Milam County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48331 · population 24,623 · 1,016 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 480 records for Milam County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 354 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (104 records). The deadliest single record is the May 25, 2015 tornado: 1 death, 6 injuries and $946,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1991, 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
- 480on 354 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 516 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $37Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Milam County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 104 since 1957. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 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 | 104 | 75 | 1957-2025 | 1 | 2 | $541K | 171 of 254 |
| Drought | 90 | 90 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | 104 of 254 |
| Hail | 83 | 56 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 216 of 254 |
| Floods | 78 | 56 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 1 | $6.2M | 89 of 254 |
| Heat | 51 | 49 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 74 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 23 | 1954-2025 | 2 | 9 | $25M | 176 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 20 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $105K | 170 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 10 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 2 | $68K | 19 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 2019-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 97 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 3 | 2006-2011 | 0 | 0 | $31K | 145 of 254 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2006-2007 | 1 | 2 | $154K | 84 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2008-2015 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 65 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2011-2012 | 0 | 0 | $190K | 170 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 Milam County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Milam County from 1954 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 9 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Milam County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 2 of them in Milam County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-11-15 12:15, as SPC files it | Caldwell | F2 | 10 mi | 2 |
| 2015-05-25 14:55, as SPC files it | Buckholts to Cameron | EF2 | 8.88 mi | 1 |
| 2004-06-26 17:05, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F1 | 0.8 mi | 1 |
| 2019-04-13 09:50, as SPC files it | Franklin | EF3 | 32.48 mi | 0 |
| 1954-04-30 06:10, as SPC files it | Rockdale to Grapeland | F3 | 139.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Milam County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-06 | Cameron, Milam County | EF0 9.27 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2024-04-28 | Burlington, Milam County | EF0 0.19 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2022-03-21 | Edgeworth, Milam County | EF1 3.81 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2019-04-13 | Branchville, Milam County | EF1 1.15 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-06 | Belmena, Milam County | EFU 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-06 | San Gabriel, Milam County | EF0 0.31 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-05-25 | Pettibone, Milam County | EF2 8.88 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 6 | $946K |
| 2004-06-26 | Maysfield, Milam County | F1 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 1 | 0 | $23K |
| 1996-09-20 | Milano, Milam County | F1 0.2 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 1996-09-20 | Cameron, Milam County | F1 0.2 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $132K |
| 1992-09-21 | Milam County | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1989-06-07 | Milam County | F2 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1987-11-15 | Milam County | F2 3 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1981-05-16 | Milam County | F0 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-05-09 | Milam County | F2 12.6 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-05-13 | Milam County | F1 2.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-09-11 | Milam County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-04-29 | Milam County | F2 26.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-11-23 | Milam County | F1 4.3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-01-20 | Milam County | F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-06-01 | Milam County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-04-24 | Milam County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1956-03-21 | Milam County | F2 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-05-06 | Milam County | F2 4.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Milam County | F3 118.8 mi x 880 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 Milam County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 flood ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | HeatMilam County · forecast zone Milam | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-15 | Flash FloodMinerva, Milam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodCameron Municipal Airport, Milam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodSilver City, Milam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodSilver City, Milam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-14 | Flash FloodYarrelton, Milam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-06 | FloodBranchville, Milam County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2026-06-05 | FloodPettibone, Milam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-10 | HailRockdale, Milam County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | Flash FloodRockdale, Milam County | 0 | 0 | $7K | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtMilam County · forecast zone Milam | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtMilam County · forecast zone Milam | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-25 | TornadoPettibone, Milam County A National Weather Service damage survey team found evidence of a tornado which produced EF-2 damage. The tornado first occurred near the community of Pettibone, and moved northeast across central Milam County. The tornado damaged or destroyed approximately 12 homes, mobile homes, and farm buildings. Several locations ... | EF2 8.88 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 6 | $946K |
| 2007-05-01 | LightningCameron, Milam County Two people were struck by lightning while fishing at the edge of a pond. One was killed and the other injured. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2012-08-05 | Thunderstorm WindCameron, Milam County A report from the Milam County Sheriff's Office confirmed that weather played a role in the death of a 50-year old Georgia man competing in a paragliding competition. The event was called off due to rain and wind moving in from the east, but the man did not return. He was found the next day along CR 202; west of ... | 26 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2007-01-13 | Flash FloodBuckholts, Milam County A woman drowned after attempting to cross a flooded low-water crossing in her truck. The truck was found on January 15, but the woman's body was not located until the 18th. She was found off CR 147 near the Marak community. Water was also reported over roads near Davilla. | 1 | 0 | $14K | |
| 2004-06-26 | TornadoMaysfield, Milam County The tornado developed at approximately 605 PM, 1 mile west of Maysfield near the intersection of FM 485 and CR 249. The tornado damaged a store near this intersection, then moved slowly west,along and just south of FM 485. The most significant damage occurred along FM 485 between CR 252and FM 979. A large corrugated ... | F1 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 1 | 0 | $23K |
| 1992-09-21 | TornadoMilam County | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 2010-04-26 | Heavy RainRockdale, Milam County A vehicle accident at East Belton and CR 333 during a thunderstorm resulted in two injuries and extensive damage to the vehicles. | 0 | 2 | $68K | |
| 2016-05-23 | FloodCameron, Milam County According to local news reports, a woman drove into high water on the Little River bridge in Cameron. While the heavy rain from the day before had ended hours before the incident, water remained over the roadway by 9 AM CDT on the 23rd. As the woman drove her car on the bridge, the water swept the car off of the ... | 0 | 1 | $37K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-13 | Flash FloodCameron, Milam County | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2007-07-14 | Flash FloodBuckholts, Milam County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1994-05-02 | HailCameron, Milam County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2015-05-25 | TornadoPettibone, Milam County | EF2 8.88 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 6 | $946K |
| 2008-12-01 | DroughtMilam County · forecast zone Milam | 0 | 0 | $343K | |
| 1996-09-20 | TornadoCameron, Milam County | F1 0.2 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $132K |
| 1995-05-17 | HailRockdale, Milam County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $77K |
| 2008-04-25 | HailRockdale, Milam County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $69K |
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: November 15, 1987 (tornado, Milam County); June 7, 1989 (tornado, Milam 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 Milam 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 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 27 | 19 | 18 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 28 | 36 | 24 |
| Hail | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 23 | 15 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 37 | 15 | 17 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 5 | 41 z |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
Heat in the 2020-26: 41 records against 5 in the decade before, 41 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 Milam 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?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 35 · Mar 36 · Apr 68 · May 78 · Jun 55 · Jul 38 · Aug 41 · Sep 41 · Oct 21 · Nov 19 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Milam County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Milam County: 14 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (6) and fire (4).
| 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 |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-08-25 | DR-4332 | Hurricane | Hurricane Harvey |
| 2016-04-25 | DR-4269 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007-06-29 | DR-1709 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1999-08-31 | FM-2284 | Fire | Tx-Alcoa Fire |
| 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 |
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 Milam County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 78 flood or flash flood records for Milam County from 1996 to 2026, on 56 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Milam County ranks 2212th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $200,000 on 15 claims filed in Milam County; the most in one year was 3 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2004: 2 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 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 Milam County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Milam County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $545K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $839K | 52 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $546K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $897K | once in about 18 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $79K | once in about 924 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $464K | 15 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Milam 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 Milam CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Milam County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis