Mitchell County, Texas severe weather history spans 423 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 49.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,161 nationally and #111 in Texas.
423
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$14.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Mitchell County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mitchell County, Texas severe weather history averages 6.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 141 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 53 events fall before 1990 and 370 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $11.7M 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 Mitchell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 208 | 0 | $402K | 4.5 | 1959–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 106 | 0 | $11.7M | 100 | 1961–2025 |
| Tornado | 55 | 0 | $2.1M | F2 | 1955–2017 |
| Flash Flood | 48 | 0 | $81K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2017–2024 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2017–2017 |
Decade by decade
Mitchell County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
55 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-06-11 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 10.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-05-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-05-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-09-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-10-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-03-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mitchell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | LORAINE | 0 | 3 | $10K |
| Jun 12, 2004 | Tornado | COLORADO CITY | 0 | 3 | $250K |
| Mar 4, 2004 | Tornado | LORAINE | 0 | 1 | $275K |
| Aug 16, 1997 | Lightning | COLORADO CITY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 26, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced straight-line wind damage about three miles east of Colorado City. There were five downed powerline poles along the south frontage road of I-20 between mile markers 221 and 222. An 86 car train was derailed about one mile south of the frontage road which caused a large fire. A long stretch of the track was also damaged. Based on the damage, the peak wind speeds were estimated by an NWS survey team to range between 80 to 100 mph. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced wind damage near Loraine. Multiple high profile train cars derailed just south of I-20 near mile marker 223 along Lucus Road. The survey team estimated that the wind speeds were roughly 90 mph through this area. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
A weak tornado struck the city of Loraine resulting in one injury and damage to several light-weight structures and vehicles. Damage surveyed by a National Weather Service meteorologist began on the south side of the city near Looby Street. From there the tornado traveled northeast producing a one mile long damage path that cut across the southeast corner of the city to near Interstate 20. Along the path, a roof was partially removed from one home and several vehicles and trailers were damaged or destroyed. About $100,000 worth of musical equipment was destroyed when a cargo trailer was rolled by the tornado. The tornado began to dissipate as it crossed Interstate 20 on the east side of the city. Before doing so, it blew two semi-trucks off of the highway, injuring one driver. Several eye witnesses described seeing the tornado's condensation funnel and debris whirling beneath it.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,018
Population (ACS)
$86K
Median home value
14
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 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | Fire | MITCHELL FIRE COMPLEX | FM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Colorado City 222
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mitchell County, Texas?
423 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $14.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mitchell County?
Hail, with 208 recorded events — 49.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mitchell County?
55 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 55 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mitchell County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mitchell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mitchell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mitchell County as very low risk, placing it in the 20 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mitchell 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
- Mills County 220
- Montague County 615
- Milam County 289
- Montgomery County 583
- Midland County 986
- Moore County 654
Cite this page
“Mitchell County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/mitchell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.