Houston County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48225 · population 22,033 · 1,231 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 414 records for Houston County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 263 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (172 records). The deadliest single record is the September 14, 2004 lightning: 1 death and 40 injuries. FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1989, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Beryl” on July 9, 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
- 414on 263 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 564 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $172Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 29latest 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 Houston County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 172 since 1971. 42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 172 | 127 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 118 of 254 |
| Hail | 121 | 78 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 0 | $804K | 201 of 254 |
| Floods | 36 | 31 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $381K | 176 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 21 | 1951-2022 | 3 | 24 | $11M | 192 of 254 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 238 of 254 |
| Heat | 14 | 14 | 1999-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 119 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 14 | 13 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $87K | 213 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 1998-2015 | 0 | 0 | $140M | 41 of 254 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 1998-2020 | 1 | 40 | $49K | 78 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2010-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 124 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 230 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 Houston County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Houston County from 1951 to 2022, the strongest rated EF3, with 3 deaths and 24 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Houston County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 3 of them in Houston County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-13 12:00, as SPC files it | Alto | EF3 | 41.13 mi | 2 |
| 1953-05-16 14:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 5.2 mi | 1 |
| 2022-03-21 21:10, as SPC files it | Crockett | EF2 | 19.07 mi | 1 |
| 2012-12-25 09:05, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 9.72 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Houston County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-21 | Mapleton, Houston County | EF2 19.07 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 10 | $5.0M |
| 2021-05-11 | Weldon, Houston County | EF0 0.01 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-13 | Ratcliff, Houston County | EF0 0.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-13 | Kennard, Houston County | EF1 8.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 4 | $346K |
| 2019-04-13 | Post Oak, Houston County | EF2 6.03 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $289K |
| 2019-04-13 | Center, Houston County | EF3 12.16 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2014-04-13 | Lovelady, Houston County | EF1 0.79 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $150K |
| 2012-12-25 | Lovelady, Houston County | EF0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-12-25 | Fodice, Houston County | EF3 9.72 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $900K |
| 2011-04-25 | Crockett, Houston County | EF1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2010-06-10 | Wooster, Houston County | EF0 1.46 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2010-06-10 | Wheeler Spgs, Houston County | EF1 2.81 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2005-06-06 | Grapeland, Houston County | F1 6 mi x 850 yd | 0 | 0 | $416K |
| 2005-05-28 | Austonia, Houston County | F0 0.5 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-31 | Kennard, Houston County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-04 | Latexo, Houston County | F1 0.3 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $74K |
| 1997-04-04 | Crockett, Houston County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1997-04-04 | Lovelady, Houston County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $74K |
| 1994-05-14 | Porter Springs, Houston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-13 | Grapeland, Houston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-13 | Crockett, Houston County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-03 | Houston County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-03-28 | Houston County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-08-22 | Houston County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-05-12 | Houston County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-05-12 | Houston County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-05-12 | Houston County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1961-03-26 | Houston County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1955-04-12 | Houston County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-05-16 | Houston County | F3 5.2 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 8 | – |
| 1951-03-28 | Houston County | F1 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Houston County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodCrockett, Houston County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodGrapeland, Houston County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | HailAustonia, Houston County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-14 | Thunderstorm WindLatexo, Houston County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormHouston County · forecast zone Houston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindRatcliff, Houston County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindWeldon, Houston County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindAustonia, Houston County | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | HailGrapeland, Houston County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-15 | HailAustonia, Houston County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | HailKennard, Houston County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | HailGrapeland, Houston County | 1.00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-14 | LightningGrapeland, Houston County Lightning strike at Grapeland High School during football practice. Twenty-two kept overnight at hospital for observation, all released the next day. One fatality the following day. | 1 | 40 | – | |
| 2022-03-21 | TornadoMapleton, Houston County This EF2 tornado was flown by emergency management and noted a continuous damage track from the first point along Highway 21 until the final point north of Crockett. There were ten total injuries including three serious ones at a pair of mobile homes with occupants thrown into an adjacent field. At least 30 structures ... | EF2 19.07 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 10 | $5.0M |
| 1953-05-16 | TornadoHouston County | F3 5.2 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 8 | – |
| 2019-04-13 | TornadoCenter, Houston County The EF-3 tornado damage mainly consisted of snapped pine trees indicative of high end EF-1 damage but much more severe EF-3 damage was discovered northeast of Weches. The most severe damage occurred to a double wide trailer that was destroyed and thrown over 150 years from its original foundation. The one female ... | EF3 12.16 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2005-09-22 | HeatHouston County · forecast zone Houston Deaths were all associated with the evacuation for Hurricane Rita, both before and after Rita's arrival. Rita made landfall just east of the Texas/Louisiana border early Saturday morning, September 24th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-04-13 | TornadoKennard, Houston County The survey discovered tornado damage with trees either uprooted or snapped along a path parallel to County Road 1170. A double wide trailer was destroyed and pushed back into a wooded area at the end of the tornado path. The four occupants of the trailer were injured. Damage scar apparent on satellite data. Aerial ... | EF1 8.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 4 | $346K |
| 2014-04-13 | TornadoLovelady, Houston County A tornado touched down in Lovelady near a mobile home area then tracked for just under a mile before lifting near Lovelady High School. The worst damage occurred to mobile homes near the start of the track. Two large trees were uprooted and fell onto one mobile home which sustained severe damage to the central part of ... | EF1 0.79 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | $150K |
| 1961-03-26 | TornadoHouston County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-21 | TornadoMapleton, Houston County | EF2 19.07 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 10 | $5.0M |
| 2001-06-07 | Tropical StormHouston County · forecast zone Houston | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2005-09-23 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Houston County · forecast zone Houston | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHouston County · forecast zone Houston | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2019-04-13 | TornadoCenter, Houston County | EF3 12.16 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2012-12-25 | TornadoFodice, Houston County | EF3 9.72 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $900K |
| 2005-06-06 | TornadoGrapeland, Houston County | F1 6 mi x 850 yd | 0 | 0 | $416K |
| 2019-04-13 | TornadoKennard, Houston County | EF1 8.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 4 | $346K |
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: March 26, 1961 (tornado, Houston 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 Houston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 40 | 50 | 43 | 21 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 38 | 26 | 18 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 9 | 9 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 24 · Mar 33 · Apr 93 · May 85 · Jun 49 · Jul 24 · Aug 23 · Sep 20 · Oct 13 · Nov 18 · Dec 12 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Houston County
FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Houston County: 19 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 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 |
| 2020-08-24 | EM-3540 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Marco and Laura |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-02-25 | DR-4416 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-09-09 | DR-4029 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 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 |
| 2003-02-01 | EM-3171 | Other | Loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia |
| 2001-06-09 | DR-1379 | Coastal Storm | Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1996-02-23 | EM-3117 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1994-10-18 | DR-1041 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms and Flooding |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-930 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms |
| 1990-05-02 | DR-863 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1989-05-19 | DR-828 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1989-04-23 | DR-823 | Flood | Severe 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 Houston County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 36 flood or flash flood records for Houston County from 1996 to 2026, on 31 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Houston County ranks 1944th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ike | 2008-09-12 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Rita | 2005-09-23 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Allison | 2001-06-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $383,000 on 28 claims filed in Houston County; the most in one year was 6 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1991: 3 · 1993: 6 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2025: 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 Houston County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Houston County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | $2.5M | 64 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $630K | 31 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $96K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $198K | once in about 513 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $856K | once in about 17 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $587K | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | about once 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 Houston 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in TexasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Houston CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Houston County's FEMA declarations (CSV)29 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis