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Panola County, Texas severe weather history spans 530 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #782 nationally and #73 in Texas.
530
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$8.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Panola County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Panola County, Texas severe weather history averages 7.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 153 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 114 events fall before 1990 and 416 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Panola County, Texas record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.1M 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 Panola County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 270 | 0 | $1.1M | 104 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 170 | 0 | $51K | 3.5 | 1957–2025 |
| Tornado | 51 | 1 | $7.1M | F3 | 1953–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 1999–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Panola County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
57 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 43 touched down inside it and 14 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-11-15 | EF3 | 1 | 116 | 48.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1989-06-07 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-03-27 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 15.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-12-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-03-21 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 11.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-03-27 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 22.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 42.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-12-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-04-06 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 4.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Panola County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2021 | Tornado | CARTHAGE | 1 | 3 | $1.5M |
| Nov 16, 1987 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 1, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | BECKVILLE | 0 | 3 | $700K |
| Sep 13, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $3K | |
| Mar 12, 1953 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Mar 22, 2022 | Tornado | LONG BRANCH | 0 | 1 | $550K |
| Mar 28, 2021 | Tornado | DOTSON | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 25, 1956 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds destroyed 2 homes and damaged several other homes and buildings. There were three injuries…one was in a home when the roof was blown off their house and two others were injured when a tree fell on their vehicle. All were treated at an area hospital and released.
National Weather Storm Survey Team determined that damage across Panola County was consistent with that of a tornado. An EF1 tornado first touched down near Beckville, Texsa and traveled east northeast before lifting just northeast of De Berry Texas. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed throughout the track of this tornado and some of these trees damaged several homes and outbuildings as well.
This is a continuation of the Eastern Rusk County tornado. Although this tornado entered Western Panola County with estimated winds around 90 mph, it strengthened to a strong EF-2 with estimated maximum winds around 130 mph, as it lifted northeast through Western Panola County. It crossed FM 348 and County Roads 881, 188, and 189, snapping and uprooting numerous trees before reaching Highway 79. In this area, several homes were significantly damaged, and one well-built residence lost most of its roof with several walls collapsed. One injury occurred in this home, although the injury was not deemed critical. The damage rating on this structure was a strong EF-2, and near this location, the tornado achieved its maximum width of approximately 500 yards. Near this location, the high level of tree damage and damage to at least one other structure also warranted a rating of EF-2. A home on County Road 293 and a metal building on County Road 237 were also damaged from this tornado, before it lifted along County Road 241 several miles southwest of Beckville.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
22,726
Population (ACS)
$158K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE BERYL | DR |
| 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 |
| Aug 24, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORMS MARCO AND LAURA | EM |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Carthage 109
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Panola County, Texas?
530 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $8.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Panola County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 270 recorded events — 50.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Panola County?
57 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 Panola County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Panola County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Panola County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Panola County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 55 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Panola 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
- Palo Pinto County 691
- Parker County 993
- Orange County 328
- Parmer County 377
- Oldham County 458
- Pecos County 985
Cite this page
“Panola County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/panola-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.