Delta County
Population 5,549 (2025) 257 sq mi
Property owners in Delta County have filed 1 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 200th most of 254 counties in Texas.
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 19508
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger5
- Wildfire burn scars since 19842
At a glance
The record for Delta County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Acres burned since 1984
2,422
177th of 254 in Texas
2 large fires; the largest was Cooper Lake, 2006
DetailsTornadoes since 1950
8
236th of 254 in Texas
Fewer than the typical Texas county, which has had 35
DetailsTropical cyclones within 50 mi
3
128th of 254 in Texas
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
F3
April 22, 1964, 5.9 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm Ike, 2008, 23.2 miles away
Federal disaster declarations
18
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2024
DetailsTornadoes
About one every 9.5 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
April 22, 1964
F3, 5.9 mile path
50 yards wide.
Deadliest
June 2, 1954
1 killed, F2
8 injured along the whole path.
Most recent
Friday, January 10, 2020
EF0, 0.1 mile path
6 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Jan 10, 2020 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 10, 2020 | EF0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 24, 2003 | F1 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 18, 1977 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 22, 1964 | F3 | 5.9 | 2 | 0 |
| May 24, 1957 | F2 | 70.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F2 | 0.1 | 2 | 1 |
| Jun 2, 1954 | F2 | 5.9 | 8 | 1 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Delta County: 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
3 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
September 13, 2008
Ike, Tropical storm
23.2 miles at closest approach, winds near 44 mph.
Most recent
September 13, 2008
Ike, Tropical storm
23.2 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
2,422 acres burned in 2 large fires since 1984, equal to 1.5% of the land.
Largest
March 14, 2006
Cooper Lake Fire, 1,226 acres
1,218 acres inside Delta County.
Most recent
March 14, 2006
Cooper Lake Fire
1,226 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Cooper Lake | 2006 | 1,218 | 1,226 |
| Unnamed | 2006 | 1,203 | 1,635 |
- 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
2023: 44 days
Heavy smoke on 8 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
13.8 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
5 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 20 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
1 federal flood insurance claims since 2002, with $2,841 paid.
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood25
- Heavy Rain5
- Flood2
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
Most severe crest
May 13, 1982
South Sulphur River near Cooper, 27.21 ft
11.21 feet above the 16.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
June 12, 2025
South Sulphur River near Cooper, 20.38 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| South Sulphur River near Cooper | 16.0 | 27.21 ft | 10 |
- 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 167 of 1,581 months since 1895 (11%); the longest spell lasted 38 months.
167
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
73
Months in extreme drought
11%
Share of all months, severe or worse
77
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
July 2006
−5.91, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
38 months
February 1909 to March 1912.
Latest month
September 2026
−3.28, severe 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
2 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1968; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
1
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
October 14, 1968
Magnitude 3.5
2 km WNW of Durant, Oklahoma; 48.5 miles away.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
May 30, 1997
Magnitude 3.4
3 km ESE of Neylandville, Texas; 6.8 miles away.
- 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
362 events in the National Weather Service record, 291 of them since 1996.
37
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
3
Hail, 2 inches or larger
39
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
24
Winter weather events since 1996
53
Heat events since 1996
6
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
May 11, 1992
2.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
September 2, 1982
100 mph
Costliest events since 1996
- Oct 1, 2006Drought, Delta$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…
- May 10, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
Widespread wind damage was reported with numerous trees and power poles blown down. Some large trees were uprooted. A downburst likely caused the damage, which had a track of about two miles long by a mile and a half wide. Several roofs were ripped off businesses and residences, and street signs and awnings were twisted. The radio tower at the Delta County Law Enforcement Center was broken in half.
- May 9, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorm wind damage due to 80 mph winds was observed across northern Delta County from the Enloe area to the Lake Creek area. The damage started along FM 128, extending east to just past a warehouse business near FM 1335 and Hwy 19. Damage consisted of notable tree damage and structural damage to house roofs and metal roofs. A home near FM 2675 and FM 2949N had windows broken due to wind driven hail. Several trees on the property were uprooted and/or snapped, too. Local officials reported 7 people were injured from the wind driven hail.
- Feb 14, 2021Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Delta$144,000
National Weather Service narrative
Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 10 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures between 5 and -5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the maximum temperature on the 15th was only in the lower teens. Wind chill values during the 14th-16th were between 0 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit most of the time. The cold temperatures resulted in an extreme amount of damage to pipes, infrastructure, and power.
- May 24, 2003Tornado$75,000
National Weather Service narrative
Tornado touchdown between Klondike and Horton on FM 1520. The Fisherman's Motel and Marina in the Klondike area received major roof damage. Several homes had structural damage including roof damage from fallen trees. Residents of the area had no power, telephone service, or water for much of Sunday.
- Apr 26, 2017Hail$75,000
National Weather Service narrative
A social media report indicated ping pong ball sized hail in the city of Klondike, TX.
- May 9, 2024Hail$60,000
National Weather Service narrative
Spotter report of 2 inch hail in northern Delta County, along FM 128. This hail was wind-driven by 80 mph winds causing notable damage.
- Dec 27, 2015Flood$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Several county and farm-to-market roads remained flooded across the county after several inches of heavy rain.
- Mar 8, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Damaging downburst winds caused damage near the intersection of State Highway 24 and FM 198. A small barn lost most of its roof, and on the other side of the intersection, a large metal storage building also lost most of its roof. The roof was tossed about a hundred yards from the building. Part of the walls of the storage building collapsed as well. The storage building was determined to be a metal and wood frame with part of the roof partially rotted.
- Apr 19, 1996Hail$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Baseball size hail broke windows and damaged roofs.
- 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 Sulphur Springs, 16.3 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1893.
- All-time high
- 115°FAug 10, 1969
- All-time low
- −4°F2 times, most recently Feb 16, 2021
- Warmest night
- 86°FJul 13, 1901
- Coldest day
- 11°F2 times, most recently Feb 16, 2021
- Wettest day
- 8.20 inAug 13, 2017
- Snowiest day
- 9.4 inJan 16, 1964
- Hottest year
- 1998mean 67.4°F
- Coldest year
- 1983mean 60.9°F
- Wettest year
- 195771.09 in
- Driest year
- 195623.46 in
Station Sulphur Springs (USC00418743), 495 ft elevation, 16.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 23, 2026; 97.6% 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
18 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, May 17, 2024.
| 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 |
| Feb 9, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4255-TX |
| May 29, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4223-TX |
| Mar 14, 2008 | Fire | EM-3284-TX |
| Jun 29, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1709-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 |
| Jan 8, 2001 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1356-TX |
| Sep 1, 1999 | Fire | EM-3142-TX |
| Aug 26, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1239-TX |
| Jan 27, 1972 | Flood | DR-320-TX |
| May 12, 1966 | Flood | DR-218-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 Delta County stands among 254 counties in Texas and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 8 | 236 / 254 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 1 | 128 / 254 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 3 | 128 / 254 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 2,422 | 177 / 254 |
| Flood insurance claims | 1 | 200 / 254 |
| Flood insurance paid | $2,841 | 209 / 254 |
| Disaster declarations | 18 | 155 / 254 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 32 | 174 / 254 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 96 | 225 / 254 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 24 | 143 / 254 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $1.8 million | 230 / 254 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 10 | 55 / 254 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 167 | 171 / 254 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 13.8 | 29 / 254 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Fannin County | 60 | 3 |
| Franklin County | 18 | 3 |
| Hopkins County | 36 | 3 |
| Hunt County | 62 | 2 |
| Lamar County | 48 | 3 |
| Red River County | 40 | 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 USC00418743.
- 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.