Hill County, Texas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48217 · population 35,826 · 959 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 787 records for Hill County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 509 days; the most frequent are hail reports (310 records). The deadliest single record is the March 10, 1973 tornado: 6 deaths and 75 injuries. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1968, 23 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
787on 509 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
16185 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
61strongest F4
FEMA declarations
25latest 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 Hill County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 310 since 1955. 57% of its hail reports since 1955 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.

Hill County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 310 171 1955-2026 0 0 $3.7M 64 of 254
Severe thunderstorm wind 159 116 1956-2026 0 11 $2.4M 94 of 254
Drought 87 86 1996-2026 0 0 $3.0M 100 of 254
Floods 62 44 1997-2025 0 0 $2.6M 107 of 254
Tornadoes 61 47 1957-2025 13 165 $33M 58 of 254
Heat 55 53 1998-2026 1 0 – 60 of 254
Winter storms 30 30 1996-2026 0 8 $963K 123 of 254
Extreme cold 8 8 2019-2026 2 0 $626K 88 of 254
Heavy rain 6 6 1997-2002 0 0 – 52 of 254
Lightning 3 3 2003-2015 0 0 $897K 79 of 254
Wildfires 3 3 2011-2023 0 1 $1.3M 135 of 254
High wind and dust storms 2 1 2025-2025 0 0 – 198 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1 1 2012-2012 0 0 $13K 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 Hill County had?

NOAA records 61 tornadoes in Hill County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 13 deaths and 165 injuries recorded in the county. That is 58th 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 62 tornadoes whose track touched Hill County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 61: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 13 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Hill County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1973-03-10 06:02, as SPC files itMart to HubbardF423.3 mi6
1959-03-31 21:00, as SPC files itHillsboroF410.4 mi6
1971-05-23 17:45, as SPC files itWhitneyF37.1 mi1
1976-05-26 16:17, as SPC files itGrandviewF418.8 mi0
1981-05-09 12:13, as SPC files itBynumF35.2 mi0
1978-05-11 17:26, as SPC files itHillsboroF37.2 mi0
1976-05-25 13:30, as SPC files itHillsboroF30.1 mi0
1969-05-14 16:20, as SPC files itMaloneF30.1 mi0
1965-03-16 21:00, as SPC files itMertens to Blooming GroveF311.1 mi0
1957-05-22 21:00, as SPC files itMaloneF34.1 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.

Every tornado record filed for Hill County (61)
The 60 most recent of 61 tornadoes in Hill County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-04-30 Mertens, Hill County EFU 0.01 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2024-04-26 Birome, Hill County EF2 2 mi x 165 yd 0 0 –
2024-04-26 Abbott, Hill County EF1 2.4 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $47K
2024-04-26 Birome, Hill County EF1 0.2 mi x 55 yd 0 0 $56K
2021-05-16 Files Vly, Hill County EFU 0.26 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2021-05-03 Brazlime, Hill County EFU 0.01 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2021-05-03 Brazlime, Hill County EF2 3.36 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $381K
2018-10-13 Brandon, Hill County EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $6K
2018-10-13 Chat, Hill County EF1 1.62 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $59K
2018-10-13 Chat, Hill County EF0 0.46 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $18K
2017-01-15 Lake Whitney, Hill County EF1 5.8 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $349K
2015-12-26 Hillsboro Municipal Airport, Hill County EF0 1.6 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $25K
2015-12-26 Hubbard, Hill County EF0 2.76 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $19K
2015-05-10 Peoria, Hill County EF0 0.6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2015-05-10 Brandon, Hill County EF0 1.42 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $62K
2015-04-26 Blum, Hill County EF0 0.66 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2011-04-25 Itasca, Hill County EF0 0.71 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2010-05-20 Hubbard, Hill County EF0 0.02 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2006-12-29 Blum, Hill County F2 7.95 mi x 587 yd 0 0 $732K
2001-10-12 Abbott, Hill County F1 0.7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $67K
2000-03-28 Itasca, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1999-03-08 Mertens, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 0 yd 0 0 –
1998-10-17 Brandon, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-27 Hubbard, Hill County F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1996-10-21 Osceola, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1994-05-14 Osceola, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1993-05-09 Hillsboro, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1993-05-09 Covington, Hill County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1993-05-09 Mayfield, Hill County F0 5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1990-04-27 Hill County F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1990-03-14 Hill County F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1986-04-19 Hill County F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 2 $250K step
1985-10-17 Hill County F2 7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1981-10-13 Hill County F2 2.7 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1981-05-09 Hill County F3 5.2 mi x 73 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1981-05-09 Hill County F2 9.6 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1979-05-10 Hill County F1 0 0 –
1979-05-10 Hill County F2 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1979-03-26 Hill County F1 0 0 $3K step
1978-05-11 Hill County 0 0 $25K step
1976-05-26 Hill County F4 15 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1976-05-25 Hill County F3 0.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $25K step
1974-10-31 Hill County F1 0 0 $25K step
1973-03-10 Hill County F4 5.9 mi x 150 yd 6 75 –
1972-03-26 Hill County F1 0.5 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1972-03-26 Hill County F2 6.5 mi x 100 yd 0 2 $250K step
1971-12-14 Hill County F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $25K step
1971-05-23 Hill County F3 7.1 mi x 33 yd 1 49 –
1971-05-23 Hill County F2 7.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –
1971-05-23 Hill County F2 7.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –
1971-02-18 Hill County F2 0.5 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $3K step
1969-05-14 Hill County F3 0.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $25K step
1968-05-11 Hill County F2 13.5 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $250K step
1965-05-09 Hill County F2 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $25K step
1965-03-16 Hill County F3 2.7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1961-05-25 Hill County F0 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1960-10-13 Hill County F2 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 –
1959-06-23 Hill County F0 1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1959-03-31 Hill County F4 10.4 mi x 1,760 yd 6 31 $25K step
1957-05-22 Hill County F3 4.1 mi x 200 yd 0 4 $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 Hill County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 thunderstorm wind.

The 12 most recent records kept for Hill County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-18 HeatHill County · forecast zone Hill 0 0 –
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindBynum, Hill County 55 kt wind 0 0 $500
2026-04-28 HailAbbott, Hill County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-28 HailAbbott, Hill County 1.25 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-28 HailHuron, Hill County 1.75 in hail 0 0 $7K
2026-04-28 HailSingiser, Hill County 3.00 in hail 0 0 $17K
2026-04-28 HailItasca, Hill County 3.25 in hail 0 0 $19K
2026-04-28 HailItasca, Hill County 2.50 in hail 0 0 $13K
2026-04-01 DroughtHill County · forecast zone Hill 0 0 –
2026-03-15 DroughtHill County · forecast zone Hill 0 0 –
2026-01-28 Cold/Wind ChillHill County · forecast zone Hill 0 0 –
2026-01-24 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHill County · forecast zone Hill 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 Hill County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1973-03-10 TornadoHill County F4 5.9 mi x 150 yd 6 75 –
1959-03-31 TornadoHill County F4 10.4 mi x 1,760 yd 6 31 $25K step
2021-02-15 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHill County · forecast zone Hill Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit almost all week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures in the single digits and slightly below degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum temperature on the 15th was only around 15 degrees ... 2 0 $626K
1971-05-23 TornadoHill County F3 7.1 mi x 33 yd 1 49 –
1998-06-19 HeatHill County · forecast zone Hill A prolonged excessive heat event began across portions of north Texas in late May and continued through early September. 1 0 –
2010-01-07 Winter WeatherHill County · forecast zone Hill Light icing from freezing drizzle created slick roads across the county. At least 20 vehicle and 18-wheeler accidents were reported around the county. On Spur 579 in northern Hillsboro, two cars ended on their tops after losing control on an icy spot. Four people were sent to the hospital. Several more cars slid off ... 0 4 $135K
1987-12-19 Thunderstorm WindHill County 0 4 –
1957-05-22 TornadoHill County F3 4.1 mi x 200 yd 0 4 $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.

The costliest records in Hill County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2000-03-25 HailHillsboro, Hill County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $1.7M
2010-09-08 Flash FloodBlum, Hill County 0 0 $1.4M
2011-09-08 WildfireHill County · forecast zone Hill 0 1 $1.3M
2012-04-03 HailItasca, Hill County 2.50 in hail 0 0 $1.2M
2003-06-11 LightningHillsboro, Hill County 0 0 $802K
2006-12-29 TornadoBlum, Hill County F2 7.95 mi x 587 yd 0 0 $732K
2021-02-15 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHill County · forecast zone Hill 2 0 $626K
2010-06-10 Flash FloodBirome, Hill County 0 0 $541K

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 26, 1976 (tornado, Hill County); May 9, 1981 (tornado, Hill 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 Hill 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).

Hill County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail55152991576048
Severe thunderstorm wind3371152502112
Drought––––2184324
Floods––––9241811
Tornadoes46155103117
Heat––––33742 z

Heat in the 2020-26: 42 records against 7 in the decade before, 42 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 Hill 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?

57% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 42 · Feb 42 · Mar 91 · Apr 160 · May 156 · Jun 75 · Jul 36 · Aug 41 · Sep 29 · Oct 54 · Nov 19 · Dec 42 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Hill County

FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Hill County: 16 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (7) and fire (5).

Declarations including Hill County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
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
2019-02-25DR-4416FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2015-11-25DR-4245Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2015-05-29DR-4223Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding
2011-09-09DR-4029FireWildfires
2008-09-10EM-3294HurricaneHurricane Ike
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
2000-08-26FM-2325FireTx - Live Oak Loop Fire
1999-09-01EM-3142FireExtreme Fire Hazards
1998-08-26DR-1239Severe StormTropical Storm Charley
1993-09-10EM-3113DroughtExtreme Fire Hazard
1991-12-26DR-930FloodSevere Thunderstorms
1990-05-02DR-863Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1989-05-19DR-828Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1973-03-12DR-365Severe StormHigh Winds, Tornadoes and Flooding
1968-06-10DR-244FloodHeavy Rains & 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 Hill County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 62 flood or flash flood records for Hill County from 1997 to 2025, on 44 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hill County ranks 1887th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $463,000 on 31 claims filed in Hill County; the most in one year was 6 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1981: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 6 · 1995: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2024: 2; 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 Hill County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hill County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $24.7 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 Hill County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Cold WaveRelatively High$10Mabout once a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$5.5Mabout once a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$821K40 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively Moderate$650K6.7 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$534K53 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$265Kabout once a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$541K3.1 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$401Konce in about 403 years (modeled)

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

Counties that share a border with Hill County

  1. McLennan County 1,302
  2. Ellis County 1,112
  3. Johnson County 1,109
  4. Hill County 787
  5. Navarro County 734
  6. Bosque County 650
  7. Limestone County 585

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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