Hays County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48209 · population 240,800 · 677 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 593 records for Hays County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 402 days; the most frequent are hail reports (180 records). The deadliest single record is the May 24, 2015 flash flood: 10 deaths and $125 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1970, 25 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
- 593on 402 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 16191 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $583Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Hays County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 180 since 1967. 69% of its hail reports since 1967 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 | 180 | 104 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 1 | $161M | 90 of 254 |
| Floods | 139 | 108 | 1997-2026 | 15 | 177 | $287M | 12 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 109 | 78 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $25M | 100 of 254 |
| Drought | 78 | 78 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 22 | 1953-2025 | 1 | 13 | $99M | 122 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 29 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 81 of 254 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 2018-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 118 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 113 of 254 |
| Lightning | 5 | 4 | 2010-2014 | 0 | 0 | $230K | 49 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 5 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | $8.4M | 67 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1996-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 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 Hays County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Hays County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 13 injuries recorded in the county. That is 122nd 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Hays County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-28 20:45, as SPC files it | San Antonio | F3 | 4.9 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Hays County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-12 | Wimberley, Hays County | EF0 0.58 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-12 | Wimberley, Hays County | EF0 1.36 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2017-02-19 | Neiderwald, Hays County | EF0 0.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-02-19 | Wimberley, Hays County | EF1 9.75 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-10-30 | San Marcos Lowman Ar, Hays County | EF1 0.9 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-23 | Mt Gaynor, Hays County | EF0 5.71 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-30 | Dripping Spgs, Hays County | EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-30 | Wimberley, Hays County | EF0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-01-13 | San Marcos, Hays County | F1 0.75 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2002-12-30 | San Marcos, Hays County | F0 1.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-10-08 | Driftwood, Hays County | F0 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $115K |
| 2001-11-15 | Kyle, Hays County | F1 3.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $833K |
| 2001-11-15 | Kyle, Hays County | F1 3.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $833K |
| 2001-11-15 | Wimberley, Hays County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2001-11-15 | Henly, Hays County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $83K |
| 1998-04-08 | Wimberley, Hays County | F0 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-08 | Wimberley, Hays County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-05-27 | Kyle, Hays County | F1 3.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1994-05-13 | Countywide, Hays County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1991-08-22 | Hays County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1985-04-22 | Hays County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-08-10 | Hays County | F2 24.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1976-03-30 | Hays County | F2 2.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-30 | Hays County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-05-10 | Hays County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-09-20 | Hays County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1967-09-20 | Hays County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1961-11-12 | Hays County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1958-05-02 | Hays County | F1 7.4 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1954-04-30 | Hays County | F1 15 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1953-04-28 | Hays County | F3 4.9 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 5 | $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 Hays County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 9, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-15 | Flash FloodDriftwood, Hays County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-02 | HailBuda, Hays County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindBuda, Hays County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindBuda, Hays County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindBuda, Hays County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtHays County · forecast zone Hays | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-24 | Flash FloodWimberley, Hays County Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding. Rainfall totals of 10 to 13 inches were reported upstream in southern Blanco County and all of this water entered the Blanco River and Little Blanco River. The Fischer Store Rd. bridge over the Blanco River was destroyed by flood waters west of Wimberley. ... | 10 | 0 | $125M | |
| 1997-06-08 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hays County As a result of general 3 to 4 inch rainfall in less than 4 hours, and isolated totals near 5 inches, widespread flash flooding developed along the Blanco River across southern Blanco and Southern Hays Counties from Blanco to Wimberly. In all, over 40 homes in Hays County were flooded by the heavy rainfall and over 40 ... | 2 | 7 | $4.7M | |
| 1953-04-28 | TornadoHays County | F3 4.9 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 5 | $250K step |
| 2019-05-03 | Flash FloodDripping Spgs, Hays County A man's car was swept off the road due to fast moving water at the 3300 block of Bell Springs road. The man's body was recovered the following day after the water had receded. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-03-11 | Flash FloodWimberley, Hays County Between 3 and 5 inches of rain fell across northwest Hays county with the heaviest rainfall observed near Henley. Flash flooding closed FM12, FM165, and FM150. A man was traveling northward in his truck toward Dripping Springs when it was swept into Onion Creek. He was unable to make it to safety and drowned. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-11-14 | Flash FloodSan Marcos, Hays County The Blanco River rose to above bankfull stage late on the evening of November 14, but remained below flood stage. Two people attempted to drive through a low water crossing on Post Oak Road where the Blanco River crosses just south of Kyle. The car was swept into the river and washed downstream. The man was rescued ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-10-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hays 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 | 100 | $996K | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodHays County · forecast zone Hays Flooding along the Blanco RiverAt Wimberley, the Blanco River crested at 26.7 feet, with flood stage at 13 feet. Several businesses in Wimberley were flooded. The worst flooding was along Cypress Creek, which may well have been produced as the Blanco River backed up into the Wimberley business district, and runoff ... | 0 | 25 | $7.3M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-04-20 | HailSan Marcos, Hays County | 4.25 in hail | 0 | 1 | $146M |
| 2015-05-24 | Flash FloodWimberley, Hays County | 10 | 0 | $125M | |
| 2003-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindSan Marcos, Hays County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1994-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindSan Marcos, Hays County | 0 | 0 | $10.0M | |
| 1998-10-17 | FloodHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 25 | $7.3M | |
| 1997-06-08 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hays County | 2 | 7 | $4.7M | |
| 2023-02-01 | Winter StormHays County · forecast zone Hays | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 1994-04-05 | HailWimbereley, Hays County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
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: August 10, 1980 (tornado, Hays 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 Hays 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 | 15 | 16 | 32 | 16 | 56 | 43 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 59 | 46 | 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 22 | 30 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 23 | 46 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
69% of its hail reports since 1967 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 31 · Mar 50 · Apr 83 · May 139 · Jun 78 · Jul 30 · Aug 34 · Sep 29 · Oct 40 · Nov 30 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hays County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Hays County: 16 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 4 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (7) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-17 | DR-4781 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-04-21 | DR-4705 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2015-11-25 | DR-4245 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2013-12-20 | DR-4159 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-03-14 | FM-2751 | Fire | Old Bastrop Highway Fire Complex |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2006-11-15 | FM-2680 | Fire | Rim Rock Fire |
| 2006-01-11 | DR-1624 | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat |
| 2006-01-11 | FM-2617 | Fire | Niederwald Fire |
| 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 |
| 2001-01-05 | FM-2352 | Fire | Tx - Amhurst Street Fire - 09/04/00 |
| 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 |
| 1997-07-07 | DR-1179 | Flood | Severe Storms 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 |
| 1970-05-13 | DR-286 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Windstorms & 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 Hays County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 139 flood or flash flood records for Hays County from 1997 to 2026, on 108 days, with 15 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hays County ranks 245th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $71.7 million on 1,489 claims filed in Hays County; the most in one year was 731 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 21 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 114 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 32 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 3 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 8 · 1992: 1 · 1997: 24 · 1998: 254 · 2000: 3 · 2001: 59 · 2002: 15 · 2004: 7 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 13 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 6 · 2012: 6 · 2013: 85 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 731 · 2016: 20 · 2017: 23 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 39 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 1 · 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 Hays County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hays County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $109 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 High | $5.0M | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $19M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.3M | 49 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $720K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.1M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $68M | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.5M | 10 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.5M | 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 Hays 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 Hays CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hays County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis