Cooke County, Texas severe weather history spans 716 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 49.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #376 nationally and #34 in Texas.
716
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
114
Direct injuries
$111.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Cooke County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cooke County, Texas severe weather history averages 10.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 192 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 98 events fall before 1990 and 618 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cooke County, Texas record is tornado, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $69.5M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cooke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 353 | 0 | $6.7M | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 218 | 0 | $2.7M | 78 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 66 | 4 | $30.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 62 | 7 | $69.5M | F3 | 1955–2025 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $2.0M | 0 | 2007–2020 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $382K | 0 | 2004–2025 |
Decade by decade
Cooke County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
60 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 58 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-25 | EF3 | 7 | 80 | 47.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-07 | EF3 | 3 | 6 | 34.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-07 | EF3 | 2 | 11 | 26.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1959-03-31 | EF3 | 0 | 16 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-04-06 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-03-27 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-10-30 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-10-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cooke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2024 | Tornado | PRAIRIE PT | 7 | 80 | $15.0M |
| Jun 18, 2007 | Flash Flood | VALLEY VIEW | 3 | 0 | $28.0M |
| May 8, 2015 | Flash Flood | REED | 1 | 0 | $120K |
| Apr 1, 1959 | Tornado | 0 | 16 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 26, 1994 | Tornado | Gainesville to 8 NE G | 0 | 8 | $50.0M |
| May 8, 2015 | Flash Flood | VALLEY VIEW | 0 | 4 | $500K |
| Apr 20, 1984 | Hail | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Significant flooding occurred in the central portions of the county with numerous high water rescues required. People were forced to cut holes in their roofs in order to escape floodwaters in Gainesville, and several mobile homes were damaged. A mobile home along Pecan Creek was thrown into the floodwaters and came to stop only when it hit a bridge. Four family members were dumped into the creek and three of them drowned. Interstate 35 service roads and the northbound lane were flooded near Valley View. Interstate 35 had to be closed between Highway 82 and the Oklahoma border just north of Gainesville. Water was 2-3 feet deep over streets in Lindsay. A total of 300 homes and 75 businesses suffered water damage across the county, and 37,000 acres of crops were destroyed. The mayor estimated damages around $28 million, and the governor issued a disaster declaration for the county.
A 36 year old man died when his vehicle was swept away by flood waters three-quarters of a mile south of Spring Creek Road, north of Valley View, TX. A little while later, Interstate 35 north of Valley View had to be closed due to high water. Several vehicles had stalled in the high water on the interstate.
Widespread flooding continued through the night across the county with several roads and bridges under water and several areas inaccessible. High water rescues and evacuations continued in Gainesville and parts of Interstate 35 South were still closed due to water over the road. Rainfall totals were as high as 11 inches. Approximately 35 homes and 15 businesses were damaged by flooding in Gainesville. Homes and businesses along Pecan Creek in Gainesville suffered major damage. The water was 1-2 feet deep around the creek. A total of 10 swift water rescues were needed during the event. The Moss Lake area also received significant damage to boats, docks, and boathouses.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
43,046
Population (ACS)
$240K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| May 29, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Gainesville 180
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cooke County, Texas?
716 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 11 direct deaths and $111.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cooke County?
Hail, with 353 recorded events — 49.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cooke County?
60 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 58 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cooke County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cooke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cooke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cooke County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 73 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cooke County, Texas severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Concho County 268
- Coryell County 457
- Comanche County 453
- Cottle County 360
- Comal County 414
- Crane County 190
Cite this page
“Cooke County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/cooke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.