Oldham County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48359 · population 1,739 · 1,501 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 770 records for Oldham County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 501 days; the most frequent are hail reports (310 records). The deadliest single record is the November 26, 2015 ice storm, filed for the forecast zone Oldham, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1998, 11 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
- 770on 501 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 810 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $204Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 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 Oldham County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 310 since 1959. 65% of its hail reports since 1959 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 | 310 | 166 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $216K | 145 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 122 | 92 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 1 | $869K | 190 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 105 | 79 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 37 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 67 | 1996-2026 | 8 | 7 | $2.6M | 78 of 254 |
| Drought | 62 | 62 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $180M | 197 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 41 | 40 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | $19M | 8 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 23 | 1958-2021 | 0 | 2 | $614K | 200 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 19 | 2007-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 50 of 254 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 2000-2019 | 0 | 0 | $74K | 247 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 2005-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 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 Oldham County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Oldham County from 1958 to 2021, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 2 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Oldham County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Oldham County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-17 | Boys Ranch, Oldham County | EFU 0.86 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-26 | Vega, Oldham County | EF0 1.51 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-26 | Adrian, Oldham County | EF0 0.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-04 | Adrian, Oldham County | EFU 0.09 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-03-22 | Vega, Oldham County | EFU 0.64 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-04-15 | Adrian, Oldham County | EF0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-21 | Adrian, Oldham County | EF0 0.57 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-04 | Vega, Oldham County | EF0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-21 | Boys Ranch, Oldham County | EF0 3.57 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-10 | Vega, Oldham County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-28 | Vega, Oldham County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-27 | Oldham County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-08-15 | Oldham County | F0 2.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-16 | Oldham County | F1 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1989-05-15 | Oldham County | F0 1.5 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-15 | Oldham County | F1 4 mi x 210 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-12 | Oldham County | F0 2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-05-27 | Oldham County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1975-05-10 | Oldham County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-06-13 | Oldham County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-06-11 | Oldham County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-06-28 | Oldham County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-05-30 | Oldham County | F0 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-06-03 | Oldham County | F0 27.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-07-15 | Oldham County | F0 4.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Oldham County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 hail ($6,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A supercell thunderstorm moved slowly across Wildorado. Baseball size hail fell in a swath from three miles east of Wildorado to the Deaf Smith county line, and continued into Deaf Smith County.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1339786)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindVega, Oldham County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | HailWildorado, Oldham County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-17 | WildfireOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | WildfireOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-11-26 | Ice StormOldham County · forecast zone Oldham One inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain was reported at Vaga. Some sleet also occurred. At 10:00 PM on the 26th, a vehicle accident was reported on Interstate 40 near Vega resulting in three fatalities. One quarter inch of ice accumulation was reported at that time. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-11-21 | Winter WeatherOldham County · forecast zone Oldham Multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 40 near Vega. Eleven vehicles involded, 20 people hospitalized, and three fatalities. | 3 | 0 | $418K | |
| 2005-12-18 | Winter WeatherOldham County · forecast zone Oldham A cold and moist airmass across the Texas panhandle resulted in an extended period of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle and dangerous driving conditions. Department of Public Safety officials cited weather as the primary cause of numerous accidents...which resulted in at least fifteen injuries and five ... | 1 | 0 | $33K | |
| 2000-12-25 | Heavy SnowOldham County · forecast zone Oldham A strong storm system in the upper atmosphere moved from the four corners region into southwestern New Mexico and then moved slowly into west Texas producing heavy snowfall across all of the Texas panhandle. Snowfall amounts ranged from six to eight inches across the extreme northern and western Texas panhandle to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-09 | Winter WeatherOldham County · forecast zone Oldham Strong northerly winds along with one to two inches of snow combined to cause near whiteout conditions and very treacherous driving conditions. A twenty vehicle accident on eastbound Interstate 40 near Wildorado resulted in at least seven people injured...two of whom were in critical condition. | 0 | 7 | $1.3M | |
| 1989-05-16 | TornadoOldham County | F1 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2004-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County Tractor trailer was blown over on Interstate 40 with one person receiving injuries. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $234K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-06-15 | WildfireOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2008-12-09 | Winter WeatherOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 0 | 7 | $1.3M | |
| 2026-02-17 | WildfireOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 0 | 0 | $800K | |
| 2013-11-21 | Winter WeatherOldham County · forecast zone Oldham | 3 | 0 | $418K | |
| 2005-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $320K |
| 2004-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Oldham County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $234K |
| 1994-06-10 | HailVega, Oldham County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1995-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindBoys Ranch, Oldham County | 0 | 0 | $48K |
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 16, 1989 (tornado, Oldham 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 Oldham 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 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 57 | 113 | 66 | 32 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 35 | 48 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 12 | 36 z | 56 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 22 | 29 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 5 | 22 z | 30 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 18 | 19 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 36 records against 12 in the decade before, 36 of them forecast-zone records. Drought in the 2010s: 22 records against 5 in the decade before, 22 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 Oldham 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?
65% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 43 · Mar 48 · Apr 82 · May 144 · Jun 175 · Jul 63 · Aug 57 · Sep 24 · Oct 18 · Nov 29 · Dec 51 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Oldham County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Oldham County: 7 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and severe ice storm (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 |
| 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 |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Oldham County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Oldham County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.2 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 High | $2.5M | 94 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $115K | once in about 159 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $391K | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $45K | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $462K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $173K | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $198K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $15K | once in about 1,364 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Oldham 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 Oldham CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Oldham County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis