PlainHazard

Texas natural disasters

The state's storm and disaster record · population 29,099,690 · 254 counties and county equivalents

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 165,670 storm events in Texas since 1950, 134,373 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 9,617 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are hail reports (55,544). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest tornado day in Texas was May 11, 1953: tornadoes and the storms that came with them killed 127 people in the state; the deadliest of them in Texas, the Waco tornado, killed 114 (SPC). FEMA has made 392 declarations for Texas since 1953, 386 for natural hazards; 108 were major disasters.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm events recorded in Texas 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 $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded
165,6701950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
2,50725,537 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$166.4Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes (SPC)
9,6171950 to 2025
FEMA declarations
392108 major disasters

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.

What natural disasters happen in Texas?

By NOAA's records, Texas's most frequent hazards are hail reports (55,544), severe thunderstorm wind events (36,939), drought records (18,588); the deadliest are floods and flash floods (595 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.

Texas: records by hazard to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsLast 10 yearsKilledInjuredDamageCounties
Hail 55,54412,268 7319$18.1B 254 of 254
Severe thunderstorm wind 36,9399,128 107937$5.1B 254 of 254
Drought 18,5887,138 00$15.3B 254 of 254
Floods 15,8324,150 5956,954$62.4B 254 of 254
Tornadoes 10,0901,177 5959,633$17.5B 254 of 254
Winter storms 8,0052,276 1951,668$741M 254 of 254
Heat 6,6485,726 4982,729$1.0M 207 of 254
High wind and dust storms 6,5663,193 3198$105M 214 of 254
Extreme cold 2,3401,502 15121$773M 234 of 254
Wildfires 1,491470 39193$1.4B 200 of 254
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1,031144 14106$8.7M 175 of 254
Lightning 1,001229 82291$135M 160 of 254
Heavy rain 844101 3248$70M 165 of 254
Hurricanes and tropical storms 576255 832,517$44.8B 135 of 254
Rip currents and high surf 172112 7823$120K 12 of 254
Landslides and avalanches 31 00– 4 of 254

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).

What were the deadliest disasters in Texas?

The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.

Texas: the 10 storm episodes with the most deaths
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1953-05-11 Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Waco, killed 114 (SPC) · TornadoMcLennan County Every tornado record filed in the state that day (3, in 3 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. F5 20.9 mi x 583 yd 127 756 $25M step
2025-07-04 Flash FloodHunt, Kerr County One storm episode: 23 records in 5 places; the totals are the episode's. Tropical Storm Barry moved into and dissipated over eastern Mexico. Moist air from the remnants of Barry moved northward into Texas. Precipitable water values over South-Central Texas increased to near record levels. A mid-level anticyclonic circulation developed and moved over Central Texas providing lift to generate ... 117 0 $205M
2017-08-26 Hurricane Harvey · Flash FloodJoyce, Harris County One named storm filed by several offices: 64 records in 3 episodes, 2017-08-26 to 2017-08-30; the totals are the storm's. Harvey made landfall as a category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas during the evening of August 25th. The storm then weakened to a tropical storm and slowed, looping back and tracking over SE Texas then back over the Gulf of Mexico making a second landfall along the Louisiana coast during the early morning hours of ... 78 65 $61.6B
2021-02-12 Cold/Wind ChillHarris County · forecast zone Inland Harris One storm episode: 14 records in 13 places, 2021-02-12 to 2021-02-15; the totals are the episode's. Record cold and windy conditions gripped Southeast Texas behind the passage of an Arctic front. The extreme cold and increased demand led to widespread power outages, loss of heat for many and led to the bursting of pipes with some losing water for many days. Numerous fatalities resulted both from hypothermia, carbon ... 59 0 $65M
1979-04-10 Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Wichita Falls, killed 42 (SPC) · TornadoWichita County Every tornado record filed in the state that day (21, in 12 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. F4 12.9 mi x 1,760 yd 54 1,809 $250M step
2022-06-27 HeatBexar County · forecast zone Bexar Temperatures were unusually hot on the 27th with high temperatures in the San Antonio area ranging from 100-103 degrees (the normal high is 93). Sixty-seven people were found in a tractor-trailer on the southwest side of San Antonio. Fifty-three people died of heat related illnesses. Forty-eight people died at the ... 53 0 –
2005-09-21 HeatHarris County · forecast zone Harris One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places, 2005-09-21 to 2005-09-22; the totals are the episode's. Deaths were all associated with the evacuation for Hurricane Rita, both before and after Rita's arrival. Rita made landfall just east of the Texas/Louisiana border early Saturday morning, September 24th. 49 0 –
2008-09-12 Hurricane Ike · Storm Surge/TideGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston One named storm filed by several offices: 33 records in 3 episodes, 2008-09-12 to 2008-09-13; the totals are the storm's. The eye of Hurricane Ike moved ashore in Galveston County near the city of Galveston. At landfall, Ike had a central pressure of 951.6 mb, as measured at Galveston Pleasure Pier, and a maximum estimated storm surge of 17 feet over portions of Chambers County and the Bolivar Peninsula. Maximum sustained winds at ... 38 2,411 $20.3B
1998-07-01 HeatDallas County · forecast zone Dallas One storm episode: 4 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. A prolonged excessive heat event continued across north Texas in July. This heat wave was the result of existing drought conditions combined with a persistent upper level ridge of high pressure. For the month of July, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) recorded an average high of 102.4 degrees, which was ... 32 0 –
1987-05-22 Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Balmorhea, killed 30 (SPC) · TornadoReeves County Every tornado record filed in the state that day (4, in 2 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. F4 3 mi x 1,000 yd 30 121 $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.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest records in Texas

Texas: the 8 records with the most damage since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2017-08-26 Flash FloodJoyce, Harris County 38 0 $12.0B
2017-08-26 Flash FloodSan Leon, Galveston County 6 0 $12.0B
2017-08-26 Flash FloodKendleton, Fort Bend County 3 0 $9.6B
2017-08-27 Flash FloodBoy, Montgomery County 4 0 $8.4B
2001-06-05 Tropical StormHarris County · forecast zone Harris 22 0 $8.4B
2008-09-12 Storm Surge/TideGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston 12 0 $5.5B
2008-09-12 Storm Surge/TideHarris County · forecast zone Harris 0 0 $4.1B
2017-08-27 Flash FloodGriffing, Jefferson County 5 1 $3.6B

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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 10, 1979 (tornado, Wichita County, 42 killed); May 11, 1970 (tornado, Lubbock County, 26 killed); November 21, 1992 (tornado, Harris County); August 10, 1980 (tornado, Travis County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.

Which counties in Texas have the most records?

  1. Tarrant County 3,212
  2. Dallas County 2,304
  3. Harris County 2,111
  4. Potter County 1,986
  5. Randall County 1,882
  6. Denton County 1,844
  7. Culberson County 1,728
  8. Lubbock County 1,725
  9. Bexar County 1,629
  10. Wichita County 1,595
  11. Collin County 1,590
  12. Tom Green County 1,451

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

Every county in Texas

Billion-dollar disasters in Texas

NOAA counted 190 weather or climate disasters from 1980-2024 that cost at least $1 billion (adjusted for inflation) and affected Texas, led by severe storm (126). The most recent: Hurricane Francine (2024); Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak and Severe Weather (2024); Hurricane Beryl (2024).

Texas: billion-dollar disasters by type, 1980-2024
TypeEventsTotal cost (NOAA's range)
Severe Storm126$50.0B-$100.0B
Drought20$20.0B-$50.0B
Tropical Cyclone16$200.0B-$300.0B
Winter Storm11$20.0B-$50.0B
Flooding9$10.0B-$20.0B
Wildfire7$2.0B-$5.0B
Freeze1$500M-$1.0B
Every one of the 190, newest first
  • Hurricane Francine2024
  • Central and Eastern Tornado Outbreak and Severe Weather2024
  • Hurricane Beryl2024
  • Central and Northeast Severe Weather2024
  • Central and Eastern Severe Weather2024
  • Colorado Hail Storms and Southern Severe Weather2024
  • Texas Hail Storms2024
  • Central Tornado Outbreak2024
  • Central, Southern, Eastern Severe Weather2024
  • Southern Derecho2024
  • Southern Severe Weather2024
  • Central, Southern, Southeastern Tornado Outbreak2024
  • Central and Southern Tornado Outbreak2024
  • Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2024
  • Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather2024
  • Central and Southern Severe Weather2024
  • Southern Severe Weather2024
  • Central, Southern, Northeastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2024
  • Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm2024
  • Southern/Eastern/Northwestern Drought and Heat Wave2024
  • Southern Hail Storms2023
  • Central Severe Weather2023
  • Rockies Hail Storms and Central and Eastern Severe Weather2023
  • Central and Southern Severe Weather2023
  • Southern Severe Weather2023
  • Texas Hail Storms2023
  • Central and Eastern Tornadoes and Hail Storms2023
  • Central Severe Weather2023
  • Southern Severe Weather2023
  • Central Severe Weather2023
  • Central and Southern Severe Weather2023
  • Central and Eastern Severe Weather2023
  • Southern/Midwestern Drought and Heatwave2023
  • Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather2023
  • Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2023
  • Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2023
  • Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2022
  • Central Severe Weather2022
  • North Central Hail Storms2022
  • Southern and Central Severe Weather2022
  • Southern Severe Weather2022
  • Southeast Tornado Outbreak2022
  • Southern Tornado Outbreak2022
  • Texas Hail Storms2022
  • Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave2022
  • Southeast, Central Tornado Outbreak2021
  • Hurricane Nicholas2021
  • North Central Severe Weather2021
  • Central Severe Storms2021
  • Central Severe Storms2021
  • Louisiana Flooding2021
  • Southern Tornadoes and Southeast Severe Weather2021
  • Texas and Oklahoma Severe Weather2021
  • Texas Hail Storms2021
  • Eastern Severe Weather2021
  • Southeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather2021
  • Northwest, Central, Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2021
  • Hurricane Delta2020
  • Hurricane Laura2020
  • Hurricane Hanna2020
  • Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave2020
  • South Texas Hail Storms2020
  • South, Central and Eastern Severe Weather2020
  • Central, Southern and Eastern Severe Weather2020
  • Southern Severe Weather2020
  • Southeast and Eastern Tornado Outbreak2020
  • Midwest and Ohio Valley Severe Weather2020
  • Southeast Tornadoes and Northern Storms and Flooding2020
  • Texas Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather2019
  • Tropical Storm Imelda2019
  • Central Severe Weather2019
  • South and Southeast Severe Weather2019
  • Southern and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2019
  • Texas Hail Storm2019
  • Mississippi River, Midwest and Southern Flooding2019
  • Texas Hail Storm2018
  • Southwest/Southern Plains Drought2018
  • Central and Eastern Severe Weather2018
  • Central and Northeast Severe Weather2018
  • Southern and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2018
  • Southeastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather2018
  • Hurricane Harvey2017
  • Midwest Severe Weather2017
  • Colorado Hail Storm and Central Severe Weather2017
  • Missouri and Arkansas Flooding and Central Severe Weather2017
  • South and Southeast Severe Weather2017
  • Southeast Severe Weather and Tornadoes2017
  • South/Southeast Severe Weather2017
  • Southern Tornado Outbreak and Western Storms2017
  • Rockies/Central Tornadoes and Severe Weather2016
  • Plains Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather2016
  • South/Southeast Tornadoes2016
  • Houston Flooding2016
  • North/Central Texas Hail Storm2016
  • North Texas Hail Storm2016
  • Southern Severe Weather2016
  • Texas and Louisiana Flooding2016
  • Southeast and Eastern Tornadoes2016
  • Texas Tornadoes and Midwest Flooding2015
  • Western and Alaskan Wildfires2015
  • Texas and Oklahoma Flooding and Severe Weather2015
  • Southern Plains Tornadoes2015
  • South and Southeast Severe Weather2015
  • South/Southeast Severe Weather2015
  • Midwest/Ohio Valley Severe Weather2015
  • Rockies/Plains Severe Weather2014
  • Center Severe Weather2014
  • Central Severe Weather2014
  • Plains Severe Weather2014
  • Western Drought2014
  • Midwest/Plains/Northeast Tornadoes2013
  • Midwest/Plains/East Tornadoes2013
  • Western/Plains Drought/Heat Wave2013
  • Southern Severe Weather2013
  • Rockies/Southwest Severe Weather2012
  • Western Wildfires2012
  • Southern Plains/Midwest/Northeast Severe Weather2012
  • Midwest/Ohio Valley Severe Weather2012
  • Texas Tornadoes2012
  • U.S. Drought/Heat Wave2012
  • Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather2011
  • Texas, New Mexico, Arizona Wildfires2011
  • Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes2011
  • Southeast/Ohio Valley/Midwest Tornadoes2011
  • Ohio Valley Derecho and Southern Tornadoes2011
  • Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes2011
  • Southeast/Midwest Tornadoes2011
  • Southern Plains/Southwest Drought and Heat Wave2011
  • Groundhog Day Blizzard2011
  • Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas Tornadoes and Severe Weather2010
  • Midwest, South and East Severe Weather2009
  • Western Wildfires2009
  • Central Derecho and Tornadoes2009
  • Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes2009
  • Southeast/Ohio Valley Severe Weather2009
  • Southwest/Great Plains Drought2009
  • Hurricane Ike2008
  • U.S. Wildfires2008
  • Hurricane Dolly2008
  • Southern Severe Weather2008
  • Southeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather2008
  • U.S. Drought2008
  • East/South Severe Weather and Flooding2007
  • Severe Storms and Tornadoes2006
  • Midwest/Plains/Southeast Drought2006
  • Numerous Wildfires2006
  • Hurricane Rita2005
  • Southeast Severe Weather2005
  • Severe Storms/Hail2003
  • Severe Storms and Tornadoes2002
  • U.S. Drought2002
  • Tropical Storm Allison2001
  • Midwest/Ohio Valley Hail and Tornadoes2001
  • Southern Severe Weather2000
  • Western/Central/Southeast Drought/Heat Wave2000
  • Oklahoma and Kansas Tornadoes1999
  • Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
  • Texas Flooding1998
  • Tropical Storm Frances1998
  • Southern Drought and Heat Wave1998
  • Western/Eastern Severe Weather and Flooding1997
  • Mississippi and Ohio Valley Severe Weather and Flooding1997
  • Southern Plains Drought1996
  • Blizzard/Floods1996
  • Central, Southern and Northeast Drought/Heat Wave1995
  • South Plains Severe Weather1995
  • Texas Hail Storm1995
  • Texas Flooding1994
  • Western Fire Season1994
  • Midwest/Plains Tornadoes1994
  • Southeast Ice Storm1994
  • East Coast Blizzard and Severe Weather1993
  • Southeast Severe Weather1992
  • Hail, Tornadoes1992
  • Severe Storms1992
  • Southern Flooding1990
  • Winter Storm, Cold Wave1989
  • Tropical Storm Allison1989
  • Northern Plains Drought1989
  • Southern Derecho and Severe Storms1989
  • U.S. Drought/Heat Wave1988
  • Winter Storm, Cold Wave1985
  • Freeze/Cold Wave1983
  • Hurricane Alicia1983
  • Severe Storms1982
  • Midwest/Plains/Southeast Tornadoes1982
  • Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm, Cold Wave1982
  • Severe Storms, Flash Floods, Hail, Tornadoes1981
  • Hurricane Allen1980
  • Central/Eastern Drought/Heat Wave1980

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, state summary for Texas, 1980-2024 (NCEI's last update; the product is archived). A disaster that affected several states counts in each. NCEI billion-dollar disasters.

Federal disaster declarations in Texas

FEMA has made 392 declarations for Texas since 1953: 108 major disasters, 19 emergencies and 265 fire management assistance declarations. The most common incident types are fire (272), flood (45), hurricane (25).

  1. Fire 272
  2. Flood 45
  3. Hurricane 25
  4. Severe Storm 20
  5. Tornado 15
  6. Severe Ice Storm 3
  7. Biological 3
  8. Other 3
  1. 1950s 6
  2. 1960s 9
  3. 1970s 18
  4. 1980s 19
  5. 1990s 120
  6. 2000s 100
  7. 2010s 83
  8. 2020s 37
The 15 most recent declarations in Texas
DeclaredNumberTypeTitleAreas named
2026-09-15FM-5677FireHydra Fire1
2026-09-01DR-4935FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding23
2026-08-25FM-5675FireRoss Fire2
2026-07-18EM-3649FloodFlooding33
2026-05-18FM-5634FireStinky Fire1
2026-05-14FM-5633FireHunggate Fire1
2026-03-15FM-5625FireCorner Pocket Fire1
2026-02-18FM-5619Fire8 Ball Fire2
2025-07-06DR-4879FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding23
2025-05-21DR-4871FloodSevere Storms and Flooding4
2025-03-20FM-5573FirePauline Road Fire2
2025-03-18FM-5571FireDouble S Fire1
2025-03-15FM-5570FireCrabapple Fire1
2025-03-14FM-5555FireRest Area Fire2
2025-03-05FM-5553FireDuke Fire2

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Flood insurance claims in Texas

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $17 billion on 392,075 claims in 217 Texas counties. Claims count insured losses only.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk across Texas's counties

How FEMA's National Risk Index rates Texas's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.

  1. Very High 2
  2. Relatively High 14
  3. Relatively Moderate 33
  4. Relatively Low 92
  5. Very Low 113

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

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