Ector County, Texas severe weather history spans 814 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #280 nationally and #31 in Texas.
814
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$305.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Ector County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Ector County, Texas severe weather history averages 11.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 212 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 93 events fall before 1990 and 721 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Ector County, Texas record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $293.4M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Ector County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 395 | 0 | $293.4M | 5 | 1958–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 196 | 0 | $5.3M | 104 | 1958–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 158 | 1 | $5.1M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Tornado | 45 | 0 | $1.7M | F2 | 1957–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 13 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 2004–2022 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $170K | 0 | 2003–2005 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2015 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Ector County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
46 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 43 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-20 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-14 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-18 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-07-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-09-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1989-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-07-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Ector County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2003 | Flash Flood | ODESSA | 1 | 0 | $300K |
| Mar 19, 2012 | Tornado | GARDENDALE | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
| Jun 3, 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | PLEASANT FARMS | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| Aug 12, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Aug 9, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Oct 16, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jun 6, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A significant flash flood event which resulted in the death of a local teenage girl impacted the city of Odessa during the evening hours of the 24th. Numerous reports of flash flooding, including water in homes and stalled vehicles were received. Several swift water rescues were conducted by the Odessa Fire Department across the city. An 18 year old female was killed when she was swept away by raging flood waters while trying to evacuate her stalled pickup truck. Two passengers were successfully rescued from that particular vehicle. High water resulted in dangerous conditions for motorists throughout the city. A few of the most significant reports were received from the area around Ratliff Stadium (where a high school graduation was scheduled to occur) and along University Street.
A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced softball sized hail in Odessa. The hail busted windows in cars, homes, and businesses as well as left dents on cars and damaged the siding on homes. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage in Odessa. There were many reports of trees being uprooted and blown over as well as sheds destroyed and damage to roofs. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
164,654
Population (ACS)
$200K
Median home value
15
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 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Fire | PLEASANT FARMS FIRE | FM |
| Apr 3, 2011 | Fire | BATES FIELD FIRE | FM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Odessa 410
- Odessa Ector Co Arpt 143
- Greenfield Acres 102
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Ector County, Texas?
814 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $305.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Ector County?
Hail, with 395 recorded events — 48.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Ector County?
46 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 43 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Ector County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Ector County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Ector County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ector County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Ector 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
- Eastland County 506
- Edwards County 233
- Duval County 217
- Ellis County 926
- Donley County 607
- El Paso County 442
Cite this page
“Ector County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/ector-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.