Marion County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48315 · population 9,713 · 381 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 464 records for Marion County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 366 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (155 records). The deadliest single record is the March 10, 2018 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 7 injuries and $353,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1966, 20 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
- 464on 366 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 112 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $18Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Marion County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 155 since 1964. 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 | 155 | 119 | 1964-2026 | 1 | 7 | $886K | 12 of 254 |
| Hail | 101 | 79 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $102K | 41 of 254 |
| Heat | 85 | 83 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 254 |
| Drought | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 31 | 31 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 18 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 5 | $15M | 62 of 254 |
| Floods | 9 | 7 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 203 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $68K | 45 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 54 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 101 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $262K | 147 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 Marion County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Marion County from 1961 to 2026, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 62nd 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 22 tornadoes whose track touched Marion County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Marion County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-07 | Berea, Marion County | EF2 3.02 mi x 233 yd | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| 2023-03-02 | Kelleyville, Marion County | EF1 3.25 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2022-03-21 | Orrs, Marion County | EF2 2.9 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $353K |
| 2017-01-21 | Smithland, Marion County | EF2 8.75 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 1 | $963K |
| 2017-01-21 | Kelleyville, Marion County | EF1 0.81 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 2015-05-10 | Lodi, Marion County | EF0 1.27 mi x 345 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-10 | Stalls, Marion County | EF0 0.28 mi x 172 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-07 | Smithland, Marion County | F0 10.9 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-07 | Lassater, Marion County | F1 8.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-02-09 | Jefferson, Marion County | F1 12.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-30 | Marion County | F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-30 | Marion County | F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-30 | Marion County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-07 | Marion County | F1 3 mi x 447 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-11-19 | Marion County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-04-01 | Marion County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-02-21 | Marion County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-04-01 | Marion County | F2 7.1 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1970-03-03 | Marion County | F2 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1968-12-27 | Marion County | F1 0.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1966-04-25 | Marion County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-04-25 | Marion County | F0 1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-04-27 | Marion County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Marion County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 7, 2026 tornado (2 injuries and $500,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Early on the morning of March 7th, a severe thunderstorm produced an EF2 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 115 mph near the community of Prospect in Northern Marion County, Texas. The tornado initially touched down just west of U.S. Highway 59 where multiple snapped trunks of hardwood trees were noted. As the tornado continued east, it heavily damaged several structures. A residential home west of the highway was damaged by a fallen tree. Next to the home, a barn was completely destroyed, with only the wooden frame remaining. Debris from the barn along with the barn's contents were strewn across the front yard and into the highway median and onto the northbound side of the highway. Just to the east of U.S. Highway 59, another residential home experienced significant damage after being shifted feet away from its foundation. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1326487)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindJefferson Cypress Ar, Marion County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-08 | HailOrrs, Marion County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-07 | TornadoBerea, Marion County | EF2 3.02 mi x 233 yd | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | DroughtMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Cold/Wind ChillMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-19 | HeatMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-19 | Excessive HeatMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-10 | Thunderstorm WindOrrs, Marion County A NWS Storm Survey concluded that a swath of straight line downburst winds estimated between 80-90 mph produced widespread damage across the south side of Lake of the Pines, especially within the Brushy Creek Campground. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, with several trees landing on campers, tents, and ... | 78 kt wind | 1 | 7 | $353K |
| 2026-03-07 | TornadoBerea, Marion County Early on the morning of March 7th, a severe thunderstorm produced an EF2 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 115 mph near the community of Prospect in Northern Marion County, Texas. The tornado initially touched down just west of U.S. Highway 59 where multiple snapped trunks of hardwood trees were noted. As the ... | EF2 3.02 mi x 233 yd | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| 2022-03-21 | TornadoOrrs, Marion County This is a continuation of the Upshur County EF-2 tornado. This tornado, which had weakened to an EF-1 with estimated maximum winds near 110 mph as it entered far Western Marion County, continued to track northeast across Jordan Drive and FM 729. The tornado damaged the roof of a home on Jordan Drive, with a metal ... | EF2 2.9 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $353K |
| 2017-01-21 | TornadoSmithland, Marion County An EF-2 tornado with maximum winds estimated near 130 mph touched down near Highway 49 just west of the Smithland community, snapping and uprooting numerous trees and downing power lines as it tracked northeast across Highway 43 just north of its intersection of Highway 49. As it crossed Highway 43, the tornado moved ... | EF2 8.75 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 1 | $963K |
| 1979-04-01 | TornadoMarion County | F2 7.1 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-13 | Tropical StormMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2017-01-21 | TornadoSmithland, Marion County | EF2 8.75 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 1 | $963K |
| 2001-02-17 | FloodMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 2026-03-07 | TornadoBerea, Marion County | EF2 3.02 mi x 233 yd | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| 2022-03-21 | TornadoOrrs, Marion County | EF2 2.9 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $353K |
| 2018-03-10 | Thunderstorm WindOrrs, Marion County | 78 kt wind | 1 | 7 | $353K |
| 2009-09-14 | Flash FloodNorth Jefferson, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $344K | |
| 2017-01-21 | TornadoKelleyville, Marion County | EF1 0.81 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
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: April 1, 1979 (tornado, Marion 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 Marion 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 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 63 | 20 | 37 | 18 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 42 | 10 | 10 | 4 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 25 | 60 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 31 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 6 | 14 | 9 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Marion County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 34 · Mar 32 · Apr 59 · May 66 · Jun 52 · Jul 57 · Aug 47 · Sep 24 · Oct 19 · Nov 16 · Dec 25 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Marion County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Marion County: 14 major disasters, 7 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (6) and fire (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 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 |
| 2016-03-19 | DR-4266 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-09-09 | DR-4029 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2011-09-06 | FM-2965 | Fire | Bear Creek Fire |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 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 |
| 1996-02-23 | EM-3117 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1989-05-19 | DR-828 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1989-04-23 | DR-823 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1966-05-12 | DR-218 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Marion County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Marion County from 1997 to 2024, on 7 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Marion County ranks 1694th 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 $690,000 on 46 claims filed in Marion County; the most in one year was 10 in 2001. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1990: 3 · 1991: 3 · 1997: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 10 · 2004: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 4 · 2016: 9 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 1 · 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 Marion County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $498K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.0M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $356K | 27 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $308K | 5.7 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $378K | 20 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $836K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $230K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $14K | 3.2 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 Marion 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 Marion CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Marion County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis