Sterling County, Texas severe weather history spans 206 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 64.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,413 nationally and #222 in Texas.
206
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$71K
Property damage
The record
What the Sterling County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sterling County, Texas severe weather history averages 2.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 49 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 175 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 $65K in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sterling County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 132 | 0 | $6K | 4.5 | 1960–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 40 | 0 | $65K | 70 | 1968–2025 |
| Tornado | 19 | 0 | $60 | F2 | 1955–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2015 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2025 |
Decade by decade
Sterling County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
20 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-22 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-04-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-19 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-05-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-05-26 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-04-07 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-04-07 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-04-07 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado was observed by the public about 14 miles north of Sterling City to briefly touch down on State Highway 163. It was on the ground for about one minute. This report was relayed through the Sterling County Sheriff's office.
A storm chaser videotaped this tornado. He was located at the intersection of State Highway 163 and FM 2139 as he was looking to the west southwest. He said it only lasted for 90 seconds before it transitioned into the rope stage.
Spotters reported quarter-size hail in southeast Garza County. A radio station reported dime-size hail near Robert Lee. The public reported golf ball-size hail southwest of Blackwell. An Abilene television station's spotters reported golf ball-size hail in Clairemont and nickel-size hail in Jayton.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
1,468
Population (ACS)
$147K
Median home value
14
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 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Sterling City 152
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sterling County, Texas?
206 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $71K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sterling County?
Hail, with 132 recorded events — 64.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sterling County?
20 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 17 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sterling County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sterling County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sterling County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sterling County as very low risk, placing it in the 1 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sterling 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
- Stephens County 385
- Stonewall County 215
- Starr County 212
- Sutton County 135
- Somervell County 167
- Swisher County 459
Cite this page
“Sterling County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/sterling-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.