 | 68 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 158 of 254 |
| Hail | 159 | 84 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 10 | $594M | 175 of 254 |
| Floods | 154 | 126 | 1996-2026 | 6 | 3 | $302M | 18 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 124 | 98 | 1957-2026 | 1 | 30 | $1.4M | 128 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 113 | 102 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 2 | $22M | 10 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 9 | 8 | 1997-2021 | 3 | 0 | $7K | 224 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2012-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 4 | 1972-2019 | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | 240 of 254 |
| Heat | 4 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 195 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | 224 of 254 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | $91K | 145 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 El Paso County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in El Paso County from 1972 to 2019, the strongest rated F1, 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched El Paso County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for El Paso County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-22 | Clint, El Paso County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-21 | El Paso County | F1 0.6 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-06-21 | El Paso County | F1 1.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1992-06-21 | El Paso County | F1 0.5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-06-14 | El Paso County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-07-19 | El Paso County | F1 2 mi x 100 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 El Paso County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 27, 2026 high wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindAlamo Alto, El Paso County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindBiggs Afb, El Paso County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindEl Paso International Ar, El Paso County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodEl Paso International Ar, El Paso County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodEl Paso County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodEl Paso County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodEl Paso Sunland Airport, El Paso County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindEl Paso International Ar, El Paso County | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindBiggs Afb, El Paso County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | HailNewman, El Paso County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | High WindEl Paso County · forecast zone Eastern/Central El Paso County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | High WindEl Paso County · forecast zone Western El Paso County | 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-06 | Winter StormEl Paso County · forecast zone El Paso A major winter storm brought relatively heavy snow to Far West Texas. By more northerly standards, the 3 to 6 inches of snow that fell was not great however it produced significant problems for the local area. Interstate 10 between El Paso and Las Cruces, New Mexico was closed and numerous traffic accidents were ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-01-17 | High WindEl Paso County · forecast zone El Paso High winds did widespread but mostly minor damage across west Texas and Southern New Mexico. The most serious incident was a roof partially ripped off a supermarket in Anthony, TX killing three people. On Fort Bliss, at least 6.9 million dollars of damage was done, 80% as a result of damaged roofs. High winds also ... | 3 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2021-08-12 | Flash FloodEl Paso County Flash flooding occurred across central El Paso with a torrent of water flowing down the mountainside near Fort Blvd and Louisiana St. There was also significant water flow down Nashville St where two deaths were reported as a wall collapsed in the basement of a house and trapped a 2 year old and her 65 year old ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-28 | Flash FloodBiggs Afb, El Paso County The El Paso Police reported a large amount of mud and debris causing a road closure near Doniphan and Sunland Park Drive. The area around Paisano Drive and Executive had to be closed as well due to a large amount of water flooding the intersection. Water entered homes in parts of West El Paso as nearby drainage ponds ... | 1 | 0 | $545K | |
| 2014-09-22 | Flash FloodTobin, El Paso County Very heavy rain occurred over northeast and central El Paso with over 5 inches of rain reported in about 4 hours. Several water rescues were reported including at the intersection of Alcan and Fairbanks. Another water rescue was attempted at Vulcan and Diana but resulted in a fatality of a 64 year old woman. ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-04-19 | Flash FloodTobin, El Paso County Three people were rescued from a drainage canal near Valero gas station at Loop 375 and Gateway North. One lady was rescued from under 3 feet of hail and treated for hypothermia, but later died. Additional flooding was reported near Kenworthy and Salem Dr. with cars stalled out. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-08-02 | Flash FloodEl Paso County A cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms moved into central and downtown El Paso from the south, dropping 1.5 to 2 inches of rain at the rate of an inch in 10 minutes on the southern spine of the Franklin Mountains. The excessive runoff resulted in several cars being washed off streets, and the closure of ... | 1 | 0 | $328K | |
| 1993-08-03 | Thunderstorm WindEl Paso County Strong thunderstorms developed over portions of eastern New Mexico and far west Texas ahead of an outflow boundary during the early afternoon. One of the storms moved south over southeastern portions of El Paso producing a downburst that struck Horizon City (12 miles southeast of El Paso) collapsing the frame of a ... | 1 | 0 | $102K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-11-04 | HailSocorro, El Paso County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $369M |
| 2006-08-01 | Flash FloodNorthwest Portion, El Paso County | 0 | 0 | $264M | |
| 2009-09-16 | HailSocorro, El Paso County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 10 | $138M |
| 2006-08-01 | Flash FloodNorthwest Portion, El Paso County | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 2009-09-16 | HailSocorro, El Paso County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $28M |
| 1996-01-17 | High WindEl Paso County · forecast zone El Paso | 3 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2009-09-16 | HailSocorro, El Paso County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 2007-09-28 | HailEl Paso International Ar, El Paso County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11M |
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: June 21, 1992 (tornado, El Paso 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 El Paso 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 39 | 145 z |
| Hail | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 50 | 66 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 64 | 49 | 34 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 29 | 38 | 23 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 16 | 51 z | 39 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 145 records against 39 in the decade before, 145 of them forecast-zone records. High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 51 records against 16 in the decade before, 51 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 El Paso 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?
Records by month in El Paso County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 34 · Mar 40 · Apr 62 · May 69 · Jun 105 · Jul 128 · Aug 99 · Sep 86 · Oct 57 · Nov 25 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for El Paso County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include El Paso County: 7 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and fire (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 |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3290 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2006-08-15 | DR-1658 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 2003-02-01 | EM-3171 | Other | Loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1974-11-30 | DR-454 | 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 El Paso County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 154 flood or flash flood records for El Paso County from 1996 to 2026, on 126 days, with 6 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), El Paso County ranks 391st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.3 million on 780 claims filed in El Paso County; the most in one year was 256 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 7 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 3 · 1982: 3 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 9 · 1985: 4 · 1986: 6 · 1987: 7 · 1988: 6 · 1989: 3 · 1990: 12 · 1991: 6 · 1992: 4 · 1993: 4 · 1994: 5 · 1995: 6 · 1996: 23 · 1997: 5 · 1998: 7 · 1999: 4 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 11 · 2002: 14 · 2004: 15 · 2005: 9 · 2006: 256 · 2007: 21 · 2008: 47 · 2009: 8 · 2010: 19 · 2011: 11 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 36 · 2014: 75 · 2015: 10 · 2016: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 45 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 11 · 2026: 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 El Paso County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates El Paso County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $121 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | $2.3M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $7.0M | 49 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Very High | $15M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $14M | 7.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $70M | 4 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $2.0M | 40 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $4.9M | once in about 766 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with El Paso 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
- Drought in TexasThe state's drought records, 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 El Paso CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download El Paso County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis