Palo Pinto County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Palo Pinto County: 0.
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.

Every large fire

1. 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

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.

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

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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. Apr 9, 2011Wildfire, Palo Pinto$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Hohertz fire began in southwest Palo Pinto County, approximately 9 miles northwest of Strawn. The local newspaper reported an arching power line started the fire in a pasture. Early on, some deer stands and oil field equipment were burned. On April 15th, this fire merged with the PK West Fire in Stephens County and the fires were renamed the PK Complex. On April 17th, the PK East fire in Palo Pinto County burned into this complex, and on April 19th, the Jackson Ranch Fire in Stephens County also joined this complex. In all, 126,734 acres were burned by this complex of four fires, 167 homes were destroyed, 2 churches were destroyed, and another 124 outbuildings were lost.

2. Aug 30, 2011Wildfire, Palo Pinto$12.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The 101 Ranch fire began on August 30th south of Possum Kingdom Lake on the east side of Highway 16. The fire burned to the north, jumped the highway and burned into the Gaines Bend and Cliffs Subdivisions. It was finally controlled on October 11th after burning 6555 acres. The fire burned 39 homes in the Cliffs and Gaines Bend. The guard shack, the pro shop, and the front office to the Cliffs also burned, and nine recreational vehicles were lost in the fire. One person suffered minor burns and two firefighters sustained minor ankle injuries.

3. Apr 17, 2008Hail$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tennis ball-size hail broke windows, damaged vehicles, and downed power and cable lines. The Palo Pinto General Hospital sustained about $400,000 damage to its roof. The Wal-Mart in town had every skylight broken which resulted in water damage. Mineral Wells High School sustained heavy damage to its roof and also to its new outdoor stadium and bleachers. Numerous city vehicles as well as private vehicles and residences received damage from the large hail. Car dealerships reported damage to 8,000 cars in the metroplex. Most of the damage in Palo Pinto County occurred in a west to east swath north of Highway 180. One woman was injured when she was hit in the head with a large…

4. Jun 10, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Brazos River Authority reported extensive damage at Possum Kingdom Lake. Twenty-three docks broke loose and their walkways fell fully or partially into the water. A total of 41 docks were damaged with one being completely sunk and another turned on its side and partially sunk. At Scenic Point Northview Marina, the walkway, fuel pump dock, and marina office platform were damaged. Two boats were also damaged at the same marina. At Breakers Marina, walkways were separated and three wind breaks were broken off. At Willow Beach Marina, the fuel pump dock broke loose and overturned. Three houses in Hogg Bend had missing roofs and several other structures reported missing shingles.…

5. Apr 9, 2009Wildfire, Palo Pinto$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A 600-700 acre wildfire started near Stringer Lane and FM 1148 to the west of Possum Kingdom Lake and spread north and west. The fire burned at least 14 homes and multiple outbuildings and structures.

6. Jan 1, 2006Wildfire, Palo Pinto$800,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A grass fire which began near the Mineral Wells airport burned 13 structures, including five homes. The fire grew to cover 1,800 acres. One firefighter suffered second-degree burns and another smoke inhalation.

7. May 18, 2025Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-1 tornado formed north of Gordon and moved south-southeast into Gordon. One property near FM 919 and Harlin Road sustained damage to a small building on the property and 2 barns. In the town of Gordon, notable tree damage and power pole damage was observed along with damage to roofs. Most of the roof damage was partial removal of metal panels, leaving some homes with holes in their roofs. The school stadium and nearby athletic fields also suffered significant damage to the locker rooms, weight room, bleachers, scoreboards, and more. One tall stadium light pole was bent in half. In the southeast part of Gordon, a manufactured home was destroyed. In Gordon is where the tornado…

8. Feb 11, 2010Heavy Snow, Palo Pinto$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An average of 7-12 of snow fell across the county. The highest totals were reported in the northeast half of the county. The COOP Observer in Strawn reported a total snow of 6.5, the COOP Observer in Brazos reported a total snow of 10.0, and the COOP Observer near Gordon reported a total snow of 10.5. The TXDOT in Mineral Wells estimated 12 of total snow, but other estimates from the city were 8-10 of total snow. Due to slick conditions from snow accumulation on the roadways and slush, some roads in Mineral wells were barricaded; including NW 10th Street, Mesquite Street, Travis Drive, NE 23rd Street, FM 1821, and all the hills going into Western Hills except for Holly Hill Drive.…

9. Dec 5, 2013Winter Storm, Palo Pinto$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Up to 4 of ice and sleet accumulated in Palo Pinto County. Most of the accumulations were due to sleet. Amateur radio reported 3 of sleet in Palo Pinto and 3-4 of sleet in Mineral Wells. The COOP Observer in Strawn reported 2 of ice and sleet. The metal roof/awning of a strip center in Mineral Wells collapsed under the weight of the ice.

10. Jun 19, 2026Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous social media reports indicated that boats and boat docks were damaged by straight line winds on the western half of Possum Kingdom Lake.

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

114°F2 times, most recently Jun 28, 1980

All-time low

−8°FDec 23, 1989

Warmest night

86°FAug 4, 2024

Coldest day

13°FFeb 15, 2021

Wettest day

6.65 inOct 12, 1981

Snowiest day

6.0 inJan 21, 1966

Hottest year

2023mean 68.6°F

Coldest year

1968mean 63.6°F

Wettest year

201552.82 in

Driest year

200514.87 in

Snowiest season

11.4 in1965-66

Station Mineral Wells Airport (USW00093985), 942 ft elevation, 6.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.3% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USW00093985.
• 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.