Leon County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48289 · population 15,666 · 1,073 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 458 records for Leon County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 331 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (107 records). The deadliest single record is the February 15, 2021 extreme cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Leon, which covers the county: 1 death and $86,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1965, 27 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
- 458on 331 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 26 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $197Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 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 Leon County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 107 since 1981. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1981 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 107 | 71 | 1981-2026 | 0 | 2 | $2.7M | 181 of 254 |
| Hail | 88 | 64 | 1984-2024 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 207 of 254 |
| Drought | 83 | 80 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $163M | 140 of 254 |
| Heat | 55 | 51 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 75 of 254 |
| Floods | 49 | 28 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $884K | 174 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 27 | 24 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $137K | 161 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 17 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 4 | $16M | 199 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | $152K | 39 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2019-2026 | 1 | 0 | $86K | 127 of 254 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | $144K | 69 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 2 | 1998-2008 | 0 | 0 | $9.8M | 69 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2011-2018 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | 142 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 202 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 Leon County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Leon County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 4 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 23 tornadoes whose track touched Leon County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in Leon County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-11-15 14:00, as SPC files it | Normangee to Leona | F2 | 10 mi | 3 |
| 2019-04-13 09:50, as SPC files it | Franklin | EF3 | 32.48 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Leon County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-06 | Jewett, Leon County | EF1 3.49 mi x 480 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-05-06 | Buffalo, Leon County | EF1 5.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2019-04-13 | North Salem, Leon County | EF1 11.22 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2019-04-13 | Venetia, Leon County | EF0 1.52 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-25 | Oakwood, Leon County | EF0 0.95 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-12-29 | Buffalo, Leon County | F0 3.83 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2006-12-29 | Centerville, Leon County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2006-12-29 | Normangee, Leon County | F0 5.71 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 1998-02-10 | Leona, Leon County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $81K |
| 1998-01-21 | Leona, Leon County | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $91K |
| 1998-01-21 | Normangee, Leon County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-02 | Marquez, Leon County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1990-04-27 | Leon County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-11-15 | Leon County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-07-22 | Leon County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-02-11 | Leon County | F2 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-02-11 | Leon County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-02-23 | Leon County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-04-13 | Leon County | F2 8.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-11-19 | Leon County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-28 | Leon County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1954-05-10 | Leon County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-05-11 | Leon County | F2 9.5 mi x 267 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Leon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 20, 2026 flash flood ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodNewby, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodNew Salem, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodNineveh, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodNineveh, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodBuffalo, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodBuffalo, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodCenterville, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodBuffalo, Leon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodBuffalo, Leon County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodBuffalo, Leon County | 0 | 0 | $8K | |
| 2026-06-18 | HeatLeon County · forecast zone Leon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-10 | Thunderstorm WindGuys Store, Leon County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLeon County · forecast zone Leon Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 25 degrees Fahrenheit almost all week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures in the single digits and slightly below zero degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum temperature on the 15th was only in the teens. ... | 1 | 0 | $86K | |
| 1997-01-12 | Ice StormLeon County and Madison County · forecast zone Madison Freezing rain/sleet event occured on the 12th-13th. Trees, powerlines and roadways were all effected. The weight of the ice caused trees and powerlines to snap/fall. Glazed roadways posed hazardous driving conditions. Over 1100 traffic accidents were reported in Southeast Texas which accounted for 3 deaths. Estimated ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1984-02-11 | TornadoLeon County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 2019-04-18 | Thunderstorm WindMarquez, Leon County A large swatch of damaging winds moved across Leon County. Damage to a single-wide manufactured home south of Farm to Market (FM) 1618 occurred as the structure was rolled once to the east by the damaging winds. Two occupants were injured here and one individual was ejected from the structure. The peak wind associated ... | 75 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $87K |
| 1998-01-21 | TornadoLeona, Leon County A tornado severely damaged the roof of a restaurant. The manager of the restaurant, who was inside the building at the time, received minor injuries. | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $91K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-08-01 | DroughtLeon County · forecast zone Leon | 0 | 0 | $146M | |
| 2008-09-13 | Tropical StormLeon County and Madison County · forecast zone Madison | 0 | 0 | $9.6M | |
| 2011-09-04 | WildfireLeon County · forecast zone Leon | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 1994-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindMarquez, Leon County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 1994-05-02 | TornadoMarquez, Leon County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 2007-07-14 | Flash FloodJewett, Leon County | 0 | 0 | $498K | |
| 2025-05-06 | TornadoJewett, Leon County | EF1 3.49 mi x 480 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1998-01-21 | TornadoLeona, Leon County | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $91K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: February 11, 1984 (tornado, Leon County); November 15, 1987 (tornado, Leon 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 Leon 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 | 0 | 11 | 25 | 30 | 24 | 17 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 14 | 32 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 9 | 21 | 33 | 20 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 4 | 7 | 6 | 38 z |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 10 | 19 | 16 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
Heat in the 2020-26: 38 records against 6 in the decade before, 38 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Leon County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1981 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 45 · Mar 25 · Apr 61 · May 77 · Jun 47 · Jul 29 · Aug 40 · Sep 25 · Oct 20 · Nov 22 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Leon County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Leon County: 21 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 2023-04-21 | DR-4705 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2016-02-09 | DR-4255 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 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 |
| 1987-11-20 | DR-802 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1966-05-12 | DR-218 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1965-06-19 | DR-199 | Tornado | Tornadoes & 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 Leon County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 49 flood or flash flood records for Leon County from 1998 to 2026, on 28 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Leon County ranks 2436th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ike | 2008-09-13 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $130,000 on 8 claims filed in Leon County; the most in one year was 2 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1998: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2025: 2; 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 Leon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Leon County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $3.2M | 37 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.1M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $313K | 59 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $717K | once in about 20 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $277K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $368K | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $45K | 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 Leon 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 Leon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Leon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis