King County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48269 · population 262 · 911 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 400 records for King County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 323 days; the most frequent are hail reports (123 records). The most damaging was the April 6, 2011 wildfire ($1.3 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1993, 15 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
- 400on 323 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $10Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 King County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 123 since 1960. 59% of its hail reports since 1960 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 | 123 | 88 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $663K | 158 of 254 |
| Drought | 106 | 106 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $7.1M | 43 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 67 | 63 | 1984-2026 | 0 | 0 | $759K | 177 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 36 | 36 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 92 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 28 | 27 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $29K | 50 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 18 | 1955-2022 | 0 | 0 | $86K | 185 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 2006-2011 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 72 of 254 |
| Floods | 4 | 2 | 1996-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 253 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 191 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2000-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 113 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 189 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 100 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 150 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 King County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in King County from 1955 to 2022, 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 24 tornadoes whose track touched King County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: 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 King County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-04 | Grow, King County | EFU 8.36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-04 | Grow, King County | EFU 7.04 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-28 | Guthrie 6666 Airport, King County | EFU 1.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-13 | Guthrie, King County | EF0 0.08 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-04-29 | Finney, King County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-04-16 | Guthrie 6666 Airport, King County | EF0 0.25 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-04-23 | Finney, King County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-16 | Guthrie, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-16 | Guthrie, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-17 | Guthrie, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-17 | Guthrie, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-25 | Guthrie, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-25 | Dumont, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-04-19 | Guthrie, King County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-14 | King County | F1 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-15 | King County | F2 7 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-05-28 | King County | F2 13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-09-13 | King County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-04-14 | King County | F1 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-06-04 | King County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-06-04 | King County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-04-20 | King County | F2 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-05-19 | King County | F1 31.7 mi x 33 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 King County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 22, 2015 thunderstorm wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A roof was blown off a well-constructed barn at the Four Sixes Ranch.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 564286)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | High WindKing County · forecast zone King | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindGuthrie, King County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | High WindKing County · forecast zone King | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindGuthrie, King County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | Thunderstorm WindGuthrie, King County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindGuthrie, King County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindGuthrie 6666 Airport, King County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | HailGrow, King County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-27 | High WindKing County · forecast zone King | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindKing County · forecast zone King | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | High WindKing County · forecast zone King | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillKing County · forecast zone King | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-06 | WildfireKing County · forecast zone King | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2009-06-01 | DroughtKing County · forecast zone King | 0 | 0 | $688K | |
| 2012-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindGuthrie, King County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $450K |
| 2004-07-01 | HailGrow, King County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2000-04-30 | HailGrow, King County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2003-05-03 | HailDumont, King County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2015-04-22 | HailFinney, King County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2012-05-30 | HailGuthrie, King County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $26K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 15, 1989 (tornado, King 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 King 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 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 37 | 50 | 18 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 10 | 28 | 59 | 9 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 31 | 11 | 20 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 16 | 11 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
59% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 27 · Mar 33 · Apr 64 · May 77 · Jun 65 · Jul 21 · Aug 16 · Sep 30 · Oct 13 · Nov 13 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for King County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include King County: 7 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (7) 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 |
| 2016-02-09 | DR-4255 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2011-04-09 | FM-2884 | Fire | Swenson Fire |
| 2008-03-14 | FM-2752 | Fire | Eighty-Two Fire |
| 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 |
| 1996-02-23 | EM-3117 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
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 King County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates King County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $401,000. 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 Low | $72K | 126 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $92K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $42K | once in about 216 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $62 | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $1K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $38K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $25K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $8K | 1.1 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 King 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 King CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download King County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis