Lipscomb County, Texas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48295 · population 3,059 · 932 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 773 records for Lipscomb County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 480 days; the most frequent are hail reports (381 records). The most damaging was the June 1, 2013 drought ($19.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 1998, 9 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
773on 480 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
03 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$253Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
43strongest F3
FEMA declarations
11latest 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 Lipscomb County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 381 since 1955. 64% of its hail reports since 1955 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.

Lipscomb County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 381 191 1955-2026 0 0 $293K 43 of 254
Severe thunderstorm wind 105 86 1969-2026 0 3 $1.5M 140 of 254
Winter storms 64 62 1996-2026 0 0 $3.5M 34 of 254
Drought 61 61 1996-2026 0 0 $244M 164 of 254
High wind and dust storms 43 42 1996-2026 0 0 $119K 40 of 254
Tornadoes 43 29 1962-2023 0 0 $3.1M 127 of 254
Wildfires 25 22 2006-2019 0 0 $286K 12 of 254
Extreme cold 21 21 2007-2021 0 0 $27K 26 of 254
Floods 16 16 1996-2026 0 0 $387K 207 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 14 11 2013-2019 0 0 – 24 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 Lipscomb County had?

NOAA records 43 tornadoes in Lipscomb County from 1962 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 127th of 254 Texas counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 45 tornadoes whose track touched Lipscomb County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 43: 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Lipscomb County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2019-05-23 19:26, as SPC files itFollettCrossed OK, TXEF315.7 mi0
1987-03-22 17:45, as SPC files itLipscombF330 mi0
1978-04-30 16:28, as SPC files itDarrouzettF314.4 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.

Every tornado record filed for Lipscomb County (43)
Every tornado recorded in Lipscomb County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2023-06-15 Higgins, Lipscomb County EF0 1.26 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $969
2019-05-23 Lipscomb County EF2 4.68 mi x 900 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-23 Follett, Lipscomb County EF2 4.14 mi x 1,400 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-23 Lipscomb County EF0 4.47 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-07 Lipscomb County EF0 0.06 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2019-04-17 Higgins, Lipscomb County EF0 1.79 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
2019-04-17 Higgins, Lipscomb County EFU 1.06 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2018-03-18 Lipscomb County EF1 2.88 mi x 70 yd 0 0 –
2015-11-16 Booker, Lipscomb County EF0 4.69 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2015-11-16 Lipscomb County EF1 23.27 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2014-06-22 Lipscomb County EF0 1 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2014-06-22 Darrouzett, Lipscomb County EF0 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2011-06-11 Follett, Lipscomb County EF0 0.17 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $7K
2011-06-11 Darrouzett, Lipscomb County EF0 0.51 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $20K
2010-06-13 Lipscomb County EF0 0.32 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2007-05-23 Darrouzett, Lipscomb County EF2 8 mi x 528 yd 0 0 $51K
2007-05-23 Lipscomb County EF1 4 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $19K
2007-05-23 Booker, Lipscomb County EF2 7 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $33K
2007-05-23 Darrouzett, Lipscomb County EF0 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2007-05-23 Lipscomb County EF0 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $9K
2007-03-28 Booker, Lipscomb County EF0 6 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2002-05-23 Follett, Lipscomb County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2000-02-24 Lipscomb County F1 14 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $857K
1995-03-25 Lipscomb County F1 5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
1994-06-29 Higgins, Lipscomb County F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1990-04-24 Lipscomb County F1 2.5 mi x 110 yd 0 0 $3K step
1989-06-06 Lipscomb County F1 1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1989-06-06 Lipscomb County F1 1 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
1987-06-02 Lipscomb County F2 7.5 mi x 1,600 yd 0 0 $25K step
1987-06-02 Lipscomb County F2 6 mi x 1,600 yd 0 0 $25K step
1987-03-22 Lipscomb County F3 30 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $250K step
1986-05-07 Lipscomb County F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1982-06-14 Lipscomb County F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd 0 0 $30 step
1978-05-03 Lipscomb County F0 6.5 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $250K step
1978-04-30 Lipscomb County F3 14.4 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1977-05-22 Lipscomb County F1 2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $30 step
1975-03-27 Lipscomb County F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1969-06-23 Lipscomb County F0 1 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
1967-06-09 Lipscomb County F1 2 mi x 37 yd 0 0 $3K step
1966-07-19 Lipscomb County F0 1.5 mi x 17 yd 0 0 –
1966-07-19 Lipscomb County F0 1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1962-05-27 Lipscomb County F2 0 0 –
1962-05-27 Lipscomb County 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 Lipscomb County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 thunderstorm wind.

The 12 most recent records kept for Lipscomb County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-23 Thunderstorm WindLipscomb County 55 kt wind 0 0 $200
2026-06-23 Flash FloodFollett, Lipscomb County 0 0 $500
2026-06-23 HailFollett, Lipscomb County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-21 High WindLipscomb County · forecast zone Lipscomb 54 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-08 Strong WindLipscomb County 48 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-08 HailDarrouzett, Lipscomb County 1.00 in hail 0 0 $5K
2026-06-08 HailLipscomb County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-08 HailFollett, Lipscomb County 0.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-01 DroughtLipscomb County · forecast zone Lipscomb 0 0 –
2026-05-28 FloodDarrouzett, Lipscomb County 0 0 $1K
2026-05-10 HailFollett, Lipscomb County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtLipscomb County · forecast zone Lipscomb 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 Lipscomb County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2003-06-13 Thunderstorm WindLipscomb County High winds reportedly caused an empty trailer of a semi truck to slide into an automobile and then overturn along US Highway 83 in the southwest corner of Lipscomb County. Three people in the automobile were reportedly injured. 61 kt wind 0 3 $88K
The costliest records in Lipscomb County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2013-06-01 DroughtLipscomb County · forecast zone Lipscomb 0 0 $19M
2017-01-14 Ice StormLipscomb County · forecast zone Lipscomb 0 0 $2.6M
1994-07-03 Thunderstorm WindBooker, Lipscomb County 0 0 $995K
2000-02-24 TornadoLipscomb County F1 14 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $857K
2007-05-24 FloodLipscomb County 0 0 $313K
2000-02-24 HailLipscomb County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $129K
2003-06-13 Thunderstorm WindLipscomb County 61 kt wind 0 3 $88K
2008-08-14 HailBooker, Lipscomb County 2.50 in hail 0 0 $86K

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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 3, 1978 (tornado, Lipscomb County); March 22, 1987 (tornado, Lipscomb 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 Lipscomb 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).

Lipscomb County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail124118013211140
Severe thunderstorm wind014413353414
Winter storms––––1016317
Drought––––5523 z28
High wind and dust storms––––2121118
Tornadoes064738141

Drought in the 2010s: 23 records against 5 in the decade before, 23 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 Lipscomb 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?

64% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 32 · Feb 42 · Mar 57 · Apr 89 · May 179 · Jun 181 · Jul 31 · Aug 54 · Sep 42 · Oct 21 · Nov 19 · Dec 26 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Lipscomb County

FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Lipscomb County: 5 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (3) and hurricane (3).

Declarations including Lipscomb County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2021-02-19DR-4586Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-14EM-3554Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-03-25DR-4485BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3458BiologicalCovid-19
2008-03-14EM-3284FireWildfires
2006-01-11DR-1624FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-24DR-1606HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3261HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-02EM-3216HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
1999-09-01EM-3142FireExtreme Fire Hazards
1998-08-26DR-1239Severe StormTropical Storm Charley

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 Lipscomb County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 16 flood or flash flood records for Lipscomb County from 1996 to 2026, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lipscomb County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $238,000 on 6 claims filed in Lipscomb County; the most in one year was 2 in 2007. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1997: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 2 · 2019: 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 Lipscomb County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lipscomb County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.7 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 Lipscomb County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
DroughtRelatively High$5.8M89 modeled event-days a year
WildfireRelatively Low$631Konce in about 71 years (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$105Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$53K10 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Low$489K2.8 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$291K3.2 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Low$477Kabout once a year (modeled)
HailVery Low$103K7.6 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 Lipscomb County

  1. Beaver County, OK 1,340
  2. Ellis County, OK 1,021
  3. Ochiltree County 828
  4. Lipscomb County 773
  5. Hemphill County 648
  6. Roberts County 553

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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