Potter County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48375 · population 118,502 · 908 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,986 records for Potter County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 877 days; the most frequent are hail reports (882 records). The deadliest single record is the February 14, 2021 extreme cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Potter, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1989, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Stinky Fire” on May 18, 2026.
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
- 1,986on 877 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15167 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $866Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 40strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 2026
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 Potter County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 882 since 1955. 58% of its hail reports since 1955 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 | 882 | 351 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $581M | 6 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 470 | 228 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $18M | 25 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 219 | 108 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $997K | 3 of 254 |
| Floods | 101 | 65 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $16M | 58 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 11 | 155 | $6.5M | 18 of 254 |
| Drought | 69 | 69 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $196M | 137 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 60 | 53 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 4 | $18M | 1 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 35 | 1951-2023 | 0 | 6 | $29M | 96 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 21 | 20 | 2003-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 20 | 2007-2021 | 2 | 0 | – | 27 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 11 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 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 Potter County had?
NOAA records 40 tornadoes in Potter County from 1951 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 6 injuries recorded in the county. That is 96th 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 43 tornadoes whose track touched Potter County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 40: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-05-09 19:11, as SPC files it | Bushland | F3 | 8.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Potter County (40)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-03 | Amarillo, Potter County | EF0 0.24 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-27 | Valle De Oro, Potter County | EF0 1.58 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-08-13 | Amarillo International A, Potter County | EF0 0.09 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-06-13 | Amarillo International A, Potter County | EF1 1.24 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-11-16 | Amarillo International A, Potter County | EF0 0.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-11 | Amarillo International A, Potter County | EF0 2.84 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-20 | Bushland, Potter County | EF0 1.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-21 | Bushland, Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-21 | Bushland, Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-09-19 | Amarillo, Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-10-23 | Amarillo, Potter County | F0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 1999-06-24 | Bushland, Potter County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-28 | Bushland, Potter County | F0 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-29 | Potter County | F0 2.8 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-16 | Potter County | F1 0.2 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-05-16 | Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-05-16 | Potter County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-04-30 | Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-06-02 | Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-06-02 | Potter County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-05-25 | Potter County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-05-09 | Potter County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-05-09 | Potter County | F3 6.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-07-07 | Potter County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-06-07 | Potter County | F1 4.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1973-04-13 | Potter County | F1 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-03-23 | Potter County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-08-08 | Potter County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-06-21 | Potter County | F2 4.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-05-02 | Potter County | F2 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1968-08-14 | Potter County | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-09-17 | Potter County | F1 1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-04 | Potter County | F2 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-06-24 | Potter County | F2 1.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-06-14 | Potter County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-06-10 | Potter County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-06-09 | Potter County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-05-24 | Potter County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-06-16 | Potter County | F0 0.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951-06-06 | Potter County | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Potter County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 29, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindAmarillo International A, Potter County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100 |
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindAmarillo International A, Potter County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindAmarillo International A, Potter County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindAmarillo International A, Potter County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | HailValle De Oro, Potter County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | HailBushland, Potter County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindAmarillo, Potter County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindValle De Oro, Potter County | 79 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtPotter County · forecast zone Potter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-22 | HailBushland, Potter County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-05-17 | WildfirePotter County · forecast zone Potter | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | WildfirePotter County · forecast zone Potter | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-14 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPotter County · forecast zone Potter Around 0500 CST on the 14th, Potter County saw wind chill values drop to -15°F to -25°F, which lasted until around 0800 CST on the 15th. Winds reached speeds of 15 to 25 mph while temperatures were near of below 0°F. The coldest ambient temperature came in at -13°F which was recorded by the West Texas mesonet site ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-12-22 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter Snow and blowing snow contributed to an eighty to one hundred car accident on Interstate 40 east near the intersection of U.S. Highway 287. One sixty-five year old male was killed in his vehicle...twenty-one people were injured and transported to the hospital...and one hundred and sixteen people received minor ... | 1 | 137 | $1.7M | |
| 2005-12-18 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter 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 | 8 | $59K | |
| 2013-11-23 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter Storm total snow of 4.3 inches at the NWS office in Amarillo. Public reports of 2.5 inches in Amarillo, 4.0 inches 1 miles WSW of Bushland, 4.0 inches 5 miles north of Amarillo, and 4.0 inches 6 miles W of Amarillo. Also multiple wreck with one known fatality. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2007-12-27 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter One inch of snow on U.S. Highway 287 near the Canadian River Bridge contributed to icy conditions which led to a one vehicle accident in which a nineteen year old female was killed. The vehicle in which she was driving in rolled over. Three other passengers in the vehicle were injured. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2013-04-02 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter The Amarillo (Potter County) Police reported 17 traffic accidents between the hours of 4 to 8 AM CST on city roads with the majority of them on overpasses. At the Ross-Mirror Connector an initial two car accident resulted in multiple other accidents when motorists were unable to brake in time due to icy roadway ... | 1 | 2 | $57K | |
| 2008-01-31 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter Snow...between two and three inches...and blowing snow with winds of thirty-five miles per hour...resulted in a forty-two car accident on Interstate 40 in the eastbound lanes of the sixty-seven hundred block just west of Whitaker Road at 0542 CST. One person was killed and two people were injured. A sixty-five year ... | 1 | 2 | $2.1M | |
| 2011-12-25 | Winter WeatherPotter County · forecast zone Potter The Texas Department of Public Safety reported that four to five inches of snow in Potter county resulted in icy conditions which caused the driver of a pickup truck traveling eastbound on Interstate 40 at Farm to Market Road 1912 to lose control of the vehicle around 0745CST. The vehicle left the highway on the south ... | 1 | 0 | $39K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-05-28 | HailAmarillo, Potter County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $253M |
| 2013-05-28 | HailAmarillo, Potter County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $127M |
| 2004-06-21 | HailAmarillo, Potter County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $23M |
| 2020-06-19 | HailAmarillo, Potter County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $21M |
| 2010-07-07 | Flash FloodAmarillo International A, Potter County | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2011-02-27 | WildfirePotter County · forecast zone Potter | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2013-05-28 | HailAmarillo, Potter County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 1999-05-25 | HailAmarillo, Potter County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10M |
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: June 21, 1972 (tornado, Potter County); May 9, 1982 (tornado, Potter 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 Potter 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 | 9 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 159 | 324 | 205 | 79 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 20 | 31 | 17 | 29 | 142 | 148 | 78 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 77 | 85 | 52 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 20 | 47 | 27 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 25 | 42 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 5 | 30 z | 29 |
Drought in the 2010s: 30 records against 5 in the decade before, 30 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 Potter 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?
58% of its hail reports since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 58 · Feb 95 · Mar 87 · Apr 265 · May 414 · Jun 504 · Jul 152 · Aug 159 · Sep 85 · Oct 71 · Nov 35 · Dec 61 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Potter County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Potter County: 8 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 4 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (8) and hurricane (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | FM-5634 | Fire | Stinky Fire |
| 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 |
| 2011-05-29 | FM-2913 | Fire | Stone Ridge Fire |
| 2011-02-27 | FM-2862 | Fire | Willow Creek South Fire Complex |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3290 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-02-13 | FM-2743 | Fire | Broadway Fire |
| 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 |
| 1989-05-19 | DR-828 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & 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 Potter County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 101 flood or flash flood records for Potter County from 1996 to 2025, on 65 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Potter County ranks 616th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.4 million on 387 claims filed in Potter County; the most in one year was 122 in 1988. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 5 · 1979: 5 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 45 · 1982: 95 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 5 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 2 · 1988: 122 · 1989: 48 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 4 · 1992: 2 · 1994: 14 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 3 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2025: 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 Potter County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Potter County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $63.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | $2.1M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Very High | $20M | 8.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $15M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.2M | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $2.0M | 102 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.1M | 49 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.9M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | once in about 132 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Potter 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 Potter CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Potter County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis