Mitchell County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48335 · population 8,970 · 911 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 469 records for Mitchell County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 252 days; the most frequent are hail reports (214 records). The most damaging was the June 30, 2020 thunderstorm wind ($8.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1993, 12 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
- 469on 252 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 09 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $32Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 55strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 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 Mitchell County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 214 since 1959. 67% of its hail reports since 1959 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 214 | 119 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $982K | 120 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 106 | 74 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 3 | $14M | 162 of 254 |
| Floods | 57 | 53 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $415K | 84 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 55 | 42 | 1955-2017 | 0 | 5 | $6.7M | 67 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 20 | 19 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $30K | 166 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 7 | 2018-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 92 of 254 |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 1998-2006 | 0 | 0 | $10.0M | 252 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 190 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 139 of 254 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 1 | – | 133 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 152 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $394K | 189 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 Mitchell County had?
NOAA records 55 tornadoes in Mitchell County from 1955 to 2017, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 67th 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 54 tornadoes whose track touched Mitchell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 55: 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 Mitchell County (55)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-03-28 | Spade, Mitchell County | EF0 4.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-16 | Loraine, Mitchell County | EF0 0.92 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-25 | Loraine, Mitchell County | EF1 0.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2012-04-07 | Hyman, Mitchell County | EF0 1.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-07 | Hyman, Mitchell County | EF0 1.38 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-14 | Westbrook, Mitchell County | EF0 2.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-23 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | EF0 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2006-05-02 | Westbrook, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2006-05-02 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2006-05-02 | Westbrook, Mitchell County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2004-06-11 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F2 10.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $391K |
| 2004-05-25 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F0 1.2 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-25 | Loraine, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-03-04 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $195K |
| 2004-03-04 | Loraine, Mitchell County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 1 | $430K |
| 2003-10-06 | Loraine, Mitchell County | F0 3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-09-25 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2002-08-13 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-27 | Loraine, Mitchell County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $107K |
| 2002-05-04 | Loraine, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-04 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F0 0.8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2000-03-22 | Westbrook, Mitchell County | F0 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-22 | Westbrook, Mitchell County | F0 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-11 | Cuthbert, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-10-23 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $202K |
| 1996-05-13 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-13 | Spade, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-11 | Colorado City, Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-11 | Coahoma To, Mitchell County | F0 3.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-11 | Mitchell County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-13 | Mitchell County | F0 1.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-02 | Mitchell County | F0 3.5 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-01 | Mitchell County | F0 1.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-05-13 | Mitchell County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-04-21 | Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-08-04 | Mitchell County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1984-04-07 | Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1984-04-07 | Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-18 | Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-18 | Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-06-11 | Mitchell County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-27 | Mitchell County | F2 3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-05-27 | Mitchell County | F2 15 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-03-27 | Mitchell County | F0 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1979-03-21 | Mitchell County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-03-21 | Mitchell County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-05-28 | Mitchell County | F0 3.3 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-03-13 | Mitchell County | F1 9.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-04-12 | Mitchell County | F0 0.5 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-25 | Mitchell County | F2 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1964-07-22 | Mitchell County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-05-07 | Mitchell County | F1 8.2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-06-08 | Mitchell County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-08-12 | Mitchell County | F0 1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-05-08 | Mitchell County | F1 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Mitchell County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2024 thunderstorm wind ($4,704 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Emergency management reports a hitched trailer overturned on a property. Wind gust speed and property damage costs are estimations.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1196225)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-10 | Strong WindMitchell County · forecast zone Mitchell | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailSpade, Mitchell County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailWestbrook, Mitchell County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailColorado City, Mitchell County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailWestbrook, Mitchell County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailColorado City, Mitchell County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | HailIatan, Mitchell County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-10 | Flash FloodColorado City, Mitchell County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-13 | HailLoraine, Mitchell County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailColorado City, Mitchell County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter WeatherMitchell County · forecast zone Mitchell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindBuford, Mitchell County | 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-11 | Thunderstorm WindLoraine, Mitchell County Tractor-trailer blown over along I-20. Video shared via email. Wind speeds are estimated to be between 60 to 70 mph. Property cost damage is an estimation. | 56 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $10K |
| 2004-06-11 | TornadoColorado City, Mitchell County A National Weather Service damage survey team concluded that a significant tornado struck rural areas of southeastern Mitchell County during the evening of the 11th. The team examined a damage path marked by shredded vegetation (mostly mesquite trees), downed utility poles, agricultural fences, and a complex of ... | F2 10.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $391K |
| 2004-03-04 | TornadoLoraine, Mitchell County A weak tornado struck the city of Loraine resulting in one injury and damage to several light-weight structures and vehicles. Damage surveyed by a National Weather Service meteorologist began on the south side of the city near Looby Street. From there the tornado traveled northeast producing a one mile long damage ... | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 1 | $430K |
| 1997-08-16 | LightningColorado City, Mitchell County Lightning strikes at Lake Colorado City injured a young girl who suffered burns on her arm. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1965-05-25 | TornadoMitchell County | F2 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindColorado City Airport, Mitchell County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8.0M |
| 2017-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindLoraine, Mitchell County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.6M |
| 2010-01-28 | Thunderstorm WindLoraine, Mitchell County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $799K |
| 2004-03-04 | TornadoLoraine, Mitchell County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 1 | $430K |
| 2003-09-25 | TornadoColorado City, Mitchell County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2011-04-26 | WildfireMitchell County · forecast zone Mitchell | 0 | 0 | $394K | |
| 2004-06-11 | TornadoColorado City, Mitchell County | F2 10.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $391K |
| 1997-06-20 | HailWestbrook, Mitchell County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $386K |
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 25, 1965 (tornado, Mitchell County); May 27, 1982 (tornado, Mitchell County); May 27, 1982 (tornado, Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 42 | 66 | 55 | 32 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 31 | 29 | 21 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 25 | 14 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 0 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
67% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 9 · Feb 6 · Mar 43 · Apr 63 · May 167 · Jun 108 · Jul 8 · Aug 25 · Sep 18 · Oct 13 · Nov 4 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mitchell County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Mitchell County: 6 major disasters, 7 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for fire (5) and hurricane (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2011-02-28 | FM-2865 | Fire | Mitchell Fire Complex |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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 Mitchell County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 57 flood or flash flood records for Mitchell County from 1996 to 2026, on 53 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Mitchell County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $53,000 on 6 claims filed in Mitchell County; the most in one year was 3 in 1992. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 2 · 1987: 1 · 1992: 3; 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 Mitchell County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mitchell County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 63 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $595K | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $777K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $508K | once in about 158 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $60K | 5.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $547K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $114K | 6.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $7K | once in about 174 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Mitchell 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 Mitchell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mitchell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis