Lynn County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48305 · population 5,545 · 892 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 712 records for Lynn County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 505 days; the most frequent are hail reports (251 records). The most damaging was the May 4, 2015 flash flood ($312 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1992, 16 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
- 712on 505 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 032 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $419Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 45strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Lynn County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 251 since 1957. 66% of its hail reports since 1957 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 251 | 159 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $63M | 65 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 125 | 100 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 3 | $23M | 107 of 254 |
| Drought | 98 | 98 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 60 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 79 | 73 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $3.0M | 21 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 58 | 58 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 26 | $915K | 36 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 33 | 1957-2019 | 0 | 1 | $3.8M | 105 of 254 |
| Floods | 41 | 38 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $323M | 117 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2000-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 157 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2012-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 107 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 158 of 254 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 127 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 Lynn County had?
NOAA records 45 tornadoes in Lynn County from 1957 to 2019, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 105th 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 Lynn County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 45, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-05-24 13:00, as SPC files it | Tahoka to Ralls | F3 | 37.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Lynn County (45)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-05 | Draw, Lynn County | EF1 5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-05 | New Home Airport, Lynn County | EF2 17.2 mi x 2,112 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 2010-06-14 | Wilson, Lynn County | EF0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-02 | New Home, Lynn County | EF0 0.1 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-21 | Lakeview, Lynn County | EF0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-08-02 | New Home, Lynn County | EF0 0.25 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-08-07 | Wilson, Lynn County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-05-29 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-05-05 | New Home, Lynn County | F0 0.7 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-19 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-25 | Draw, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-10 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-10 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-10 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-10 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-25 | Wilson, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-25 | Tahoka, Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-13 | Lynn County | F0 0.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-13 | Lynn County | F0 2.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-29 | Lynn County | F0 0.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-17 | Lynn County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-08-15 | Lynn County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-05-29 | Lynn County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-20 | Lynn County | F0 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-20 | Lynn County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-16 | Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-06-08 | Lynn County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-23 | Lynn County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-27 | Lynn County | F0 0.4 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1981-06-03 | Lynn County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-06-20 | Lynn County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-20 | Lynn County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-07 | Lynn County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-07-20 | Lynn County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-05-12 | Lynn County | F2 6.8 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1969-05-05 | Lynn County | F2 4.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1968-06-08 | Lynn County | F1 26.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-06-08 | Lynn County | F0 5.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1968-06-08 | Lynn County | F1 42.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-12-23 | Lynn County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-07-11 | Lynn County | F1 0.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-07-11 | Lynn County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-03-28 | Lynn County | F0 5.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1958-03-28 | Lynn County | F0 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-05-24 | Lynn County | F3 17.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
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 Lynn County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 20, 2019 thunderstorm wind ($12,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
From 1446 through 1450 CST, severe wind gusts were observed by the Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in New Home. The strongest gust reached 75 mph along with one-minute sustained winds of 64 mph. Furthermore, pictures on social media revealed that a few power lines were downed by these high winds.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 823601)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindOdonnell, Lynn County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindTahoka, Lynn County | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | Flash FloodWilson, Lynn County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-31 | Flash FloodTahoka T Bar Airport, Lynn County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-23 | HailTahoka T Bar Airport, Lynn County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-22 | Strong WindLynn County · forecast zone Lynn | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindOdonnell, Lynn County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindTahoka, Lynn County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | High WindLynn County · forecast zone Lynn | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLynn County · forecast zone Lynn | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormLynn County · forecast zone Lynn | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindOdonnell, Lynn County | 56 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-01-12 | Ice StormLynn County · forecast zone Lynn A bitterly cold arctic air mass moved into the South Plains region of west Texas during the daytime hours on the 12th. A potent upper level system moving down from the Rockies provided the lift needed for a prolonged period of wintry precipitation which began during the evening hours of the 12th and persisted through ... | 0 | 23 | $213K | |
| 2012-03-08 | Winter WeatherLynn County · forecast zone Lynn During the morning hours of the 8th, a strong cold front moved through the South Plains and Rolling Plains of West Texas. This front initially brought severe wind gusts along with minor wind damage. Behind the front, much colder air filtered into the region through the afternoon. During the afternoon, heavy sleet ... | 0 | 2 | $26K | |
| 1999-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindOdonnell, Lynn County Strong wind blew a trampoline into two people who were running for their storm shelter. They received minor injuries and were released from the hospital that same night. | 0 | 2 | $2K | |
| 2019-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindOdonnell, Lynn County A downburst heavily damaged two warehouses, snapped utility poles, and blew over a semi on Highway 87 near O'Donnell. The driver of the semi suffered a laceration to his arm, but refused admittance to a hospital. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $58K |
| 2015-05-04 | Flash FloodNew Home Airport, Lynn County A deep fetch of Gulf moisture overspread the South Plains this afternoon in advance of a slow-moving trough. Numerous thunderstorms erupted by late afternoon across the western South Plains and spread slowly northeast through the overnight hours under weak upper level winds. The slow nature of these storms resulted in ... | 0 | 1 | $312M | |
| 2014-12-30 | Winter WeatherLynn County · forecast zone Lynn Following an arctic front the night prior, widespread freezing drizzle developed early on the morning of the 31st throughout much of the region before mixing with and changing to very light snow. East of the Caprock Escarpment, the duration of freezing drizzle was limited to just a couple of hours compared to nearly ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2014-04-28 | High WindLynn County · forecast zone Lynn Following widespread high winds the previous day, strong west-northwest winds developed over much of the South Plains on the afternoon of the 28th. Fortunately, the coverage of sustained winds of 40 mph or greater, with some gusts measured as high as 66 mph, was concentrated in a swath across portions of Lamb, ... | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $12K |
| 1957-05-24 | TornadoLynn County | F3 17.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-04 | Flash FloodNew Home Airport, Lynn County | 0 | 1 | $312M | |
| 1999-06-11 | HailOdonnell, Lynn County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1999-06-11 | HailTahoka, Lynn County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $8.9M |
| 1999-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Lynn County | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 1999-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindTahoka, Lynn County | 0 | 0 | $5.3M | |
| 1997-06-11 | HailOdonnell, Lynn County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 1999-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindDraw, Lynn County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 1999-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindTahoka, Lynn County | 0 | 0 | $3.6M |
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 24, 1957 (tornado, Lynn County); June 7, 1980 (tornado, Lynn 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 Lynn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1 | 12 | 17 | 32 | 57 | 72 | 37 | 23 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 36 | 31 | 27 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 10 | 22 | 51 | 15 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 28 | 23 | 24 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 26 | 11 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
66% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 42 · Mar 42 · Apr 81 · May 174 · Jun 162 · Jul 39 · Aug 39 · Sep 33 · Oct 21 · Nov 23 · Dec 27 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lynn County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Lynn County: 11 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and hurricane (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-17 | DR-4781 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2010-08-03 | DR-1931 | Hurricane | Hurricane Alex |
| 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 |
| 2001-01-08 | DR-1356 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 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 |
| 1992-09-09 | DR-960 | Severe Storm | Excessive Rain & Hail |
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 Lynn County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 41 flood or flash flood records for Lynn County from 1996 to 2026, on 38 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lynn County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Alex | 2010-07-04 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $22,000 on 1 claim filed in Lynn County; the most in one year was 1 in 2022. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2022: 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 Lynn County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lynn County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | $2.1M | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $1.8M | 78 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $861K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $576K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $54K | once in about 344 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $18K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $17K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $6K | once in about 133 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lynn 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
- Hail in TexasThe state's hail reports, 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 Lynn CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lynn County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis