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.

Kleberg County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank 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)
Every tornado recorded in Kleberg County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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)
The 12 most recent records kept for Kleberg County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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

Records with deaths or injuries in Kleberg County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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 –
The costliest records in Kleberg County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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).

Kleberg County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Heat––––011172
Drought––––0263554
Floods––––12272411
Severe thunderstorm wind02391313168
Hail0118816165
Tornadoes17435190

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).

Declarations including Kleberg County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-07-09DR-4798HurricaneHurricane Beryl
2021-02-19DR-4586Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-14EM-3554Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-08-24EM-3540HurricaneTropical Storms Marco and Laura
2020-07-26EM-3530HurricaneHurricane Hanna
2020-03-25DR-4485BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3458BiologicalCovid-19
2017-08-25DR-4332HurricaneHurricane Harvey
2016-06-11DR-4272FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2010-06-29EM-3313HurricaneTropical Storm Alex
2008-09-10EM-3294HurricaneHurricane Ike
2008-08-29EM-3290HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2008-07-24DR-1780HurricaneHurricane Dolly
2008-03-14EM-3284FireWildfires
2007-08-18EM-3277HurricaneHurricane Dean
2006-01-11DR-1624FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-24DR-1606HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3261HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-02EM-3216HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2002-11-05DR-1439Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
1999-08-22DR-1287HurricaneHurricane Bret
1998-08-26DR-1239Severe StormTropical Storm Charley
1980-08-11DR-627HurricaneHurricane Allen
1967-09-28DR-232HurricaneHurricane 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.

Named storms on Kleberg County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Dolly2008-07-2310

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.

National Risk Index ratings for Kleberg County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Cold WaveRelatively High$16M2.3 a year (modeled)
HurricaneRelatively High$11Monce in about 7 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$1.1M17 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively Moderate$519Kabout once a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$102Konce in about 4 years (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$90Konce in about 239 years (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Low$230K71 modeled event-days a year
Riverine FloodingRelatively Low$5.2M1.6 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

  1. Nueces County 1,408
  2. Jim Wells County 627
  3. Kleberg County 606
  4. Kenedy County 488
  5. Brooks County 458

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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