Erath County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48143 · population 42,536 · 1,083 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 734 records for Erath County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 443 days; the most frequent are hail reports (316 records). The deadliest single record is the April 24, 2019 flash flood: 3 deaths, 1 injury and $12,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1990, 16 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
- 734on 443 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 59 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $82Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 46strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Erath County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 316 since 1955. 65% of its hail reports since 1955 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 | 316 | 154 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 105 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 144 | 110 | 1971-2025 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 122 of 254 |
| Drought | 85 | 85 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 127 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 46 | 32 | 1950-2025 | 0 | 2 | $62M | 135 of 254 |
| Floods | 44 | 34 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 1 | $971K | 150 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 41 | 39 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 2 | $941K | 106 of 254 |
| Heat | 40 | 38 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 86 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 89 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 4 | $1.3M | 118 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1997-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 97 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 170 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 Erath County had?
NOAA records 46 tornadoes in Erath County from 1950 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 2 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 46 tornadoes whose track touched Erath County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 46, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-05-12 14:10, as SPC files it | Lipan | F3 | 9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Erath County (46)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-19 | Clairette, Erath County | EF1 6.77 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2022-12-13 | Bluff Dale, Erath County | EF1 0.66 mi x 44 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-03-08 | Stephenville, Erath County | EF1 2.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $615K |
| 2016-03-08 | Dublin, Erath County | EF0 0.29 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
| 2015-05-09 | Huckabay, Erath County | EF0 0.29 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-26 | Clark Field Steph, Erath County | EF0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-26 | Dublin Campbell Airport, Erath County | EF0 1.26 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-25 | Bluff Dale, Erath County | EF0 0.65 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-14 | Dublin, Erath County | EF0 0.25 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-04-23 | Sapoak, Erath County | EF0 4.97 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2008-04-23 | Sapoak, Erath County | EF0 2.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2007-03-30 | Huckabay, Erath County | EF0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-12-29 | Stephenville, Erath County | F0 1.41 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-12-29 | Stephenville, Erath County | F0 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2006-12-29 | Alexander, Erath County | F1 8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2002-03-30 | Chalk Mtn, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-01 | Dublin, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-01 | Morgan Mill, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1996-10-21 | Thurber, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-07 | Stephenville, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1994-04-26 | Alexander, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1994-04-26 | Hico, Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-25 | Erath County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-25 | Erath County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-25 | Erath County | F2 2.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1989-05-02 | Erath County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-09-29 | Erath County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-04-18 | Erath County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-02-26 | Erath County | F1 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-06-20 | Erath County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-15 | Erath County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-05-12 | Erath County | F1 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-05-12 | Erath County | F3 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1982-05-12 | Erath County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-06-20 | Erath County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-04-24 | Erath County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-04-24 | Erath County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-05-31 | Erath County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-05-31 | Erath County | F2 4.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-04-19 | Erath County | F2 11.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-04-28 | Erath County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-05-30 | Erath County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-03-20 | Erath County | F1 0.5 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-05-04 | Erath County | F1 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1960-05-04 | Erath County | F2 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1950-02-12 | Erath County | F1 2.3 mi x 233 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 Erath County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 10, 2026 hail ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Multiple sources reported golf ball to baseball sized hail was falling in Dublin for nearly 10 minutes.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1334639)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | HeatErath County · forecast zone Erath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | HailMorgan Mill, Erath County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailDublin, Erath County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-05-10 | HailDublin, Erath County | 2.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2026-05-10 | HailHighland, Erath County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2026-05-10 | HailBunyan, Erath County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormErath County · forecast zone Erath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillErath County · forecast zone Erath | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Thunderstorm WindClark Field Steph, Erath County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | Flash FloodStephenville, Erath County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-08 | HailClark Field Steph, Erath County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-08 | HailPatilo, Erath County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-24 | Flash FloodDublin Comm Airport, Erath County Erath County Sheriff's Department reported that a vehicle was swept off the road after driving into high water along Highway 1702 approximately 3 miles south of the city of Dublin, TX. A mother and her two children drowned. The name of the creek that was over the road was Kirkendell Creek. | 3 | 1 | $12K | |
| 2011-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillErath County · forecast zone Erath A man was found frozen to death near Wright Historical Park in Dublin. The man was discovered the morning of February 1st. A cold front had come through during the night with temperatures falling into the teens by daybreak and strong north winds sustained at 20-25 mph with higher gusts. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-12-24 | Winter StormErath County · forecast zone Erath The Sheriff's Department in Stephenville reported 2 of snow, but up to 6 of snow was reported in the northern half of the county; including Dublin. Strong winds created blowing snow at times during the afternoon hours and snow drifts up to a foot in some places. The biggest impact came at night when the snow froze on ... | 1 | 0 | $103K | |
| 2022-03-20 | WildfireErath County · forecast zone Erath The Big L Fire burned 10,177 acres along the Erath and Hood County line between Bluff Dale and Lipan. One firefighter suffered first degree burns. Six homes were also lost in this fire. | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 1982-05-12 | TornadoErath County | F3 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2013-12-05 | Winter StormErath County · forecast zone Erath Up to 3.5 of ice and sleet accumulated in Erath County. Most of the accumulations were due to sleet and the heaviest amounts were located across the northern portions of the county. The COOP Observer in Chalk Mountain reported 3.5 of sleet. Amateur radio reported 1 of ice and sleet in Stephenville, and a retired NWS ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2011-02-01 | Ice StormErath County · forecast zone Erath One to two inches of sleet and snow fell across Erath County. The sleet and ice made travel treacherous around the county. Many trucks got stuck on Highway 6 west of Dublin. Most of the vehicle incidents reported were due to stuck vehicles or vehicles that had slid off the roadway, but one person was injured when ... | 0 | 1 | $197K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindErath County | 0 | 0 | $10.0M | |
| 2006-01-02 | WildfireErath County · forecast zone Erath | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2025-04-19 | TornadoClairette, Erath County | EF1 6.77 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2007-07-08 | Flash FloodStephenville, Erath County | 0 | 0 | $712K | |
| 2016-03-08 | TornadoStephenville, Erath County | EF1 2.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $615K |
| 2010-02-11 | Heavy SnowErath County · forecast zone Erath | 0 | 0 | $474K | |
| 2021-05-10 | HailStephenville, Erath County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2011-02-01 | Ice StormErath County · forecast zone Erath | 0 | 1 | $197K |
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: April 25, 1990 (tornado, Erath 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 Erath 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 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 114 | 63 | 51 | 44 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 58 | 30 | 24 | 10 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 16 | 44 | 23 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 15 | 16 | 9 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 17 | 13 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
65% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 34 · Feb 38 · Mar 56 · Apr 180 · May 140 · Jun 104 · Jul 25 · Aug 37 · Sep 36 · Oct 47 · Nov 13 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Erath County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Erath County: 11 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and fire (4).
| 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 |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2016-03-19 | DR-4266 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-03-14 | 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 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1990-05-02 | DR-863 | 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 Erath County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 44 flood or flash flood records for Erath County from 1996 to 2025, on 34 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Erath County ranks 2075th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $670,000 on 21 claims filed in Erath County; the most in one year was 8 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1990: 1 · 2008: 5 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 8 · 2016: 2 · 2020: 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 Erath County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Erath County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $33.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $8.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $3.9M | once in about 198 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $470K | 50 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $391K | 58 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $585K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $14M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $505K | 6.6 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 Erath 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 Erath CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Erath County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis