Athens

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Henderson County, the county that contains Athens.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Henderson County, the county that contains Athens.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Henderson County, the county that contains Athens.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Mar 2, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The severe windstorm that developed over eastern Navarro County moved into northwestern Henderson County and continued to produce widespread wind damage across a widening path of 4 to 6 miles. Four mobile homes were overturned, thousands of large trees were snapped and uprooted, and hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged by high winds.In Tool, trees were snapped and uprooted, numerous homes and businesses in the lake community sustained minor damage, and power lines were blown down by strong winds.

2. Nov 4, 2022Tornado$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado first touched down around 5:35 PM south of Malakoff, hitting a private family property and wedding venue just west of CR 3441. The tornado continued to move northeast and damaged another family home on CR 1208. The tornado made a continuous path northeast, marked by damage to trees and outbuildings. The tornado moved through Athens, damaging additional structures and uprooting/snapping trees. A Dollar General had its windows blown out. The tornado moved over the Athens Steel Building Corporation, causing the most significant damage of the tornado track. Damage included collapse of the southern portion of the structure. The tornado exited the city and dissipated after…

3. Dec 29, 2006Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   At least two dozen houses were damaged in Poynor Friday night as a tornado ripped through the community. Dozens of sheds, barns, and storage units were demolished. Significant damage to roofs and garages occurred at residences, while dozens of fences and trees were blown down. At least one home was considered a total loss. A metal support beam from a destroyed storage unit was driven through a truck, and the truck was then rolled onto its side by the strong winds. Numerous other vehicles were rolled and damaged by debris. In addition, houses which had portions of their roofs removed sustained heavy water damage from the rainfall following the tornado.

4. Mar 2, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$1.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive wind damage occurred along Highway 198 from Gun Barrel City to Mabank. The canopy of a convenience store/gas station was destroyed, numerous homes and businesses sustained roof and structural damage, and trees and power lines were blown down. In Gun Barrel City, an estimated 13 homes received major damage, 151 sustained minor damage, 10 mobile homes were destroyed, 21 mobile homes received major damage, and 6 businesses and a church sustained major damage.

5. Feb 15, 2021Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Henderson$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 25 degrees Fahrenheit almost all week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures between 10 and -5 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum temperature on the 15th was only in the teens. Wind chill values during the 14th-16th were between 10 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit most of the time. The cold temperatures resulted in an extreme amount of damage to pipes, infrastructure, and power. The State listed 2 fatalities in Henderson County due to the winter storm but no additional information could be obtained.

6. Jul 6, 2007Flash Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   About 15 to 20 roads were flooded. A 15' by 20' sinkhole developed, and a bridge was washed out on Cedar Oaks Drive in Payne Springs stranding about 30 households. FM 2636 in Malakoff, Bunny Rabbit Road in Athens, and FM 773 north of Murchison were closed due to high water. A bridge was washed out on CR 2803.

7. Mar 2, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   High winds damaged hundreds of homes and businesses, and blew down trees and power lines.

8. Apr 18, 2019Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency management reported at least one hundred trees blown down, many of which were very large and some of which fell on homes and vehicles.

9. Apr 29, 2017Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A National Weather Service damage survey crew found the start of tornado number three began in Henderson County, approximately 3 miles due south of Eustace. This tornado eventually moved into Van Zandt County, where the storm produced EF4 damage. In Henderson County, several homes suffered EF2 damage, along with a considerable amount of tree damage and damage to farm buildings. As the storm moved into Van Zandt County, the tornado grew to a mile wide at the tornado's maximum width. Over 50 homes were either damaged or destroyed, with a continuous path noted between counties.

10. Oct 1, 2006Drought, Henderson$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Persistent drought conditions continued across portions of north Texas. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of the region was still experiencing extreme (D3) drought conditions. The areas which were rated exceptional drought (D4) last month had received enough rainfall to be downgraded into the D3 category this month.|Even though drought conditions were lessened by a few rain events this month, serious hydrological problems remained. For instance, as much water was used from Lake Bridgeport in one month alone as was saved through conservation efforts by north Texas over the summer. Almost every north Texas lake remained well below conservation levels. The rain events this…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

110°F2 times, most recently Aug 3, 2011

All-time low

−6°FFeb 16, 2021

Warmest night

88°FJul 14, 1901

Coldest day

10°FFeb 13, 1899

Wettest day

8.15 inJun 10, 2010

Snowiest day

7.5 inJan 30, 1949

Hottest year

2023mean 69.6°F

Coldest year

1895mean 63.6°F

Wettest year

201568.05 in

Driest year

200524.92 in

Snowiest season

7.5 in1948-49

Station Tyler Pounds Field (USW00013972), 523 ft elevation, 27.2 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1883 to October 27, 2026; 94.7% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Henderson County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013972.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.