Upton County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48461 · population 3,308 · 1,241 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 323 records for Upton County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 204 days; the most frequent are hail reports (159 records). The most damaging was the August 1, 1996 drought ($5.8 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1993, 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
- 323on 204 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $11Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest EF2
- 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 Upton County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 159 since 1960. 66% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in April and May. 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 | 159 | 106 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 171 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 43 | 40 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $883K | 227 of 254 |
| Floods | 41 | 31 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $347K | 177 of 254 |
| Drought | 32 | 16 | 1996-2006 | 0 | 0 | $6.7M | 236 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 18 | 1959-2024 | 0 | 0 | $142K | 206 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 15 | 11 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 220 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 8 | 2013-2025 | 0 | 0 | $97K | 100 of 254 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 199 of 254 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 156 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 168 of 254 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 196 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 Upton County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Upton County from 1959 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Upton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-30 17:40, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 5.34 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Upton County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-30 | Midkiff, Upton County | EF2 2.81 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2018-10-08 | Mc Camey, Upton County | EF0 0.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-18 | Rankin, Upton County | EF0 6.06 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-28 | Midkiff, Upton County | EF0 1.28 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-19 | Mc Camey, Upton County | EF0 0.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-19 | Mc Camey Upton Co Ar, Upton County | EF0 0.08 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-10-21 | Rankin Airport, Upton County | EF0 0.78 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-03-23 | Rankin, Upton County | EF0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-22 | Rankin, Upton County | F0 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-03-22 | Rankin, Upton County | F1 1 mi x 140 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1999-04-13 | Mc Camey, Upton County | F0 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-08 | Upton County | F1 2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-06-19 | Upton County | F0 2.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-10-02 | Upton County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-06-24 | Upton County | F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1983-05-25 | Upton County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-05 | Upton County | F0 0.6 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1981-07-04 | Upton County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1960-04-26 | Upton County | F2 10.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-06-01 | Upton 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 Upton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 12, 2025 dust storm ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-26 | Flash FloodRankin Airport, Upton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Flash FloodRankin Airport, Upton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Flash FloodMc Camey, Upton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMc Camey, Upton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-29 | HailRankin Airport, Upton County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-28 | HailMidkiff, Upton County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-19 | Flash FloodRankin Airport, Upton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-19 | HailRankin, Upton County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-19 | HailRankin Airport, Upton County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-19 | HailMc Camey, Upton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-19 | HailMc Camey Upton Co Ar, Upton County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindUpton County · forecast zone Upton | 51 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-08-01 | DroughtUpton County · forecast zone Upton | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 1997-06-28 | HailMidkiff, Upton County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 1994-07-05 | HailCrane, Upton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1996-08-01 | DroughtCrane County and Upton County · forecast zone Crane | 0 | 0 | $828K | |
| 2002-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindMidkiff, Upton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $656K |
| 2025-03-12 | Dust StormUpton County · forecast zone Upton | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2024-05-30 | TornadoMidkiff, Upton County | EF2 2.81 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2017-03-28 | Thunderstorm WindMc Camey, Upton County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 2, 1986 (tornado, Upton 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 Upton 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 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 54 | 42 | 30 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 18 | 5 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 28 | 8 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
66% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 7 · Feb 10 · Mar 32 · Apr 49 · May 94 · Jun 56 · Jul 14 · Aug 15 · Sep 8 · Oct 25 · Nov 5 · Dec 8 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Upton County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Upton County: 6 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (4) and hurricane (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 |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3142 | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
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 Upton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Upton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.1 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | $1.8M | 66 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $188K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $27K | once in about 633 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $15K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $39K | 5.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Very Low | $132K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $3K | once in about 174 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $72K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Upton 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 Upton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Upton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis