Trinity County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48455 · population 13,573 · 694 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 276 records for Trinity County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 195 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (105 records). The deadliest single record is the September 3, 2000 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 2 injuries and $1.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1989, 25 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Beryl” on July 9, 2024.
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
- 276on 195 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 530 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $96Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 2024
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 Trinity County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 105 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 105 | 79 | 1981-2024 | 1 | 4 | $3.4M | 104 of 254 |
| Hail | 55 | 43 | 1985-2024 | 0 | 0 | $507K | 204 of 254 |
| Floods | 42 | 29 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 0 | $3.0M | 119 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 21 | 1952-2024 | 1 | 23 | $18M | 133 of 254 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 212 of 254 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 105 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 11 | 11 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 1 | $87K | 180 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 1998-2008 | 0 | 1 | $56M | 22 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2000-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 73 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 1 | 0 | $279K | 207 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 129 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 1 | $4K | 178 of 254 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 1 | 0 | – | 111 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 Trinity County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Trinity County from 1952 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 23 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Trinity County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-28 18:35, as SPC files it | Westwood Shores | EF1 | 0.29 mi | 1 |
| 1990-01-19 15:40, as SPC files it | Hudson | F3 | 13 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Trinity County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-28 | Pagoda, Trinity County | EF1 0.29 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $94K |
| 2011-04-25 | Centralia, Trinity County | EF1 0.64 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2009-05-03 | Pennington, Trinity County | EF1 2.08 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2004-11-23 | Apple Spgs, Trinity County | F2 2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2001-10-13 | Trinity County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 1999-01-01 | Groveton, Trinity County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 1999-01-01 | Trinity County | F2 5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1997-05-15 | Groveton, Trinity County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1997-04-04 | Nogalus, Trinity County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-04 | Pennington, Trinity County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1996-11-30 | Trinity County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 2 | $47K |
| 1994-05-09 | Groveton, Trinity County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-30 | Trinity County | F1 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1992-06-30 | Trinity County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-06-30 | Trinity County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1990-01-19 | Trinity County | F3 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-05-17 | Trinity County | F2 6 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1983-12-10 | Trinity County | F2 10 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-06-28 | Trinity County | F2 3 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-05-18 | Trinity County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-05-09 | Trinity County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-03-30 | Trinity County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-07-25 | Trinity County | F1 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Trinity County | F2 17.8 mi x 883 yd | 0 | 13 | $250K step |
| 1952-12-03 | Trinity County | F2 13.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $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 Trinity County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 25, 2026 winter weather (1 injury).
A winter storm moved into southeast Texas on the night of the 24th. After the storm cleared the next day, Trinity county Sheriffs Office reported that bridges had been iced over across the county. One person had also reportedly slid off the road as a result.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1304772)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-25 | Winter WeatherTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-01-20 | Winter WeatherTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-05-01 | FloodCarlisle, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2024-04-28 | TornadoPagoda, Trinity County | EF1 0.29 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $94K |
| 2024-01-24 | Flash FloodWoodlake, Trinity County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-04-26 | HailCentralia, Trinity County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 1 | 0 | $279K | |
| 2020-04-22 | HailTrinity County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2020-04-18 | HailPagoda, Trinity County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2017-01-22 | Strong WindTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 39 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $4K |
| 2013-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindWoodlake, Trinity County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 2013-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindTrinity County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $51K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-09-03 | Thunderstorm WindSebastopol, Trinity County Downburst winds of 80 to 100 mph caused a three mile wide swath of damage along FM 356 between Trinity and Sebastopol near White Rock Creek. A woman was killed when the front porch collapsed at her home in the Hillwood Acres subdivision. Two children were injured inside several boats that flipped over in the lake. ... | 1 | 2 | $1.7M | |
| 2024-04-28 | TornadoPagoda, Trinity County A short-lived EF1 tornado with maximum estimated winds of 100 mph impacted the Rock Creek Subdivision in Trinity. The tornado destroyed a mobile home in the subdivision, and two of its occupants sustained injuries. One of those injured died five days later. Widespread tree damage and damage to vehicles was also ... | EF1 0.29 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $94K |
| 2024-01-24 | Flash FloodWoodlake, Trinity County Flash flooding resulted flooding along Piney Creek Road near Groveton. A man drowned in the floodwaters when attempting to retrieve items from his stranded car. Time was estimated based on radar and nearby flood reports as the man's body was not found until the next day. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity Bitter cold air and wind overspread SE Texas behind and Arctic front on Valentines Day with wind chill indices below zero for much the period from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Increased power demand, wind and ice led to widespread power outages. Bursting pipes caused many to be without water as well. | 1 | 0 | $279K | |
| 1996-08-20 | LightningLake Livingston, Trinity County Boater struck and killed by lightning on Lake Livingston. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1954-04-30 | TornadoTrinity County | F2 17.8 mi x 883 yd | 0 | 13 | $250K step |
| 1952-12-03 | TornadoTrinity County | F2 13.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1989-05-17 | TornadoTrinity County | F2 6 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-06-06 | Tropical StormTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 0 | 0 | $34M | |
| 2008-09-12 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Trinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 0 | 1 | $21M | |
| 2024-05-01 | FloodCarlisle, Trinity County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2000-09-03 | Thunderstorm WindSebastopol, Trinity County | 1 | 2 | $1.7M | |
| 1999-01-01 | TornadoTrinity County | F2 5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2021-02-15 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTrinity County · forecast zone Trinity | 1 | 0 | $279K | |
| 2024-04-28 | TornadoPagoda, Trinity County | EF1 0.29 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $94K |
| 2009-05-03 | TornadoPennington, Trinity County | EF1 2.08 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
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: May 17, 1989 (tornado, Trinity County); January 19, 1990 (tornado, Trinity 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 Trinity 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 19 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 13 | 4 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
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 Trinity County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 13 · Mar 16 · Apr 41 · May 56 · Jun 36 · Jul 20 · Aug 25 · Sep 13 · Oct 6 · Nov 22 · Dec 6 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Trinity County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Trinity County: 18 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (8) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane | Hurricane Beryl |
| 2024-05-17 | DR-4781 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2021-02-19 | DR-4586 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-14 | EM-3554 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-08-24 | EM-3540 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Marco and Laura |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4485 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3458 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-06-11 | DR-4272 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2016-02-09 | DR-4255 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-07-01 | DR-1999 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3290 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 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 |
| 2003-02-01 | EM-3171 | Other | Loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia |
| 2001-06-09 | DR-1379 | Coastal Storm | Tx-Tropical Storm Allison-06-06-2001 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-10-21 | DR-1257 | Flood | Tx-Flooding 10/18/98 |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1996-02-23 | EM-3117 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1994-10-18 | DR-1041 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms and Flooding |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-930 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms |
| 1990-05-02 | DR-863 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 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 Trinity County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 42 flood or flash flood records for Trinity County from 1996 to 2024, on 29 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Trinity County ranks 1132nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ike | 2008-09-12 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Rita | 2005-09-23 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Allison | 2001-06-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.5 million on 140 claims filed in Trinity County; the most in one year was 19 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 4 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 2 · 1990: 5 · 1991: 19 · 1992: 4 · 1993: 8 · 1994: 12 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 8 · 1999: 9 · 2001: 16 · 2002: 6 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 3 · 2007: 5 · 2010: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 14 · 2025: 4; 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 Trinity County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Trinity County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $4.9M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $495K | 67 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $885K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $110K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $104K | once in about 547 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $264K | 12 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Trinity 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in TexasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Trinity CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Trinity County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis