Limestone County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48293 · population 22,127 · 905 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 585 records for Limestone County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 388 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (150 records). The deadliest single record is the December 29, 2006 tornado: 1 death, 20 injuries and $1.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1973, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on May 17, 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
- 585on 388 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 339 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $76Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Limestone County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 150 since 1955. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in April and May. 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 | 150 | 100 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 4 | $2.1M | 109 of 254 |
| Hail | 133 | 92 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $192K | 152 of 254 |
| Floods | 101 | 65 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 57 of 254 |
| Drought | 77 | 77 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | 113 of 254 |
| Heat | 49 | 47 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 21 | 1950-2024 | 1 | 30 | $68M | 173 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 24 | 24 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 4 | $76K | 147 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 1997-2011 | 1 | 1 | $34K | 25 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2019-2026 | 1 | 0 | $162K | 99 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 2 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | $43K | 162 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $30K | 191 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | $41K | 99 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 Limestone County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Limestone County from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 30 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Limestone County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 7 people, 1 of them in Limestone County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-03-10 06:02, as SPC files it | Mart to Hubbard | F4 | 23.3 mi | 6 |
| 2006-12-29 13:42, as SPC files it | Groesbeck | F2 | 20.4 mi | 1 |
| 1990-04-27 15:40, as SPC files it | Mexia | F3 | 4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Limestone County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-23 | Harmony, Limestone County | EF0 3.41 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-23 | Kosse, Limestone County | EF0 2.79 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-28 | La Salle, Limestone County | EF0 0.18 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-02 | Old Union, Limestone County | EF0 0.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-02 | Davis Prairie, Limestone County | EFU 1.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-02 | Kosse, Limestone County | EF0 0.38 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-21 | Groesbeck, Limestone County | EF0 11.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $202K |
| 2020-04-12 | Mexia Municipal Airport, Limestone County | EF0 0.22 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2017-01-16 | Tehuacana, Limestone County | EF0 3.13 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $361K |
| 2011-04-26 | Thornton, Limestone County | EF0 0.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-26 | Lost Prairie, Limestone County | EF0 0.68 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-26 | Groesbeck, Limestone County | EF1 0.92 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 2011-04-25 | Coolidge, Limestone County | EF0 1.32 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-12-29 | Mexia, Limestone County | F0 3.58 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2006-12-29 | Kosse, Limestone County | F2 20.4 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 20 | $1.5M |
| 2002-03-30 | Personville, Limestone County | F0 2.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2002-03-30 | Thornton, Limestone County | F2 7 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $410K |
| 1996-04-28 | Groesbeck, Limestone County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-12 | Thornton, Limestone County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-27 | Limestone County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-04-27 | Limestone County | F2 16 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 8 | $25M step |
| 1990-04-27 | Limestone County | F3 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-04-27 | Limestone County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-04-19 | Limestone County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1985-05-13 | Limestone County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-05-25 | Limestone County | F2 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-06-03 | Limestone County | F2 6.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-03-10 | Limestone County | F4 9.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1963-08-13 | Limestone County | F0 0.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-06-09 | Limestone County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1950-02-12 | Limestone County | F2 3.4 mi x 100 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 Limestone County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 hail ($7,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodGroesbeck, Limestone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | Flash FloodLa Salle, Limestone County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-18 | HeatLimestone County · forecast zone Limestone | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLimestone County · forecast zone Limestone | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-29 | HailPrairie Grove, Limestone County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailShiloh, Limestone County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2026-04-28 | HailShiloh, Limestone County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailGroesbeck, Limestone County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2026-04-28 | HailGroesbeck, Limestone County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailDoyle, Limestone County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | HailGroesbeck, Limestone County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLimestone County · forecast zone Limestone | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-12-29 | TornadoKosse, Limestone County A damage survey was conducted by a team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Fort Worth, and they found that a tornado formed near Kosse. The first sign of damage found by the survey team was uprooted trees along CR 662. The tornado took a north-northeast track and several areas of large uprooted trees ... | F2 20.4 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 20 | $1.5M |
| 2011-04-26 | Heavy RainThornton, Limestone County A vehicle driving south on Highway 14 near Thornton hydroplanned and crashed resulting in one fatality and one injury. | 1 | 1 | $33K | |
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLimestone County · forecast zone Limestone Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit almost all week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures between 5 and -4 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum temperature on the 15th was only in the teens. Wind chill values during the ... | 1 | 0 | $162K | |
| 1990-04-27 | TornadoLimestone County | F2 16 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 8 | $25M step |
| 2011-02-03 | Winter WeatherLimestone County · forecast zone Limestone Approximately 2 of snow fell across the county. Two vehicle accidents involving injuries were reported. The first occurred the night of the 3rd on SH 171. A car slid into oncoming traffic while trying to avoid another car and crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler. The driver and passenger of the car were transported ... | 0 | 4 | $39K | |
| 2008-12-27 | Thunderstorm WindMexia, Limestone County A fireworks stand was blown over with two people inside. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $3K |
| 1994-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindMexia, Limestone County Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 mph damaged the roofs on at least ten buildings, overturned a mobile home, and downed power lines. Two injuries were reported in a restaurant. | 0 | 2 | $100K | |
| 1986-04-19 | TornadoLimestone County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-12-29 | TornadoKosse, Limestone County | F2 20.4 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 20 | $1.5M |
| 2009-04-28 | Flash FloodKosse, Limestone County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2002-03-30 | TornadoThornton, Limestone County | F2 7 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $410K |
| 2017-01-16 | TornadoTehuacana, Limestone County | EF0 3.13 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $361K |
| 1996-11-07 | Thunderstorm WindThornton, Limestone County | 0 | 0 | $320K | |
| 2022-03-21 | TornadoGroesbeck, Limestone County | EF0 11.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $202K |
| 2011-04-26 | TornadoGroesbeck, Limestone County | EF1 0.92 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLimestone County · forecast zone Limestone | 1 | 0 | $162K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 27, 1990 (tornado, Limestone 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 Limestone 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 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 34 | 25 | 40 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 20 | 32 | 31 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 28 | 37 | 22 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 22 | 35 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 7 | 37 z |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
Heat in the 2020-26: 37 records against 7 in the decade before, 37 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 Limestone 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?
50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 35 · Mar 50 · Apr 126 · May 105 · Jun 63 · Jul 41 · Aug 41 · Sep 23 · Oct 30 · Nov 15 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Limestone County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Limestone County: 13 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-03-19 | DR-4266 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-09-09 | DR-4029 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1973-03-12 | DR-365 | Severe Storm | High Winds, Tornadoes and 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 Limestone County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 101 flood or flash flood records for Limestone County from 1997 to 2026, on 65 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Limestone County ranks 759th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.8 million on 291 claims filed in Limestone County; the most in one year was 35 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 4 · 1986: 28 · 1989: 32 · 1990: 3 · 1991: 35 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 5 · 1998: 2 · 2001: 23 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 4 · 2009: 33 · 2010: 1 · 2012: 23 · 2015: 32 · 2016: 31 · 2017: 10 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 1; 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 Limestone County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Limestone County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $764K | 40 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $248K | 54 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $88K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $140K | once in about 651 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $489K | once in about 24 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $289K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Limestone 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 Limestone CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Limestone County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis