Zavala County, Texas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 48507 · population 9,653 · 1,297 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 287 records for Zavala County, Texas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 241 days; the most frequent are drought records (105 records). The most damaging was the October 28, 1996 flood ($37.6 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1984, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on September 1, 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
- 287on 241 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 028 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $51Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F2
- 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 Zavala County most?
The most frequent records are drought records: 105 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 105 | 104 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 121 of 254 |
| Hail | 71 | 51 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 1 | $11M | 236 of 254 |
| Floods | 54 | 45 | 1996-2017 | 0 | 26 | $38M | 139 of 254 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 36 | 31 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $905K | 238 of 254 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 10 | 1956-2015 | 0 | 1 | $302K | 230 of 254 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 162 of 254 |
| Winter storms | 3 | 3 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 250 of 254 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2021-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 203 of 254 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 210 of 254 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | $241K | 123 of 254 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 169 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 Zavala County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Zavala County from 1956 to 2015, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Zavala County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Texas.
Every tornado record filed for Zavala County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-04-24 | Winter Haven, Zavala County | EF0 1.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2004-11-23 | La Pryor, Zavala County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-03-12 | Batesville, Zavala County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-15 | Zavala County | F1 48.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-10-04 | Zavala County | F1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-05-08 | Zavala County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-01 | Zavala County | F1 0.3 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1966-05-23 | Zavala County | F2 16 mi x 133 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-03-18 | Zavala County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1956-10-18 | Zavala County | F2 1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Zavala County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 4, 2023 hail ($4,843 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A thunderstorm produced hail up to baseball size in Crystal City. The hail destroyed vehicle windshields and windows.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1101452)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindBatesville, Zavala County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-14 | HailLa Pryor, Zavala County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-11 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-01 | DroughtZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-08-23 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala Flooding along the headwaters of the Frio River was devastating, but campers had been removed in advance from the camps, preventing the need for dangerous last-minute rescues. Still, the flooding covered the entire camping area of Garner State Park in northeast Uvalde County. Water was reported to be five to six feet ... | 0 | 10 | $199K | |
| 1998-08-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Zavala County Widespread heavy rainfall began to fall again through the mid morning of the 18th. General 3 to 4 inch amounts were reported with totals nearing 10 inches south and west of Uvalde. Severe flash flooding developed very quickly in Uvalde County. The river gauge 9 miles southwest of Uvalde measured 9.16 inches, and the ... | 0 | 5 | $9K | |
| 1998-08-18 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala The ensuing rise along the Nueces River closed a portion of US highway 57 shortly after midnight on the morning of the 19th, and continued into the late afternoon. The river also threatened homes later that afternoon in Crystal City, but did not cause any damage. | 0 | 5 | $27K | |
| 1998-08-18 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala The Leona River which begins just north of the city of Uvalde responded to the rainfall with a rapid rise as it moved south of the Uvalde-Zavala County line. It flooded several homes near Batesville, with additional evacuations and rescues required around the town. | 0 | 5 | $136K | |
| 2004-04-04 | HailCrystal City, Zavala County A line of strong thunderstorms had stuck Crystal City near 1240 pm CST. Although individual storms were moving toward the northeast, the line appeared to be moving to the southeast. The downburst winds were all discharged toward the southwest, as all damage around Crystal City area was blown in that direction. Damage ... | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 1 | $781K |
| 1999-06-14 | Flash FloodCrystal City, Zavala County Additional rainfall of 3 to 4 inches over already soaked soils produced brief flash flooding throughout much of Crystal City. One home was flooded, requiring an evacuation by the Sheriff's Department. | 0 | 1 | $71K | |
| 1964-03-18 | TornadoZavala County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-10-28 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 0 | $38M | |
| 1993-03-29 | HailBatesville, Zavala County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2004-04-04 | HailCrystal City, Zavala County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 1 | $781K |
| 1998-02-12 | HailBatesville, Zavala County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 1998-08-23 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 10 | $199K | |
| 1998-08-18 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 5 | $136K | |
| 1999-06-14 | Flash FloodCrystal City, Zavala County | 0 | 1 | $71K | |
| 1998-08-18 | FloodZavala County · forecast zone Zavala | 0 | 5 | $27K |
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: March 18, 1964 (tornado, Zavala 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 Zavala 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 15 | 9 | 32 z | 49 |
| Hail | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 28 | 14 | 0 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Drought in the 2010s: 32 records against 9 in the decade before, 32 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 Zavala 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?
Records by month in Zavala County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 9 · Feb 18 · Mar 31 · Apr 41 · May 66 · Jun 28 · Jul 19 · Aug 21 · Sep 17 · Oct 16 · Nov 12 · Dec 9 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Zavala County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Zavala County: 13 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and hurricane (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4935 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2026-07-18 | EM-3649 | Flood | Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2015-05-29 | DR-4223 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2008-03-14 | EM-3284 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2007-06-29 | DR-1709 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2003-07-17 | DR-1479 | Hurricane | Hurricane Claudette |
| 2002-07-04 | DR-1425 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-08-26 | DR-1239 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley |
| 1993-09-10 | EM-3113 | Drought | Extreme Fire Hazard |
| 1991-12-26 | DR-930 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms |
| 1990-01-09 | DR-850 | Freezing | Severe Freeze |
| 1984-01-07 | DR-696 | Freezing | Severe Freezing Weather |
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 Zavala County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 54 flood or flash flood records for Zavala County from 1996 to 2017, on 45 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Zavala County ranks 1689th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Charley | 1998-08-23 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $776,000 on 47 claims filed in Zavala County; the most in one year was 11 in 2007. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1996: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 8 · 2007: 11 · 2009: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2026: 8; 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 Zavala County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Zavala County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.8 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 | $1.3M | 124 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $703K | 7.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.5M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $120K | once in about 32 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $684K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $113K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $82K | 37 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $262K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Zavala 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
- Drought in TexasThe state's drought records, 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 Zavala CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Zavala County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis