Starr County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Starr 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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 8, 2010Flood$37.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Incredible rainfall estimated to be more than 50 inches in around 10 days' time between June 30th and July 9th across the front range and peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Coahuila Province, Mexico, ultimately flowed through the entire Lower Rio Grande basin for much of the summer of 2010. The rare and extreme event rapidly produced major flooding along the river in Starr County, the result of planned dam releases from Falcon International Reservoir, which lasted for nearly a month, beginning on July 9th and continuing through August 3rd. ||Releases of water from reservoirs behind dams on both sides of the border began soon after the heaviest rains from Alex ended. On July…

2. Jul 25, 2020Tropical Storm, Starr$32.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Hanna weakened to a Tropical Storm as it moved into Hidalgo and Starr County before exiting the US into northwest Tamaulipas and northern Nuevo Leon, Mexico, during the post-daybreak hours of July 26th. Though weakening, the well-organized and large cyclone maintained tropical storm force wind gusts measured as high as 64 mph in northeast Starr County during the pre-dawn hours of the 26th. The Remote Automated Weather Station at Falcon Lake in southwestern Starr reported a peak gust to 52 mph at 111 AM CST, also on the 26th.||Local ranchers reported an unknown number of large limbs blown down, along with a few barns pushed off their moorings and an unknown number of…

3. Jun 22, 2007Flash Flood$7.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The public reports extensive flooding is occurring in the city of Roma. Numerous streets are impassible. Local streams and arroyos are flowing and their banks are full.

4. Oct 13, 2003Flood, Starr$7.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A strong weather disturbance combined with abundant tropical moisture across the region to produce intense rainfall across Deep South Texas during the period. The heaviest rains fell across Brooks, Jim Hogg, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. La Joya in western Hidalgo county received over 13 inches of rain, Harlingen received 11 inches, with 10 inches falling at Mc Cook and Falfurrias. Unofficial reports of 14 inches of rain falling over southern Brooks county. The heavy rains over Starr county caused a rise of Los Olmos Creek. The creek crested at 13 feet at Rio Grande City, on Oct 14, flood stage is 10 feet. The creek quickly fell from flood stage that same…

5. Jun 21, 2018Flash Flood$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Roma Fire Department reported that Arroyo Roma exceeded its banks, flooding parts of town with 1 to 3 feet of standing and flowing water during the pre-dawn hours of June 21st, 2018. The flooding was associated with the initiation of a thunderstorm system that would later cause significant flooding in western Hidalgo County, including the McAllen/Mission metropolitan region during the daylight hours later that morning. Measured and estimated rainfall was between 3 and 7 inches across southern and central Starr County. Estimated public damage, along with a standard doubling, left nearly $3 million in property and other damage (estimated).

6. Aug 18, 2008Flood$700,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Though the rains tapered off shortly after noon, and sunshine peeked through the clouds during later in the day, floodwaters continued to cover much of Roma, but particularly Escobares and Garceno, as Arroyo Quiote continued to rise and remain in flood for several hours after the rains ended. Farm-to-Market Road 650 was closed due to the high water covering the roadway, and numerous local roads and some major thoroughfares were closed due to flooding. ||Federal Highway 83, the primary east-west highway connecting the Upper Rio Grande Valley with the Lower Rio Grande Valley, was closed with up to three feet of water covering portions of the highway into the evening of the 18th.…

7. Aug 1, 2000Drought, Starr$508,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe drought conditions persisted across Starr county. According to the USDA, Farm Service Agency, Starr county received a disaster declaration because of damages and losses to livestock and acreage used for planting purposes.

8. Aug 18, 2008Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Torrential rainfall of at least 8 to 10 inches, but perhaps locally 12 inches, produced significant flash flooding from mid morning through early afternoon of the 18th in a pocket of Starr County along Federal Highway 83, stretching from the east side of Roma through Garce��o and Escobares. Initial urban flooding as far east as the Los Lomas colonia near Rio Grande City soon evolved into a flash flood. The Roma Police Department reported one to one and a half feet of water throughout the city, with locally higher amounts, which has been confirmed by a number of home videos. ||Major flash flooding developed in these areas when several Arroyos, including the Arroyo Quiote (east…

9. Mar 7, 2026Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Damaging winds, mainly to poorly built structures, combined with wind-driven hail (generally between 1 and 2.75 in diameter) caused widespread damage in the western side of Rio Grande City, from Zinnia St. near N. Alvarez Road to neighborhoods along and just south of Eisenhower Rd. in the northwest side of the City. ||Based on the survey and surrounding reports, as well as quality of building construction, the estimated wind was 65 to 70 mph in most areas. This included locations with wind-driven hail south of Eisenhower Rd. Specific damage included:|*A sheet-metal roof blown off a residence, part of which collapsed into the home and trapped a resident, who was…

10. Aug 24, 2008Flood$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    After the rains had long ended, remaining flood waters around and near teh city of Roma continued to remain an issue for many. At least eight residents were rescued from the Las Flores subdivision, and a number of residents in the Robinson subdivision self evacuated as water continued to rise or remain high. Another resident was evacuated off of Ranchito Street from high water in a residence, and a rescue call was received for four children who may have been affected by the flood waters; thankfully, all were found unharmed.||Aircraft video confirmed that high standing water continued well into the 25th in many neighborhoods, particularly those which received the heaviest rains…

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

116°FJun 14, 1998

All-time low

10°FJan 12, 1962

Warmest night

91°FJun 19, 2026

Coldest day

27°FDec 23, 1989

Wettest day

12.51 inSep 22, 1967

Snowiest day

3.0 in2 times, most recently Dec 25, 2004

Hottest year

1902mean 78.2°F

Coldest year

1976mean 70.5°F

Wettest year

196748.35 in

Driest year

19025.28 in

Station Rio Grande City (USC00417622), 172 ft elevation, 2.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1897 to October 22, 2026; 89.9% 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 USC00417622.
• 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.