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Anderson County, Texas severe weather history spans 563 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #683 nationally and #64 in Texas.
563
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
91
Direct injuries
$38.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Anderson County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Anderson County, Texas severe weather history averages 7.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 146 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 87 events fall before 1990 and 476 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Anderson County, Texas record is flash flood, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $30.7M 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 Anderson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 237 | 2 | $2.9M | 87 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 223 | 0 | $317K | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 46 | 7 | $3.4M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 35 | 2 | $30.7M | F3 | 1953–2025 |
| Flood | 13 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2009–2021 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $778K | 0 | 1999–2012 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $4K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Anderson County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
42 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-11-15 | EF3 | 1 | 59 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-05-09 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-10-31 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-11-04 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 25.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-04-12 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-02-11 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-05-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-10-16 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1953-11-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Anderson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2016 | Flash Flood | PALESTINE | 5 | 0 | $800K |
| May 5, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | FRANKSTON | 2 | 0 | $500K |
| Nov 15, 1987 | Tornado | 1 | 59 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 17, 1987 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $25K | |
| Apr 30, 2016 | Flash Flood | PALESTINE | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Apr 30, 2016 | Flash Flood | DEANWRIGHT | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| May 4, 1999 | Tornado | TENNESSEE COLONY | 0 | 4 | $300K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Significant and deadly flash flooding happened on Timber Drive in Palestine after 7.5 of water fell in one hour. A family of 5 died in this location while drying to escape the flood waters. Six of 10 homes on the cul-de-sac were completely destroyed by flood waters. Some residents had to be rescued from the roofs of their homes and the water was reported to be 12 feet deep inside some homes.
Tree and roof damage was reported throughout the Frankston area. The roof of a restaurant was also damaged including loss of shingles, partial decking removal and collapse of portions of the awning. One tree fell onto a manufactured house, killing two adults in the home. A post event assessment determined 70-90 mph winds caused the damage.
Nearly 7.5 of rain fell over Palestine in about one hour causing flooding across the city. Cars were flooded in downtown Palestine. Newspapers also reported that businesses and homes in low-lying areas across the city were flooded and damaged. A total of 35 homes sustained major damage and 3 businesses in Old Town Palestine were damaged. the railroad track at Sycamore and Gillespie streets were washed out. Flooding was also reported at Loop 256 and Highway 84 on the east side of Palestine. To the southwest of Palestine, part of Shamrock Drive was washed out.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
58,439
Population (ACS)
$185K
Median home value
31
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 |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Palestine 134
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Anderson County, Texas?
563 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 11 direct deaths and $38.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Anderson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 237 recorded events — 42.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Anderson County?
42 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 39 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Anderson County?
31 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Anderson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Anderson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Anderson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 74 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Anderson 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
- Andrews County 338
- Angelina County 563
- Aransas County 150
- Archer County 657
- Armstrong County 507
- Atascosa County 278
Cite this page
“Anderson County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/anderson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.