Gonzales County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48177 · population 19,595 · 1,067 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 334 records for Gonzales County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 269 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (106 records). The most damaging was the October 17, 1998 flood ($15.4 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1967, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on May 17, 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
- 334on 269 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 0740 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Gonzales County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 106 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 106 | 87 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 730 | $34M | 38 of 254 |
| Drought | 67 | 67 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 166 of 254 |
| Hail | 53 | 42 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 0 | $17K | 235 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 53 | 48 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | 209 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 16 | 1955-2007 | 0 | 4 | $11M | 203 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 12 | 12 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 208 of 254 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 133 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 153 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 4 | 1997-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 84 of 254 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 6 | $212K | 86 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | $120K | 118 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 194 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 Gonzales County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Gonzales County from 1955 to 2007, the strongest rated F2, 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched Gonzales County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Gonzales County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-09-04 | Gonzales County | EF0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-11-12 | Cheapside, Gonzales County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2000-11-12 | Dilworth, Gonzales County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-01-01 | Leesville, Gonzales County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-07-14 | Gonzales County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1998-03-07 | Smiley, Gonzales County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-02-19 | Gonzales County | F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-06-06 | Gonzales County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1982-05-06 | Gonzales County | F1 7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1975-04-29 | Gonzales County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-10-11 | Gonzales County | F2 7.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-05-07 | Gonzales County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-05-07 | Gonzales County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-09-20 | Gonzales County | 0 | 1 | $250K step | |
| 1967-09-20 | Gonzales County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-09-20 | Gonzales County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1965-05-18 | Gonzales County | F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-05-18 | Gonzales County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-06-03 | Gonzales County | F1 0.8 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1959-06-14 | Gonzales County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1955-03-20 | Gonzales County | F1 6.2 mi x 400 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 Gonzales County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 26, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindGonzales County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-01 | HailBelmont, Gonzales County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-12 | Flash FloodDilworth, Gonzales County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | HailLeesville, Gonzales County | 0.88 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Gonzales 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 | 500 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales Flooding along the Guadalupe RiverThe Guadalupe River at New Braunfels crested at 35.1 feet, with flood stage at 7 feet. This was over three feet higher than the disastrous flood of May 12, 1972. Homes were destroyed, moved downstream, or severely damaged from just below Sattler, near the Bear Creek confluence, across ... | 0 | 150 | $15M | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales Flooding along the San Marcos RiverIn Hays County, the flooding along the San Marcos River was most devastating to the eastern part of San Marcos, with many permanent homes flooded and several mobile homes washed from their sites, Homes and apartments were flooded along the San Marcos River on Riverside and Riviera ... | 0 | 50 | $15M | |
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Gonzales 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 | 30 | $1.3M | |
| 1999-09-25 | LightningGonzales County In Gonzales, lightning struck a tree near where a crowd of people had gathered. Several people in the group were injured by the strike, including a 12-year old girl who was standing under the tree. The girl was knocked unconscious, and was taken to a local hospital where she was listed in critical condition with ... | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 1962-06-03 | TornadoGonzales County | F1 0.8 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1984-06-06 | TornadoGonzales County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1967-09-20 | TornadoGonzales County | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-10-17 | FloodGonzales County · forecast zone Gonzales | 0 | 150 | $15M | |
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Gonzales County | 0 | 30 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-10-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Gonzales County | 0 | 500 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-07-14 | TornadoGonzales County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2020-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindSaturn, Gonzales County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2026-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindGonzales County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2000-11-12 | TornadoCheapside, Gonzales County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2010-06-02 | HailGonzales County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $7K |
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: May 6, 1982 (tornado, Gonzales 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 Gonzales 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 67 | 9 | 13 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 3 | 21 | 38 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
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 Gonzales County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 20 · Mar 26 · Apr 29 · May 55 · Jun 30 · Jul 34 · Aug 24 · Sep 18 · Oct 22 · Nov 31 · Dec 9 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Gonzales County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Gonzales County: 15 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and hurricane (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-17 | DR-4781 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-07-04 | DR-1425 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1967-09-28 | DR-232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beulah |
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 Gonzales County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 106 flood or flash flood records for Gonzales County from 1996 to 2026, on 87 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Gonzales County ranks 891st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.4 million on 219 claims filed in Gonzales County; the most in one year was 80 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 10 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 8 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 2 · 1998: 80 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 27 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 45 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 8 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 12 · 2017: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2023: 1 · 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 Gonzales County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gonzales County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $36.8 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $26M | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 68 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.9M | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $707K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $308K | 52 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 Gonzales 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
- Floods in TexasThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Gonzales CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Gonzales County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis