Hale County, Texas severe weather history spans 715 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 46.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #377 nationally and #35 in Texas.
715
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
158
Direct injuries
$350.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Hale County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hale County, Texas severe weather history averages 10.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 190 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 209 events fall before 1990 and 506 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hale County, Texas record is tornado, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $306.3M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hale County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 335 | 0 | $306.3M | 4.5 | 1957–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 200 | 0 | $5.4M | 83 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 133 | 8 | $37.1M | F4 | 1955–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 14 | 0 | $211K | 0 | 2007–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2021 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $11K | 0 | 1998–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2012 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Hale County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
136 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 124 touched down inside it and 12 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-17 | EF4 | 5 | 51 | 96.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-06-02 | EF4 | 4 | 76 | 39.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-04-15 | EF3 | 2 | 26 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-06-09 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-04-21 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 28.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hale County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1965 | Tornado | 4 | 76 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 18, 1970 | Tornado | 2 | 47 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 15, 1973 | Tornado | 2 | 26 | $0 | |
| Apr 26, 1998 | Lightning | HALE CENTER | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 15, 1989 | Hail | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| May 12, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jun 12, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | BOONE | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| Jun 6, 1989 | Hail | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread hail damage occurred to homes, businesses and vehicles in Plainview with the worst damage reported at newly constructed luxury homes in the southwest side of the city where every home would require new roofing. This hail was as large as golf balls at times and extended east and northeast over the remainder of the city. Preliminary damage estimates from body shops and home insurance adjusters indicate that the area sustained nearly $300M of combined damages.
An NWS storm survey revealed extensive damage in Hale County about seven miles northwest of Hale Center. Thunderstorms began bowing out across Lamb and western Hale Counties creating a line of destructive winds. According to a local agricultural producer, at least 35 irrigation center pivots were flipped in the area. An NWS storm survey found an out building that had been destroyed as well as a flipped RV. Several of the flipped irrigation center pivots were also found around the intersection of Farm to Market Roads 179 and 1071. Based on the damages observed, winds were estimated between 80 and 90 mph.
Substantial damage occurred to a wind turbine near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 37 and County Road BB in Hale County. A wind turbine was completely destroyed as strong outflow winds moved through. This wind turbine had installation completed only one month prior to its destruction.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
32,131
Population (ACS)
$117K
Median home value
15
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 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | Fire | WILDFIRES | EM |
| Jan 11, 2006 | Fire | EXTREME WILDFIRE THREAT | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Plainview 123
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hale County, Texas?
715 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $350.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hale County?
Hail, with 335 recorded events — 46.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hale County?
136 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 124 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hale County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hale County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hale County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hale County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 78 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hale 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
- Guadalupe County 365
- Hall County 467
- Grimes County 207
- Hamilton County 389
- Gregg County 635
- Hansford County 499
Cite this page
“Hale County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/hale-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.