Culberson County, Texas severe weather history spans 139 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,745 nationally and #246 in Texas.
139
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$445K
Property damage
The record
What the Culberson County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Culberson County, Texas severe weather history averages 2.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 47 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 121 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $250K 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 Culberson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 68 | 0 | $158K | 87 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 50 | 0 | $15K | 2.5 | 1956–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 11 | 0 | $21K | 0 | 2004–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $250K | F2 | 1982–2002 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2002–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 4.9 | 2004–2004 |
Decade by decade
Culberson County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
5 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-06-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-10-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-08-01 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-05-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-06-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Culberson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | VAN HORN | 0 | 1 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Culberson County emergency manager reported a power outage in Van Horn with roof damage to the Knights Inn. Photos showed part of the roof peeled up and ripped off of the motel with damage to nearby vehicles and powerlines. Damage was likely caused by a localized dry microburst based on satellite data. Wind speeds are estimated to have been between 60-70 mph. Property damage costs are a rough estimate.
A thunderstorm moved across Culberson County and produced wind damage in Van Horn. A large tin roof was blown off of a building and onto a highway. There was other wind damage around town such as fences and power lines blown down. The damage was likely caused by a microburst. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
A thunderstorm that moved across Van Horn produced a localized area of damaging straight-line winds as the core of this storm collapsed just south of the town. Culberson County Office of Emergency Management reported ten snapped powerline poles one to two miles south of Van Horn along Highway 90 that resulted in a town-wide power outage. It was determined by the National Weather Service that the damage was caused by a microburst after re-evaluating radar data and assessing the damage remotely using photos sent in by the Culberson County emergency management. Winds were estimated to be near 100 mph. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
2,195
Population (ACS)
$79K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Mar 14, 2008 | Fire | WILDFIRES | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Culberson County, Texas?
139 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $445K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Culberson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 68 recorded events — 48.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Culberson County?
5 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Culberson County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Culberson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Culberson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Culberson County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Culberson 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
- Crosby County 402
- Dallam County 354
- Crockett County 221
- Dallas County 2,012
- Crane County 190
- Dawson County 375
Cite this page
“Culberson County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/culberson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.