Jeff Davis County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48243 · population 1,996 · 2,265 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 513 records for Jeff Davis County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 376 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (237 records). 333 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the August 1, 1996 drought ($7.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1998, 16 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
- 513on 376 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Jeff Davis County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 237 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 237 | 198 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $138K | 18 of 254 |
| Hail | 109 | 78 | 1966-2025 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 239 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 45 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 199 of 254 |
| Drought | 34 | 17 | 1996-2006 | 0 | 0 | $7.0M | 242 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 30 | 27 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $91K | 250 of 254 |
| Floods | 27 | 23 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 236 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 10 | 1954-2023 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 236 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 6 | 2005-2011 | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | 146 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 208 of 254 |
| Heat | 3 | 2 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 198 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 155 of 254 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2004-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 130 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 Jeff Davis County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Jeff Davis County from 1954 to 2023, the strongest rated F1, 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Jeff Davis County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Jeff Davis County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-26 | Valentine, Jeff Davis County | EFU 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-29 | Valentine, Jeff Davis County | EF0 1.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-29 | Ft Davis, Jeff Davis County | EF0 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-29 | Ft Davis, Jeff Davis County | EF0 3.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-29 | Ft Davis, Jeff Davis County | F1 1.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1999-07-28 | Ft Davis, Jeff Davis County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-04 | Valentine, Jeff Davis County | F0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-08-26 | Ft Davis, Jeff Davis County | F0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-07-15 | Jeff Davis County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-05-14 | Jeff Davis County | F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-05-23 | Jeff Davis County | F0 0.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-10-01 | Jeff Davis County | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Jeff Davis County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 20, 2021 flash flood ($1.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding near Fort Davis. Highway 118 between Fort Davis and Alpine was washed out with water over the road. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 979455)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindLevinson, Jeff Davis County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-18 | High WindJeff Davis County and Presidio County · forecast zone Marfa Plateau | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindBrewster County and 3 more · forecast zone Davis Mountains Foothills | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | High WindBrewster County and 3 more · forecast zone Davis Mountains Foothills | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherJeff Davis County and Presidio County · forecast zone Marfa Plateau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | High WindBrewster County and 3 more · forecast zone Davis Mountains Foothills | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-09 | High WindBrewster County and 3 more · forecast zone Davis Mountains Foothills | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-28 | Flash FloodFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-24 | Thunderstorm WindLevinson, Jeff Davis County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-25 | Flash FloodFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-10 | Strong WindBrewster County and 2 more · forecast zone Davis Mountains | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-05 | High WindBrewster County and 3 more · forecast zone Davis Mountains Foothills | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-08-01 | DroughtJeff Davis County and Presidio County · forecast zone Marfa Plateau | 0 | 0 | $7.0M | |
| 2011-04-09 | WildfireBrewster County and 2 more · forecast zone Davis / Apache Mountains Area | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2021-08-20 | Flash FloodFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2014-09-12 | Flash FloodFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | 0 | 0 | $312K | |
| 2019-06-17 | HailFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 1999-07-29 | TornadoFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | F1 1.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1997-05-29 | HailFt Davis, Jeff Davis County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6K |
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 $250, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 1, 1954 (tornado, Jeff Davis 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 Jeff Davis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 86 | 93 | 52 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 49 | 29 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 18 | 19 | 6 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 15 | 7 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Jeff Davis County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 60 · Feb 59 · Mar 57 · Apr 60 · May 74 · Jun 46 · Jul 20 · Aug 24 · Sep 20 · Oct 18 · Nov 19 · Dec 56 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jeff Davis County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Jeff Davis County: 6 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 6 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (10) 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 |
| 2018-05-02 | FM-5237 | Fire | McDannald Fire |
| 2012-04-30 | FM-2976 | Fire | Livermore Ranch Fire Complex |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2011-06-02 | FM-2914 | Fire | Tejano Canyon Fire |
| 2011-04-09 | FM-2885 | Fire | Rockhouse Fire |
| 2008-06-04 | FM-2768 | Fire | Hughes Ranch Fire |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-03-12 | FM-2750 | Fire | Arabella Fire |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Jeff Davis County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jeff Davis County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $844K | once in about 78 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $28K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $506 | about once a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $198 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $25K | once in about 504 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $3K | 116 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $48K | 7.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $12K | 5.2 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 Jeff Davis 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
- High wind and dust storms in TexasThe state's high wind and dust records, 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 Jeff Davis CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jeff Davis County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis