San Jacinto County, Texas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48407 · population 27,373 · 569 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 268 records for San Jacinto County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 196 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (88 records). The deadliest single record is the August 26, 2017 flash flood: 3 deaths and $421 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 32 declarations naming the county since 1973, 30 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Pauline Road Fire” on March 20, 2025.

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
268on 196 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
810 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$519Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
19strongest F2
FEMA declarations
32latest 2025

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 San Jacinto County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 88 since 1981. 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.

San Jacinto County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 88 70 1981-2024 3 1 $9.4M 92 of 254
Hail 61 40 1960-2025 0 0 $491K 189 of 254
Floods 49 40 1996-2024 3 0 $422M 61 of 254
Tornadoes 19 17 1975-2013 1 9 $8.5M 134 of 254
Drought 14 14 1996-2023 0 0 $15M 204 of 254
Heat 13 13 1999-2023 0 0 – 93 of 254
Winter storms 10 10 1997-2025 0 0 $29K 178 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 8 7 2004-2024 0 0 – 20 of 254
Hurricanes and tropical storms 4 4 1998-2008 1 0 $63M 23 of 254
Extreme cold 1 1 2021-2021 0 0 $65K 198 of 254
Heavy rain 1 1 2014-2014 0 0 $31K 126 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 San Jacinto County had?

NOAA records 19 tornadoes in San Jacinto County from 1975 to 2013, the strongest rated F2, with 1 death 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched San Jacinto County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 19: 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched San Jacinto County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1983-12-10 18:05, as SPC files itColdspringF13 mi1

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.

Every tornado record filed for San Jacinto County (19)
Every tornado recorded in San Jacinto County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2013-02-18 Napier, San Jacinto County EF1 0.57 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $190K
2011-11-15 Liberty Hill, San Jacinto County EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2007-07-03 Lake Livingston Dam, San Jacinto County EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2006-04-29 Coldspring, San Jacinto County F2 1 mi x 30 yd 0 4 $146K
2004-11-23 Lake Livingston Dam, San Jacinto County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2003-06-05 Shepherd, San Jacinto County F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $16K
2002-12-23 Coldspring, San Jacinto County F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $41K
2002-12-23 Evergreen, San Jacinto County F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $16K
2001-12-16 Pointblank, San Jacinto County F2 3 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $4.2M
2000-11-05 Shepherd, San Jacinto County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $26K
1997-10-23 Shepherd, San Jacinto County F1 20 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $46K
1997-10-23 Evergreen, San Jacinto County F0 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $37K
1995-05-07 San Jacinto County F1 50 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $232K
1994-05-09 Cleveland, San Jacinto County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1986-11-07 San Jacinto County F0 1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1984-05-21 San Jacinto County F0 0 0 $250K step
1983-12-10 San Jacinto County F1 3 mi x 200 yd 1 3 $250K step
1983-02-09 San Jacinto County F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $250K step
1975-10-23 San Jacinto County F2 6.4 mi x 100 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 San Jacinto County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 26, 2017 flash flood (3 deaths and $421 million in damage in 2025 dollars).

Slow moving Tropical Storm Harvey produced very heavy rainfall and flooding over portions of San Jacinto County. Major lowland flooding occurred near the Trinity River and areas below Lake Livingston. There was a report of high water closing Marie Street in Shepherd with numerous reports of other flooded roadways around the county. Many roads and homes along the southern end of Lake Livingston were inundated. FM 3278 was inaccessible due to the inundation of flood waters. Major lowland flooding occurred on the Trinity River near Goodrich. Hundreds to thousands of homes received various levels of damage from flooding; from minor to being completely destroyed.There were 3 fatalities, all direct.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 728390)
The 12 most recent records kept for San Jacinto County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-03-08 HailPointblank, San Jacinto County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2025-03-08 HailPointblank, San Jacinto County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2025-01-20 Winter WeatherSan Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto 0 0 –
2017-08-26 Flash FloodLiberty Hill, San Jacinto County 3 0 $421M
2013-02-18 TornadoNapier, San Jacinto County EF1 0.57 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $190K
2012-07-21 Thunderstorm WindEvergreen, San Jacinto County 52 kt wind 0 1 –
2011-11-15 TornadoLiberty Hill, San Jacinto County EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2008-09-12 Hurricane (Typhoon)San Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto 0 0 $41M
2007-07-03 TornadoLake Livingston Dam, San Jacinto County EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2006-04-29 TornadoColdspring, San Jacinto County F2 1 mi x 30 yd 0 4 $146K
2005-09-23 Hurricane (Typhoon)San Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto 1 0 $15M
2004-11-23 TornadoLake Livingston Dam, San Jacinto County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 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

Records with deaths or injuries in San Jacinto County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2017-08-26 Flash FloodLiberty Hill, San Jacinto County Slow moving Tropical Storm Harvey produced very heavy rainfall and flooding over portions of San Jacinto County. Major lowland flooding occurred near the Trinity River and areas below Lake Livingston. There was a report of high water closing Marie Street in Shepherd with numerous reports of other flooded roadways ... 3 0 $421M
1987-07-02 Thunderstorm WindSan Jacinto County 3 0 –
1983-12-10 TornadoSan Jacinto County F1 3 mi x 200 yd 1 3 $250K step
2005-09-23 Hurricane (Typhoon)San Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto The eye of Hurricane Rita moved ashore in extreme southwest Louisiana between Sabine Pass and Johnson's Bayou In Cameron Parish with a minimum central pressure of 937 mb and maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Rita was a Category 3 hurricane at landfall.Two and a half weeks after Hurricane Katrina made her final and ... 1 0 $15M
2006-04-29 TornadoColdspring, San Jacinto County Tornado in the Coldspring Terrace Subdivision along Lake Livingston. Four injuries in two homes that received major damage. F2 1 mi x 30 yd 0 4 $146K
2001-12-16 TornadoPointblank, San Jacinto County An F2 Tornado touched down at the Point Lookout West Estates. There were 2 minor injuries. 15 homes were destroyed, with 15 to 20 other homes receiving major damage. Trees and power lines were down. Reported by the Sheriff's office. F2 3 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $4.2M
2012-07-21 Thunderstorm WindEvergreen, San Jacinto County Trees were blown down near 150 and FM 2693 and a vehicle was struck by a fallen tree. The driver only sustained minor injuries. 52 kt wind 0 1 –

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.

The costliest records in San Jacinto County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2017-08-26 Flash FloodLiberty Hill, San Jacinto County 3 0 $421M
2008-09-12 Hurricane (Typhoon)San Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto 0 0 $41M
1998-08-01 DroughtSan Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto 0 0 $15M
1998-02-10 Thunderstorm WindColdspring, San Jacinto County 0 0 $6.8M
2001-06-08 Tropical StormSan Jacinto County · forecast zone San Jacinto 0 0 $6.8M
2001-12-16 TornadoPointblank, San Jacinto County F2 3 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $4.2M
1995-12-17 Thunderstorm WindColdspring, San Jacinto County 0 0 $968K
2000-11-06 Thunderstorm WindCountywide, San Jacinto County 0 0 $343K

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: December 10, 1983 (tornado, San Jacinto County, 1 killed); October 23, 1975 (tornado, San Jacinto County); February 9, 1983 (tornado, San Jacinto 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 San Jacinto 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).

San Jacinto County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind00092424256
Hail0107231848
Floods––––191686
Tornadoes00144820
Drought––––7205
Heat––––2407

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in San Jacinto County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 16 · Feb 16 · Mar 9 · Apr 29 · May 58 · Jun 24 · Jul 23 · Aug 25 · Sep 19 · Oct 14 · Nov 23 · Dec 12 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for San Jacinto County

FEMA's register lists 32 declarations that include San Jacinto County: 23 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (10) and flood (9).

Declarations including San Jacinto County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2025-03-20FM-5573FirePauline Road Fire
2024-07-09DR-4798HurricaneHurricane Beryl
2024-05-17DR-4781FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2021-02-19DR-4586Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-14EM-3554Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-08-24EM-3540HurricaneTropical Storms Marco and Laura
2020-03-25DR-4485BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3458BiologicalCovid-19
2019-10-04DR-4466FloodTropical Storm Imelda
2017-08-25DR-4332HurricaneHurricane Harvey
2016-06-11DR-4272FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2016-04-25DR-4269FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2015-05-29DR-4223Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding
2008-09-13DR-1791HurricaneHurricane Ike
2008-09-10EM-3294HurricaneHurricane Ike
2008-08-29EM-3290HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2006-01-11DR-1624FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-24DR-1606HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3261HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-02EM-3216HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2002-11-05DR-1439Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
2001-06-09DR-1379Coastal StormTx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001
1999-09-01EM-3142FireExtreme Fire Hazards
1998-10-21DR-1257FloodTx-Flooding 10/18/98
1998-08-26DR-1239Severe StormTropical Storm Charley
1994-10-18DR-1041FloodSevere Thunderstorms and Flooding
1991-12-26DR-930FloodSevere Thunderstorms
1990-05-02DR-863Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1989-07-18DR-836FloodTropical Storm Allison
1989-05-19DR-828Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1983-08-19DR-689HurricaneHurricane Alicia
1973-07-11DR-398FloodSevere Storms & 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 San Jacinto County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 49 flood or flash flood records for San Jacinto County from 1996 to 2024, on 40 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), San Jacinto County ranks 511th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on San Jacinto County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Harvey2017-08-2613
Hurricane Rita2005-09-2311
Hurricane Ike2008-09-1210
Tropical Storm Allison2001-06-0810

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $10.2 million on 491 claims filed in San Jacinto County; the most in one year was 87 in 1994. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1979: 2 · 1983: 5 · 1986: 3 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 8 · 1990: 63 · 1991: 30 · 1992: 36 · 1993: 4 · 1994: 87 · 1995: 3 · 1998: 48 · 1999: 5 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 11 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 4 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 7 · 2008: 7 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 7 · 2016: 12 · 2017: 78 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 11 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 41 · 2025: 1; 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 San Jacinto County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates San Jacinto County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.1 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.

National Risk Index ratings for San Jacinto County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
TornadoRelatively Moderate$4.9Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$400K71 a year (modeled)
HurricaneRelatively Low$640Konce in about 8 years (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$107Konce in about 555 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Low$6.4M1.3 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$86Kabout once a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$358K12 modeled event-days a year
Cold WaveRelatively Low$798Konce in about 2 years (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with San Jacinto County

  1. Montgomery County 641
  2. Liberty County 420
  3. Polk County 364
  4. Walker County 343
  5. Trinity County 276
  6. San Jacinto County 268

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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