Coke County
Population 3,412 (2025) 912 sq mi
Large wildfires have burned 172,950 acres of Coke County since 1984, 16th most of 254 counties in Texas; the largest was the Wildcat Fire in 2011.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195016
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger3
- Wildfire burn scars since 198412
At a glance
The record for Coke County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Acres burned since 1984
172,950
16th of 254 in Texas
12 large fires; the largest was Wildcat, 2011
DetailsTornadoes since 1950
16
206th of 254 in Texas
Fewer than the typical Texas county, which has had 35
DetailsTropical cyclones within 50 mi
2
153rd of 254 in Texas
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
EF3
May 3, 2024, 3.5 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1851, 47.9 miles away
Federal disaster declarations
17
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding, 2025
DetailsTornadoes
About one every 4.8 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 3, 2024
EF3, 3.5 mile path
350 yards wide.
Most recent
Friday, May 3, 2024
EF3, 3.5 mile path
2 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| May 3, 2024 | EF3 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 3, 2024 | EF2 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 5, 2015 | EF0 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 6, 2007 | EF0 | 1.9 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 2007 | EF0 | 6.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 2003 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 2002 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 1998 | F0 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 25, 1997 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 31, 1995 | F1 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 15, 1989 | F1 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 19, 1985 | F0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 9, 1978 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1969 | F2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 18, 1955 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 15, 1953 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Coke County: 0.
- 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
2 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
June 28, 1851
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
47.9 miles at closest approach, winds near 46 mph.
Most recent
August 31, 1942
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
58.8 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- 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.
Wildfire and smoke
172,950 acres burned in 12 large fires since 1984, equal to 30% of the land.
Largest
April 11, 2011
Wildcat Fire, 150,117 acres
103,067 acres inside Coke County.
Most recent
June 13, 2020
Mcdaniel Fire
3,838 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Mcdaniel | 2020 | 3,835 | 3,838 |
| Wildcat | 2012 | 14,034 | 14,036 |
| Malone | 2011 | 2,104 | 2,099 |
| Wilson Ranch | 2011 | 2,689 | 3,796 |
| White Hat | 2011 | 7,538 | 71,832 |
| Dos Amigos | 2011 | 18,847 | 18,950 |
| Wildcat | 2011 | 103,067 | 150,117 |
| Silver | 2008 | 18,093 | 18,097 |
| 87 North | 2007 | 797 | 1,056 |
| Templin | 2006 | 1,258 | 1,258 |
| Cole | 2006 | 271 | 39,443 |
| Spade Ranch | 2004 | 412 | 1,931 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2021: 20 days
Heavy smoke on 5 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
8.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
3 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 5 so far in 2026.
- 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.
Floods and flood insurance
No federal flood insurance claims are recorded for this county.
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood14
- Flood3
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
River crests
Most severe crest
September 9, 1980
Colorado River (TX) above Silver, 22.98 ft
7.98 feet above the 15.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
October 10, 2018
Colorado River (TX) above Silver, 18.76 ft
Moderate flooding.
| Sep 9, 1980 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 22.98 | +7.98 |
| Mar 24, 2000 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 22.42 | +7.42 |
| Oct 6, 1986 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 21.96 | +6.96 |
| May 11, 1994 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 20.05 | +5.05 |
| Sep 29, 2012 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 19.96 | +4.96 |
| Oct 10, 2018 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 18.76 | +3.76 |
| May 29, 1971 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 17.68 | +2.68 |
| Jun 20, 1982 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 15.93 | +0.93 |
| Oct 23, 2015 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 15.73 | +0.73 |
| Apr 23, 1981 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 15.70 | +0.70 |
| May 21, 2017 | Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 15.40 | +0.40 |
| Oct 13, 1957 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 26.70 | −6.30 |
| Jun 22, 1939 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 21.70 | −11.30 |
| Jul 9, 1945 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 21.15 | −11.85 |
| Sep 9, 1980 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 20.63 | −12.37 |
| Jul 8, 1948 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 20.61 | −12.39 |
| Aug 19, 1953 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 20.15 | −12.85 |
| Jun 10, 1989 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 14.07 | −18.93 |
| Jun 19, 1982 | Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 11.12 | −21.88 |
River gauges
| Colorado River (TX) above Silver | 15.0 | 22.98 ft | 3 |
| Colorado River (TX) at Robert Lee | 33.0 | 26.70 ft | 0 |
- 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.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 197 of 1,581 months since 1895 (12%); the longest spell lasted 31 months.
197
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
81
Months in extreme drought
12%
Share of all months, severe or worse
63
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
September 1956
−6.19, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
31 months
September 1954 to March 1957.
Latest month
September 2026
−4.38, extreme drought
- 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.
Earthquakes
8 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 5.1 in 2024.
5
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
73
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
8
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
1
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
July 26, 2024
17 km NNE of Hermleigh, Texas; 47.9 miles away, 2.0 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
July 23, 2026
Magnitude 3.9
23 km NW of Westbrook, Texas; 36.0 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Jan 26, 2026 | 4.3 | 36.5 |
| Oct 12, 2025 | 4.3 | 22.5 |
| Jul 27, 2024 | 4.5 | 46.0 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 5.1 | 47.9 |
| Jul 24, 2024 | 4.0 | 47.8 |
| Jul 22, 2024 | 4.4 | 47.5 |
| Jul 22, 2024 | 4.9 | 47.9 |
| Feb 16, 2023 | 4.7 | 46.5 |
- 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 county boundary (or inside the county).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
404 events in the National Weather Service record, 351 of them since 1996.
124
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
18
Hail, 2 inches or larger
56
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
44
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
10
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
May 31, 2005
4.25 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
May 31, 2005
87 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- May 27, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
The second severe thunderstorm of the day that moved across Robert Lee produced winds up to 80 MPH causing damage to numerous houses and carports.
- Jun 16, 1997Hail$100,000
- Nov 23, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Winds blew down power lines.
- May 31, 2005Hail$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
The final severe thunderstorm for the evening developed just to the north of Robert Lee. This thunderstorm maxed out right over Robert Lee producing soft ball size hail and winds to 87 mph. This produced significant damage to vehicles and some houses.
- May 6, 2007Hail$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
Hail lasted for several minutes. Damage to roofs and cars was observed.
- Jul 9, 2005Thunderstorm Wind$23,000
National Weather Service narrative
Mobile home had the roof blown off, power lines were downed, and tree limbs downed.
- Jun 15, 2007Hail$12,000
National Weather Service narrative
A moist unstable airmass combined with a weak shortwave caused thunderstorms to develop in the evening hours. There were reports of severe weather scattered across much of West Central Texas, including one tornado across Crockett County.
- Jun 13, 2003Flash Flood$10,000
- Jun 11, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
Several miles of power lines were blown down in northwestern portions of Coke county.
- May 27, 2002Hail$10,000
National Weather Service narrative
There was some roof and car damage from the storms in Robert Lee. These storms brought Golfball size hail and high winds.
- 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.
Weather records
From Water Valley, 24.3 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1964.
- All-time high
- 112°F3 times, most recently Aug 15, 2020
- All-time low
- −4°FDec 23, 1989
- Warmest night
- 83°FAug 31, 2020
- Coldest day
- 11°FJan 30, 1985
- Wettest day
- 9.64 inJul 5, 1948
- Snowiest day
- 8.0 inNov 16, 1980
- Hottest year
- 2024mean 66.9°F
- Coldest year
- 1976mean 61.7°F
- Wettest year
- 199135.30 in
- Driest year
- 19527.36 in
- Snowiest season
- 15.6 in2020-21
Median first snow
January 3
Earliest: November 8, 2000
Median last snow
January 15
Latest: April 8, 2007
36 of 61 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Water Valley (USC00419499), 2,115 ft elevation, 24.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1964 to October 23, 2026; 95.7% 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.
Federal disaster declarations
17 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding, July 6, 2025.
| Jul 6, 2025 | Flood | DR-4879-TX |
| May 17, 2024 | Flood | DR-4781-TX |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586-TX |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554-TX |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4485-TX |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3458-TX |
| Jul 1, 2011 | Fire | DR-1999-TX |
| Apr 15, 2011 | Fire | FM-2892-TX |
| Mar 14, 2008 | Fire | EM-3284-TX |
| Feb 25, 2008 | Fire | FM-2747-TX |
| Jan 11, 2006 | Fire | DR-1624-TX |
| Sep 24, 2005 | Hurricane | DR-1606-TX |
| Sep 21, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3261-TX |
| Sep 2, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3216-TX |
| Sep 1, 1999 | Fire | EM-3142-TX |
| Aug 26, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1239-TX |
| Sep 10, 1993 | Drought | EM-3113-TX |
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.
How this compares
Where Coke County stands among 254 counties in Texas and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 16 | 206 / 254 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 1 | 128 / 254 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 2 | 153 / 254 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 172,950 | 16 / 254 |
| Flood insurance claims | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance paid | $0 | — |
| Disaster declarations | 17 | 171 / 254 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 17 | 223 / 254 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 201 | 144 / 254 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 44 | 57 / 254 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $615,000 | 248 / 254 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 3 | 100 / 254 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 197 | 113 / 254 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 8.0 | 207 / 254 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 8 | 32 / 254 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 5 | 40 / 254 |
Neighbouring counties
| Mitchell County | 54 | 0 |
| Nolan County | 49 | 1 |
| Runnels County | 56 | 2 |
| Sterling County | 19 | 2 |
| Tom Green County | 57 | 3 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- 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 USC00419499.
- 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.