Parmer County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48369 · population 9,859 · 881 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 693 records for Parmer County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 524 days; the most frequent are hail reports (196 records). The deadliest single record is the April 17, 1970 tornado: 1 death and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1970, 13 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
- 693on 524 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 123 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.1Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 50strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Parmer County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 196 since 1959. 74% 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 | 196 | 131 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 97 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 124 | 106 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 95 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 105 | 97 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 3 | $2.0M | 7 of 254 |
| Drought | 100 | 100 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $2.0B | 50 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 91 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 9 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 50 | 35 | 1955-2019 | 1 | 20 | $78M | 91 of 254 |
| Floods | 15 | 11 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 227 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 119 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2000-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 107 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 175 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 139 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 Parmer County had?
NOAA records 50 tornadoes in Parmer County from 1955 to 2019, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 20 injuries recorded in the county. That is 91st 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 56 tornadoes whose track touched Parmer County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 50: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-17 22:30, as SPC files it | Pampa | F4 | 130 mi | 1 |
| 1995-06-02 17:35, as SPC files it | Friona | F3 | 10 mi | 0 |
| 1963-05-21 18:11, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 5.9 mi | 0 |
| 1960-10-11 16:47, as SPC files it | Friona | F3 | 1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Parmer County (50)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-26 | Lariat, Parmer County | EF0 1.76 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-14 | Lazbuddie, Parmer County | EFU 1.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-04-17 | Friona, Parmer County | EF0 2.75 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-23 | Bovina, Parmer County | EF0 1.75 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $107K |
| 2007-03-23 | Farwell, Parmer County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-03 | Bovina, Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-03 | Friona, Parmer County | F1 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-03 | Friona, Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-03 | Friona, Parmer County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-03 | Bovina, Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-12 | Friona, Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-25 | Friona, Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-06-01 | Friona, Parmer County | F3 10 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 12 | $46M |
| 1995-05-17 | Lazbuddie, Parmer County | F1 0.3 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| 1994-05-26 | Hub, Parmer County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-27 | Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-27 | Parmer County | F0 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-27 | Parmer County | F1 1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-06-27 | Parmer County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-03-27 | Parmer County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-03-27 | Parmer County | F2 10 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1991-05-10 | Parmer County | F1 0.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-05-10 | Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1991-05-10 | Parmer County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1991-05-10 | Parmer County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-10 | Parmer County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-05-10 | Parmer County | F0 0.6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-05-30 | Parmer County | F0 2 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-02 | Parmer County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-05-29 | Parmer County | F0 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-06-08 | Parmer County | F0 0.3 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1983-06-07 | Parmer County | F1 0.3 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-07-04 | Parmer County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1980-06-17 | Parmer County | F2 45 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-02-07 | Parmer County | F1 15.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-05-31 | Parmer County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-05-05 | Parmer County | F0 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-04-17 | Parmer County | F4 7.4 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-05-24 | Parmer County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-05-16 | Parmer County | F2 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-03-19 | Parmer County | F2 0.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-06-09 | Parmer County | F1 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-06-13 | Parmer County | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-06-12 | Parmer County | F2 8.8 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1964-06-12 | Parmer County | F2 2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-06-11 | Parmer County | F2 18.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-10-11 | Parmer County | F3 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1960-04-12 | Parmer County | F2 1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 1957-05-24 | Parmer County | F2 70.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-06-18 | Parmer County | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Parmer County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 22, 2017 hail ($2.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
More than a dozen farmers in Parmer County suffered varying degrees of damage to corn and cotton crops following a slow-moving hailstorm. About 20,000 acres were damaged in total, with about 3,500 acres reported as a complete loss. The hail was estimated to be as large as golf ball size.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 717328)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindFriona, Parmer County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindFriona, Parmer County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-15 | Thunderstorm WindBovina, Parmer County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindFriona, Parmer County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-11 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-10 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-05 | Thunderstorm WindFriona, Parmer County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-29 | HailFarwell, Parmer County | 0.88 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-17 | TornadoParmer County | F4 7.4 mi x 880 yd | 1 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1995-06-01 | TornadoFriona, Parmer County Storm survey indicated a strong tornado swept across the southern and eastern edge of Friona destroying 14 homes and damaging another 25. Another 25 businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged. Of the 12 injuries only one was critical, a 68-year-old male. The largest employer in town, the Hi-Pro Feed Mill was ... | F3 10 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 12 | $46M |
| 1960-04-12 | TornadoParmer County | F2 1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 2008-04-01 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer A potent storm system propagated eastward over the Southern Plains of the U.S. on the 10th and resulted in a widespread high wind and blowing dust event over much of the west Texas South Plains. Sustained wind speeds of 40 mph were common with gusts up to 72 mph recorded per the Texas Tech University West Texas ... | 63 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $27K |
| 2004-02-19 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer A strong upper level storm moved into the Southern Plains resulting in a very strong pressure gradient over West Texas. Westerly winds increased to 40 to 50 mph sustained with gusts measured to 63 mph during the high wind event. A tractor trailer was overturned by the wind near Tulia resulting in one (direct) injury. ... | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $78K |
| 2000-03-07 | High WindParmer County · forecast zone Parmer A strong upper level disturbance over southern Arizona moved northeast into New Mexico during the day on the 7th. Low pressure quickly deepened over southeastern Colorado in response to the approach of this system. As a result, the pressure gradient strengthened over the Southern Plains. The dryline surged east of the ... | 56 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $1.3M |
| 1991-05-10 | TornadoParmer County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1960-10-11 | TornadoParmer County | F3 1 mi x 100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-11-01 | DroughtParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | $883M | |
| 2001-12-01 | DroughtParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | $700M | |
| 2003-12-01 | DroughtParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | $385M | |
| 1995-06-01 | TornadoFriona, Parmer County | F3 10 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 12 | $46M |
| 2015-12-26 | BlizzardParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | $10.0M | |
| 2017-09-22 | HailBovina, Parmer County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.4M |
| 1997-04-24 | Cold/Wind ChillParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2000-12-25 | Winter StormParmer County · forecast zone Parmer | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
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 17, 1970 (tornado, Parmer County, 1 killed); March 27, 1992 (tornado, Parmer 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 Parmer 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 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 51 | 59 | 38 | 16 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 33 | 47 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 29 | 37 | 37 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 10 | 22 | 49 | 19 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 36 | 31 | 21 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
74% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 49 · Mar 56 · Apr 61 · May 142 · Jun 155 · Jul 42 · Aug 40 · Sep 25 · Oct 26 · Nov 23 · Dec 44 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Parmer County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Parmer County: 9 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe ice storm (3) and severe 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 |
| 2016-02-09 | DR-4255 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1992-09-09 | DR-960 | Severe Storm | Excessive Rain & Hail |
| 1970-05-13 | DR-286 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Windstorms & 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Parmer County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Parmer County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $47.9 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 | Very High | $43M | 100 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $150K | 7.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $146K | once in about 288 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $929K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $978K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $416K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $33K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Parmer 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 Parmer CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Parmer County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis