Wise County, Texas severe weather history spans 951 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #169 nationally and #21 in Texas.
951
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
34
Direct injuries
$24.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Wise County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wise County, Texas severe weather history averages 13.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 242 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 128 events fall before 1990 and 823 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wise County, Texas record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $10.2M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Wise County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 461 | 0 | $6.3M | 4.5 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 313 | 0 | $5.5M | 80 | 1961–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 74 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 66 | 3 | $10.2M | F3 | 1954–2026 |
| Lightning | 16 | 0 | $607K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $205K | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $55K | 0 | 2013–2016 |
Decade by decade
Wise County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
66 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 62 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-12-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 9.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-10-12 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-10-12 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-10-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wise County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 3, 1999 | Tornado | CHICO | 2 | 3 | $600K |
| Apr 25, 2026 | Tornado | BRIDGEPORT MUNI ARPT | 1 | 6 | $5.0M |
| Jun 26, 2007 | Tornado | DECATUR | 0 | 5 | $50K |
| May 12, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cottondale | 0 | 4 | $500K |
| Mar 24, 2023 | Tornado | BOONSVILLE | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | Tornado | PARADISE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2024 | Lightning | ALVORD | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 7, 2015 | Tornado | FORD | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two persons were killed in a mobile home which was destroyed by a tornado. Three other people were injured. Three mobile homes were destroyed, with two of them heavily damaged. Many outbuildings were damaged or destroyed.
Widespread damaging straight-line winds occurred across much of Wise County during the predawn hours of March 4th, 2025. Within this broad wind field, a NWS WFO Fort Worth survey team identified a relatively short track tornado north of the Cottondale community. This tornado formed near the intersection of FM 2123 and FM 3552, where a wood frame residence lost much of its roof and internal rafters. The peak intensity of the tornado was determined from the damage at this residence, with EF-1 intensity winds estimated around 110 mph. The tornado impacted two outbuildings nearby, producing EF-0 roof damage. The tornado moved eastward, roughly paralleling County Road 3470 for at least two miles. Along this path, many larger hardwood trees exhibited limb damage, and a few outbuildings, frame residences, and manufactured homes also exhibited mostly high end EF-0 and low end EF-1 roof and fascia damage. The tornado dissipated near the intersection of County Road 3470 and School House Road.
With help from a damage survey by the Emergency Manager, a large area of wind damage was tracked across northern Wise County. The damage extended about 2-2.5 miles on either side of the line plotted with this entry. Along the path, many trees and tree limbs were reported down and sheet metal was torn off sheds. At one home on FM 730, minor roof damage was reported and an entry gate was bent back about 90 degrees. The steeple was broken at New Hope Fellowship Church on FM 51 and water damage occurred inside the church. More notable damage was reported near the end of the damage path around the Allison area. Several larger barns were damaged or destroyed, some trees fell into or onto houses, a 5th wheel was pushed onto its side, and an office-type chair was found embedded into the siding of a house.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
75,005
Population (ACS)
$305K
Median home value
22
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 |
| May 29, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 9, 2011 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Decatur 134
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wise County, Texas?
951 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $24.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wise County?
Hail, with 461 recorded events — 48.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wise County?
66 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 62 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wise County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wise County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wise County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wise County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 59 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wise 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
- Winkler County 222
- Wood County 510
- Wilson County 244
- Yoakum County 238
- Williamson County 891
- Young County 587
Cite this page
“Wise County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/wise-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.