Fayette County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48149 · population 24,410 · 950 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 376 records for Fayette County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 269 days; the most frequent are hail reports (95 records). The deadliest single record is the February 13, 2021 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Fayette, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1972, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Beryl” on July 9, 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
- 376on 269 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 420 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $79Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 32strongest 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 Fayette County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 95 since 1963. 53% of its hail reports since 1963 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 | 95 | 55 | 1963-2025 | 0 | 0 | $109K | 212 of 254 |
| Floods | 89 | 65 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 15 | $62M | 62 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 64 | 51 | 1977-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 198 of 254 |
| Drought | 58 | 58 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 171 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 26 | 1954-2021 | 0 | 4 | $14M | 150 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 20 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 165 of 254 |
| Heat | 6 | 6 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 135 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 165 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1998-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 95 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2015-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2011-2018 | 1 | 0 | $1.3M | 167 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 1 | $14K | 197 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 Fayette County had?
NOAA records 32 tornadoes in Fayette County from 1954 to 2021, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 4 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Fayette County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 32: 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 Fayette County (32)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-18 | Swiss Alp, Fayette County | EF1 3.27 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2019-05-03 | Plum, Fayette County | EF2 2.44 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.6M |
| 2019-05-03 | Praha, Fayette County | EF0 0.89 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2019-05-03 | Engle, Fayette County | EF0 4.17 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2015-05-25 | Freyburg, Fayette County | EF1 4.06 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-11-23 | La Grange, Fayette County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-30 | La Grange, Fayette County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2002-12-23 | Ledbetter, Fayette County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $246K |
| 2000-11-12 | West Pt, Fayette County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-05 | Engle, Fayette County | F1 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 1995-03-13 | La Grange, Fayette County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 1991-04-17 | Fayette County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1988-09-17 | Fayette County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-04-29 | Fayette County | F1 4.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-06-01 | Fayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-06-01 | Fayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-10-11 | Fayette County | F2 1.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1973-07-06 | Fayette County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-11-22 | Fayette County | F1 12.3 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-02-25 | Fayette County | F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1971-02-25 | Fayette County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-02-25 | Fayette County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-02-25 | Fayette County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-05-15 | Fayette County | F1 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-09-22 | Fayette County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-09-21 | Fayette County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1967-09-20 | Fayette County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-01-21 | Fayette County | F2 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-10-18 | Fayette County | F1 5.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1959-06-03 | Fayette County | F1 7.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1954-04-30 | Fayette County | F2 12.8 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-04-14 | Fayette County | F1 2 mi x 17 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 Fayette County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-12 | Flash FloodSchulenburg, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-12 | Thunderstorm WindSchulenburg, Fayette County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-31 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-13 | Winter StormFayette County · forecast zone Fayette TxDOT reported ice on bridges and overpasses in and around La Grange according to the drivetexas.org website. Following the ice event, snow fell on the 14th and 15th. Snow totals included 5.5′ in La Grange and 3.5′ in Muldoon. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-03-10 | WildfireFayette County · forecast zone Fayette A volunteer firefighter was badly burned fighting a large grass fire on Tobias Rd. near Cordes Rd. in Ellinger on March 10th. He died from his injuries on March 23rd at a hospital in San Antonio. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-04-25 | FloodWarda, Fayette County An elderly man was working on a fence and may have hit his head and fell into a creek and drown. The creek had flowing water from recent rains. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-04-17 | Flash FloodSchulenburg, Fayette County A law enforcement official reported a stalled car in an underpass in Schulenburg with the water rising rapidly. The car was on Highway 77 and the car stalled while going underneath the railroad underpass. An elderly couple was in the car. The woman was rescued, the elderly man drowned. | 1 | 0 | $14K | |
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Fayette 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 ... | 0 | 10 | $905K | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodFayette County · forecast zone Fayette Flooding along the Colorado River.The Colorado River at Bastrop reached a crest of 32.3 feet, with flood stage 25 feet, flooding a golf course. At Smithville, the Colorado crested at 34.6 feet, where flood stage is 20 feet. Just upstream from Smithville, Pecan Shores Estates and Hidden Valley Estates experienced ... | 0 | 5 | $543K | |
| 1960-10-18 | TornadoFayette County | F1 5.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2009-04-02 | Strong WindFayette County · forecast zone Fayette Metal tent poles and camping equipment were blown into nearby recreational vehicles causing minor damage in Round Rock. One person was hit in the head by a flying tent pole. | 35 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $14K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-08-27 | FloodRabbs Prairie, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $60M | |
| 2019-05-03 | TornadoPlum, Fayette County | EF2 2.44 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.6M |
| 2011-09-05 | WildfireFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Fayette County | 0 | 10 | $905K | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 5 | $543K | |
| 2002-12-23 | TornadoLedbetter, Fayette County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $246K |
| 2021-05-18 | TornadoSwiss Alp, Fayette County | EF1 3.27 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2019-05-03 | TornadoEngle, Fayette County | EF0 4.17 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
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: April 17, 1991 (tornado, Fayette 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 Fayette 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 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 12 | 29 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 46 | 21 | 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 3 | 20 | 30 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its hail reports since 1963 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 32 · Mar 28 · Apr 58 · May 70 · Jun 49 · Jul 13 · Aug 22 · Sep 15 · Oct 19 · Nov 28 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fayette County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Fayette County: 15 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (6) and fire (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 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 |
| 2016-04-25 | DR-4269 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-09-09 | DR-4029 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 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 |
| 1999-11-22 | FM-2287 | Fire | Jordan Creek Fire |
| 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 |
| 1996-02-23 | EM-3117 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1994-10-18 | DR-1041 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms and Flooding |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-930 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms |
| 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 Fayette County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 89 flood or flash flood records for Fayette County from 1996 to 2026, on 65 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fayette County ranks 1159th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Harvey | 2017-08-27 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $8.4 million on 133 claims filed in Fayette County; the most in one year was 57 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1981: 8 · 1983: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 8 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 14 · 2004: 4 · 2007: 1 · 2009: 3 · 2012: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 12 · 2017: 57 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 12 · 2024: 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 Fayette County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fayette County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $549K | 50 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.8M | once in about 14 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $403K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $9.2M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $471K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $235K | 56 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 Fayette 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 Fayette CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fayette County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis