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Wichita County, Texas severe weather history spans 1,298 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 58.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #64 nationally and #10 in Texas.
1,298
Recorded events
51
Direct deaths
1,851
Direct injuries
$311.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Wichita County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wichita County, Texas severe weather history averages 17.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 304 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 287 events fall before 1990 and 1,011 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wichita County, Texas record is tornado, responsible for 51 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $278.8M 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 Wichita County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 753 | 0 | $1.9M | 5.33 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 435 | 0 | $3.8M | 97 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 63 | 51 | $278.8M | F5 | 1951–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $25.9M | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $910K | 0 | 1996–2007 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Wichita County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
61 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-04-03 | EF5 | 7 | 111 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-10 | EF4 | 42 | 1,740 | 46.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1958-04-02 | EF3 | 1 | 14 | 16.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-01 | EF3 | 1 | 4 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-04-26 | EF3 | 0 | 13 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-01 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-10 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 74.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-16 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 24.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wichita County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 1979 | Tornado | 42 | 1,700 | $250.0M | |
| Apr 3, 1964 | Tornado | 7 | 111 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 2, 1958 | Tornado | 1 | 14 | $250K | |
| Jun 2, 1954 | Tornado | 1 | 4 | $250K | |
| Apr 27, 1962 | Tornado | 0 | 13 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 6, 2000 | Wildfire | WICHITA FALLS | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| Jun 9, 1998 | Hail | SHEPPARD AFB | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| Apr 8, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding occurred over northern Wichita county. At Wichita Falls, numerous homes were flooded with residents having to be evacuated by boat. A 3.5 mile stretch of railroad track from Wichita Falls to Burkburnett was washed out in several spots, making it impassable. At Burkburnett, the Reilly Ranch Loop was closed just south of Morgan Road and Highway 368, as well Highway 240. Interstate 44 was closed from Wichita Falls to the Red River due to as much as two feet of water flowing over top of it. Significant residential flooding was also reported along Business Highway 287 at Iowa Park. In total over the affected areas, at least 118 homes were flooded, 19 of which were destroyed. Burkburnett and Iowa Park were completely isolated for a few hours during the initial flooding because of street flooding. There was no access to or from these two cities. Monetary damages were estimated, and based on input from Wichita County officials.
Hail larger than golf balls, combined with severe thunderstorm winds up to 79 mph, caused extensive damage and 2 injuries at Sheppard Air Force Base. The 2 injuries occurred when some soldiers were caught outside in the hailstorm. 48 (out of a squadron of 200) T-37 training jets were damaged by 2-inch hail. The winds blew the protective covers from the planes and the hail then knocked holes in the wings and broke the planes' windshields. Over 100 cars on the base were damaged. A window was knocked out of the air traffic control tower. One house sustained heavy damage when all of its west-facing shutters were destroyed and 3 skylights and 2 windows were broken. Numerous trees were snapped by the severe winds.
Numerous streets were closed due to trees being blown over into the street. Numerous trees were also blown on top of houses. Four power poles were snapped. Several camp trailers were flipped and power poles snapped on Holeman Road. A service station canopy was blown onto the road at the Interstate 44 and Interstate 240 intersection. TXU Electic also reported five to six feeder lines were downed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
129,996
Population (ACS)
$154K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | Fire | COUNTY LINE FIRE | FM |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Wichita Falls 303
- Burkburnett 172
- Electra 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wichita County, Texas?
1,298 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 51 direct deaths and $311.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wichita County?
Hail, with 753 recorded events — 58.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wichita County?
61 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 58 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wichita County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wichita County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wichita County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wichita County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 82 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wichita 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
- Wheeler County 566
- Wilbarger County 593
- Wharton County 327
- Willacy County 166
- Webb County 412
- Williamson County 891
Cite this page
“Wichita County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/wichita-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.