Kleberg County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48273 · population 30,907 · 881 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 606 records for Kleberg County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 438 days; the most frequent are heat records (174 records). 383 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 deadliest single record is the July 1, 2017 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Kleberg, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1967, 22 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
- 606on 438 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 21 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $68Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Kleberg County most?
The most frequent records are heat records: 174 since 2006. 59% of its heat records since 2006 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 174 | 156 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 1 | – | 12 of 254 |
| Drought | 115 | 87 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | $34M | 77 of 254 |
| Floods | 74 | 58 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $801K | 68 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 64 | 53 | 1968-2026 | 1 | 0 | $25M | 192 of 254 |
| Hail | 55 | 35 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $554K | 234 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 26 | 1959-2016 | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | 136 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 26 | 12 | 2008-2023 | 0 | 0 | $561K | 12 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 13 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $54K | 48 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 16 | 16 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 19 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 8 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 9 | 7 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | $161K | 223 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 5 | 2004-2023 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 106 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2007-2008 | 0 | 0 | $771K | 108 of 254 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 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 Kleberg County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Kleberg County from 1959 to 2016, the strongest rated EF1, 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Kleberg County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Kleberg County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-05-31 | Nas Kingsville, Kleberg County | EF1 2.25 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2016-05-31 | Ricardo, Kleberg County | EF0 0.4 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-31 | Kingsville, Kleberg County | EF1 0.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.1M |
| 2013-10-21 | Nas Kingsville, Kleberg County | EF0 0.18 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-10-18 | Nas Kingsville, Kleberg County | EF0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-10 | Ricardo, Kleberg County | EF0 0.07 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-16 | Riviera Beach, Kleberg County | EF0 0.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-07-01 | Kingsville Airport, Kleberg County | EF0 0.07 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-17 | Kingsville Airport, Kleberg County | EF0 0.51 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2004-04-06 | Padre Ranger Stn, Kleberg County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-22 | Kingsville, Kleberg County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-20 | Kingsville, Kleberg County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-28 | Malaquite Beach/Padre, Kleberg County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-08 | Kingsville, Kleberg County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1991-09-03 | Kleberg County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-09-27 | Kleberg County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1981-06-28 | Kleberg County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-08-11 | Kleberg County | F0 0.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-08-29 | Kleberg County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-09-11 | Kleberg County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-08-24 | Kleberg County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-05-30 | Kleberg County | F1 13.1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-09-23 | Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-09-22 | Kleberg County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-09-22 | Kleberg County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-09-20 | Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-09-20 | Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1963-07-25 | Kleberg County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-06-20 | Kleberg County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-05-24 | Kleberg County | F0 | 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 Kleberg County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 1, 2022 drought ($34.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Severe drought improved to abnormally dry by the middle part of the month. Crop losses for the season were estimated at 33.68 million dollars due to the drought.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1055740)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Kleberg County Islands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Coastal Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Inland Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Kleberg County Islands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Coastal Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Inland Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-03 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Kleberg County Islands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Coastal Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Inland Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-14 | Thunderstorm WindKingsville, Kleberg County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Coastal Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Inland Kleberg County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-07-01 | Rip CurrentKleberg County · forecast zone Kleberg The body of a 59 year old woman from San Antonio was found on the beach at Malaquite Beach on the Padre Island National Seashore. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1986-05-10 | Thunderstorm WindKleberg County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-06-16 | HeatKleberg County · forecast zone Kleberg A 1-year-old girl died after being left in a hot car in Kingsville for about 45 minutes. The temperature outside the vehicle was in the low 90s with a heat index value of around 105. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-01 | DroughtKleberg County · forecast zone Inland Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | $34M | |
| 1994-04-06 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2016-05-31 | TornadoKingsville, Kleberg County | EF1 0.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.1M |
| 2016-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindNas Kingsville, Kleberg County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2016-05-31 | TornadoNas Kingsville, Kleberg County | EF1 2.25 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 1993-04-08 | TornadoKingsville, Kleberg County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1993-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindPadre Island, Kleberg County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2010-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindRicardo, Kleberg County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $677K |
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: September 11, 1971 (tornado, Kleberg 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 Kleberg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 1 | 172 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 26 | 35 | 54 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 27 | 24 | 11 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
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 heat records since 2006 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 31 · Mar 39 · Apr 50 · May 115 · Jun 81 · Jul 75 · Aug 70 · Sep 59 · Oct 23 · Nov 19 · Dec 14 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Kleberg County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Kleberg County: 13 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (15) and severe ice storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 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 |
| 2020-07-26 | EM-3530 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hanna |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-08-25 | DR-4332 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-06-29 | EM-3313 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Alex |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3290 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-07-24 | DR-1780 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dolly |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007-08-18 | EM-3277 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dean |
| 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 |
| 2002-11-05 | DR-1439 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1999-08-22 | DR-1287 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bret |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1980-08-11 | DR-627 | Hurricane | Hurricane Allen |
| 1967-09-28 | DR-232 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beulah |
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 Kleberg County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 74 flood or flash flood records for Kleberg County from 1996 to 2025, on 58 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Kleberg County ranks 788th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Dolly | 2008-07-23 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.2 million on 279 claims filed in Kleberg County; the most in one year was 103 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 103 · 1981: 12 · 1982: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 5 · 1992: 23 · 1993: 2 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 5 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 12 · 2001: 6 · 2002: 21 · 2003: 2 · 2006: 5 · 2007: 12 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 7 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 24 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 20 · 2024: 3; 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 Kleberg County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kleberg County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $35.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $16M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $11M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 17 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $519K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $102K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $90K | once in about 239 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $230K | 71 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.2M | 1.6 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 Kleberg 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
- Heat in TexasThe state's heat 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 Kleberg CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Kleberg County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis