Hartley County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48205 · population 5,380 · 1,462 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 852 records for Hartley County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 571 days; the most frequent are hail reports (295 records). The deadliest single record is the January 3, 2015 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Hartley, which covers the county: 3 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1998, 11 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
- 852on 571 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 69 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $287Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 36strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 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 Hartley County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 295 since 1955. 65% of its hail reports since 1955 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 295 | 155 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $40K | 151 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 157 | 121 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 6 | $655K | 159 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 139 | 109 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 2 | $210K | 25 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 75 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 1 | $880K | 61 of 254 |
| Drought | 70 | 69 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $281M | 192 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 28 | 1950-2019 | 0 | 0 | $79K | 188 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 29 | 28 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | 17 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 26 | 2007-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 10 | 2005-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 254 |
| Floods | 9 | 8 | 2003-2019 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 246 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 161 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 Hartley County had?
NOAA records 36 tornadoes in Hartley County from 1950 to 2019, the strongest rated F2, 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 36 tornadoes whose track touched Hartley County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 36, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Hartley County (36)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-26 | Hartley County | EF0 5.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-26 | Hartley County | EF0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-06 | Channing, Hartley County | EF0 2.46 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-18 | Hartley County | EF0 1.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-18 | Hartley County | EF0 1.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-04 | Dalhart, Hartley County | EF0 0.52 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-25 | Channing, Hartley County | EF0 5.31 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-25 | Channing, Hartley County | EF0 1.73 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-21 | Channing, Hartley County | EF1 13.56 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2005-07-06 | Channing, Hartley County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-11 | Hartley County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-11 | Hartley County | F0 1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 1999-05-01 | Romero, Hartley County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-16 | Dalhart, Hartley County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-06-02 | Narrowa Visa To, Hartley County | F1 11 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-28 | Hartley County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-28 | Hartley County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-08-15 | Hartley County | F0 3 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-12 | Hartley County | F2 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-27 | Hartley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-27 | Hartley County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-05-12 | Hartley County | F0 3.6 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-05-10 | Hartley County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-10 | Hartley County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-06-08 | Hartley County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-06-08 | Hartley County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-05-16 | Hartley County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-08-14 | Hartley County | F1 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1968-05-30 | Hartley County | F0 1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-05-10 | Hartley County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-08-09 | Hartley County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-04 | Hartley County | F0 4.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1963-07-11 | Hartley County | F0 0.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-07-25 | Hartley County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1957-05-11 | Hartley County | F1 7.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1950-06-19 | Hartley County | F0 15.8 mi x 167 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 Hartley County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 8, 2025 hail ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindDalhart Municipal Ar, Hartley County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindDalhart Municipal Ar, Hartley County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindMiddle Water, Hartley County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | WildfireHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-17 | High WindHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-10 | HailDalhart, Hartley County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-17 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | High WindHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-03 | Winter StormHartley County · forecast zone Hartley Total snowfall amount of 6 inches at Dalhart. Local media reported 3 fatalities and 1 critical injury due to a weather related vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 54 northwest of Dumas. | 3 | 1 | – | |
| 2003-12-02 | Strong WindHartley County · forecast zone Hartley A strong gust of wind lifted a pickup truck and travel trailer off of the highway and into the path of another vehicle. The fatal accident occurred five and a half miles southwest of Dalhart on U.S. Highway 54. | 48 kt wind | 2 | 2 | $96K |
| 2013-04-02 | Winter WeatherHartley County · forecast zone Hartley One fatal wreck was reported east of Dalhart (Hartley County) involving a GMC pickup truck traveling westbound on FM 281. The pickup lost control on the slick roadway and rolled into a field. The driver of the vehicle was transported to a Hospital in Lubbock, but later succumbed to his injuries. The Dalhart ASOS ... | 1 | 0 | $13K | |
| 2008-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHartley County Law enforcement officials reported that a mobile home was destroyed by the thunderstorm wind gusts and also that four people were injured. An irrigation sprinkler was twisted and two foot diameter trees were uprooted. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $117K |
| 2008-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHartley County The thunderstorm wind gusts blew over a semi-trailer on U.S. Highway 87 and two people were injured. | 65 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $16K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-03-01 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2005-08-28 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | $17M | |
| 2013-08-01 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2013-02-01 | DroughtHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | $8.9M | |
| 2006-06-15 | WildfireHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 2006-06-15 | WildfireHartley County · forecast zone Hartley | 0 | 0 | $403K | |
| 2004-05-11 | Thunderstorm WindHartley County | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $281K |
| 2008-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHartley County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $117K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 4, 1965 (tornado, Hartley County); August 14, 1968 (tornado, Hartley County); May 12, 1975 (tornado, Hartley 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 Hartley 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 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 47 | 83 | 99 | 35 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 38 | 38 | 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 37 | 40 | 58 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 21 | 38 | 9 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 5 | 31 z | 29 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
Drought in the 2010s: 31 records against 5 in the decade before, 31 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 Hartley 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?
65% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 57 · Mar 58 · Apr 92 · May 174 · Jun 180 · Jul 62 · Aug 51 · Sep 32 · Oct 30 · Nov 30 · Dec 44 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hartley County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Hartley County: 7 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and hurricane (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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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 Hartley County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Hartley County from 2003 to 2019, on 8 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hartley County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3,535 on 1 claim filed in Hartley County; the most in one year was 1 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1995: 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 Hartley County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hartley County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.0 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 High | $6.1M | 130 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.9M | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $181K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $246K | once in about 369 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $727K | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $179K | 47 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $527K | once 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 Hartley 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 Hartley CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hartley County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis