Guadalupe County, Texas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48187 · population 172,522 · 711 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 507 records for Guadalupe County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 365 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (130 records). The deadliest single record is the October 17, 1998 flash flood: 4 deaths, 500 injuries and $9.2 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1972, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on July 6, 2025.

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
507on 365 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
10846 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$129Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
26strongest F3
FEMA declarations
23latest 2025

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 Guadalupe County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 130 since 1960. 58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 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.

Guadalupe County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 130 81 1960-2026 0 5 $13M 103 of 254
Hail 112 78 1955-2025 0 1 $20M 146 of 254
Floods 104 85 1997-2026 8 829 $92M 20 of 254
Drought 81 81 1996-2026 0 0 – 48 of 254
Tornadoes 26 24 1953-2026 0 11 $3.7M 117 of 254
Winter storms 26 26 1996-2026 0 0 – 104 of 254
Heat 10 10 2010-2024 2 0 – 112 of 254
Extreme cold 7 7 2021-2026 0 0 – 65 of 254
High wind and dust storms 4 3 2008-2022 0 0 $7K 120 of 254
Lightning 2 2 2009-2015 0 0 $150K 87 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 2 2 1997-2012 0 0 – 98 of 254
Wildfires 2 2 2022-2023 0 0 – 141 of 254
Hurricanes and tropical storms 1 1 2017-2017 0 0 $60K 79 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 Guadalupe County had?

NOAA records 26 tornadoes in Guadalupe County from 1953 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 11 injuries recorded in the county. That is 117th of 254 Texas counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Guadalupe County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 26, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Guadalupe County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1953-12-01 19:00, as SPC files itUnnamedF35.1 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.

Every tornado record filed for Guadalupe County (26)
Every tornado recorded in Guadalupe County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-05-26 New Berlin, Guadalupe County EF1 2.91 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
2023-10-26 Cibolo Kardys Airport, Guadalupe County EF0 2.02 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $19K
2022-03-21 Sullivan, Guadalupe County EF2 5.05 mi x 600 yd 0 0 –
2017-02-19 Dugger, Guadalupe County EF0 0.23 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2015-10-30 Zorn, Guadalupe County EF1 1.38 mi x 440 yd 0 0 –
2015-10-30 Seguin Guadalupe Arp, Guadalupe County EF2 8.3 mi x 440 yd 0 0 –
2007-07-21 Seguin, Guadalupe County EF2 2 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $71K
2004-06-29 New Berlin, Guadalupe County F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $125K
2001-11-15 New Braunfels, Guadalupe County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $83K
2000-03-26 Seguin, Guadalupe County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $26K
1999-01-01 Seguin, Guadalupe County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1998-02-10 Seguin, Guadalupe County F0 0.2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
1975-05-23 Guadalupe County F0 0 0 –
1973-01-20 Guadalupe County F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1972-05-16 Guadalupe County F1 5.6 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $25K step
1969-05-22 Guadalupe County F2 0 0 $3K step
1967-09-20 Guadalupe County 0 0 $250 step
1967-09-20 Guadalupe County F1 0 0 $3K step
1967-05-01 Guadalupe County F2 0.5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $3K step
1962-12-02 Guadalupe County F1 0.4 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $3K step
1962-10-28 Guadalupe County F1 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1961-09-04 Guadalupe County F2 1.9 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1960-08-20 Guadalupe County F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $3K step
1956-10-20 Guadalupe County F2 1 mi x 33 yd 0 1 $3K step
1955-05-15 Guadalupe County 0 0 –
1953-12-01 Guadalupe County F3 5.1 mi x 1,760 yd 0 10 $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.

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 Guadalupe County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 5, 2025 flash flood ($2.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars).

Thunderstorms produced heavy rain while slowly moving west across Guadalupe County. Rainfall totals of 4 to 7 inches were recorded with radar estimated totals as high as 9 inches in the Seguin area. The high rain rates caused flash flooding of low-lying and poor drainage areas, leading to at least a dozen water rescues and numerous road closures throughout the city and along I-10. Rapid rises were reported along Walnut and Geronimo Creek. 3 businesses and 2 homes were flooded with 6 to 12 inches of water. The worst flooding was experienced along US-90 Alternate where widespread inundation was observed. Several city parks and recreational facilities sustained damage. Flooding caused at least $2.5 million in damage to public infrastructure.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1288010)
The 12 most recent records kept for Guadalupe County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-01 DroughtGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-05-26 Flash FloodCibolo Kardys Airport, Guadalupe County 0 0 –
2026-05-26 Thunderstorm WindNew Berlin, Guadalupe County 54 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-26 TornadoNew Berlin, Guadalupe County EF1 2.91 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
2026-05-01 Flash FloodNew Berlin, Guadalupe County 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-03-01 DroughtGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-02-01 DroughtGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-01-26 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-01-25 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 0 –
2026-01-24 Winter WeatherGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 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 Guadalupe County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1998-10-17 Flash FloodCountywide, Guadalupe 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 ... 4 500 $9.2M
2001-11-15 Flash FloodCountywide, Guadalupe County Rainfall through the late afternoon brought totals across the county to 2 to 3 inches, with isolated amounts in the Seguin area to near 6 inches. Widespread flash flooding swept cars into low water crossings across the county. The occupants of a mobile-home park were forced to evacuate when flood waters threatened ... 1 5 $133K
2017-03-10 Flash FloodMarion, Guadalupe County Heavy rain during the evening of March 9 caused Santa Clara Creek to flood a low water crossing on the I-10 access road near exit 599. A car was swept off the road and a woman passenger was killed. 1 0 –
2013-05-25 Flash FloodSenertz, Guadalupe County An 18 year old male was killed when he unsuccessfully tried to cross a rain swollen Cibolo Creek around 4 pm. His body was recovered that evening near the area where he went missing. 1 0 –
2011-06-12 HeatGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe A three year old boy was discovered dead in the family car at his home in a rural part of Guadalupe County between New Berlin and La Vernia. High temperatures in the area were 99 at New Braunfels Airport, 99 at Randolf AFB, 101 at Stinson Municipal Airport, and 98 at San Antonio International Airport. The normal high ... 1 0 –
2010-06-04 HeatGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe A three year old boy was found dead in a family vehicle in the Sand Hills area of Guadalupe County. The high temperature was around 90 degrees and the heat index was between 95 and 97. 1 0 –
2007-03-11 Flash FloodSeguin, Guadalupe County Thunderstorms across the northern half of Guadalupe County produced general 2 inch rainfall with up to 6 inches near Kingsbury. Flash flooding closed FM20 and FM621, among many other area roads through the early morning hours. Three men and a woman were attempting to drive through a low area on Laubach Road around ... 1 0 –
1998-10-17 FloodGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe Flooding along the San Antonio River, Cibolo Creek and Geronimo CreekIn Bexar County, the San Antonio River begins just below Olmos Dam where it merges with spring flow. Two new flood tunnels on the San Antonio River and Apache Creek respectively saved downtown San Antonio and homes and businesses below Brackenridge ... 0 250 $9.2M
The costliest records in Guadalupe County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1998-10-17 FloodGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 50 $54M
2010-06-09 FloodClear Spg, Guadalupe County 0 0 $14M
1994-03-27 HailSchertz-Cibolo, Guadalupe County 0.75 in hail 0 1 $10M
1994-03-27 Thunderstorm WindSeguin, Guadalupe County 0 0 $10M
1998-10-17 Flash FloodCountywide, Guadalupe County 4 500 $9.2M
1998-10-17 FloodGuadalupe County · forecast zone Guadalupe 0 250 $9.2M
2025-07-05 Flash FloodSullivan, Guadalupe County 0 0 $2.5M
1997-06-22 Flash FloodCountywide, Guadalupe County 0 20 $735K

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: December 1, 1953 (tornado, Guadalupe 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 Guadalupe 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).

Guadalupe County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind029232193828
Hail149820231532
Floods––––964247
Drought––––542547
Tornadoes38302433
Winter storms––––24515 z

Winter storms in the 2020-26: 15 records against 5 in the decade before, 15 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 Guadalupe 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?

58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 33 · Feb 34 · Mar 54 · Apr 60 · May 88 · Jun 75 · Jul 33 · Aug 24 · Sep 24 · Oct 38 · Nov 24 · Dec 20 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Guadalupe County

FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Guadalupe County: 15 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (6) and hurricane (5).

Declarations including Guadalupe County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2025-07-06DR-4879FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2024-05-17DR-4781FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
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
2017-08-25DR-4332HurricaneHurricane Harvey
2015-11-25DR-4245Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2015-05-29DR-4223Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding
2010-06-29EM-3313HurricaneTropical Storm Alex
2008-03-14EM-3284FireWildfires
2007-06-29DR-1709Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2006-01-11DR-1624FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-24DR-1606HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3261HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-02EM-3216HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2002-07-04DR-1425FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
1999-09-01EM-3142FireExtreme Fire Hazards
1998-10-21DR-1257FloodTx-Flooding 10/18/98
1998-08-26DR-1239Severe StormTropical Storm Charley
1997-07-07DR-1179FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
1993-09-10EM-3113DroughtExtreme Fire Hazard
1972-05-20DR-333FloodSevere 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 Guadalupe County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 104 flood or flash flood records for Guadalupe County from 1997 to 2026, on 85 days, with 8 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Guadalupe County ranks 159th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $110 million on 2,456 claims filed in Guadalupe County; the most in one year was 876 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 2 · 1979: 10 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 31 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 6 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 4 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 20 · 1992: 7 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 11 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 9 · 1998: 876 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 25 · 2002: 637 · 2004: 360 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 33 · 2009: 9 · 2010: 273 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 12 · 2015: 71 · 2016: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 14 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 5 · 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 Guadalupe County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Guadalupe County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $124 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 Guadalupe County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Riverine FloodingRelatively High$100M2.9 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively High$10Monce in about 3 years (modeled)
LightningRelatively High$1.4M49 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$2.5M3 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$3.4M11 modeled event-days a year
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$318K2.6 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$1.0M75 modeled event-days a year
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$2.6Monce in about 2 years (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Guadalupe County

  1. Bexar County 1,629
  2. Hays County 593
  3. Comal County 571
  4. Guadalupe County 507
  5. Caldwell County 411
  6. Wilson County 341
  7. Gonzales County 334

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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