Hemphill County, Texas
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1954 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
53
Tornado reports
238
Hail reports
11
Floods since 1996
648
All events
5
Deaths
$307.7M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Hemphill County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 52 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Tornado F4 Tornado
After the first violent tornado dissipated in Wheeler County and a second larger tornado developed and continued to the north northeast. This one tracked just west of Allison destroying four homes and damaging several others. Total livestock killed in Wheeler County was over 800 …
The tornado developed in southwestern Hemphill County approximately sixteen miles south southwest of Canadian. The tornado moved north northwest at twenty miles an hour and encountered an area of active oil drilling rigs. The tornado hit two drilling rigs. An employee of the firs…
Tornado F3 Tornado
During the morning of Monday, February 26th, a decayed power pole broke at ground level and caused the three-wire power line atop it to fall and make contact with fine grassy fuels, igniting what would become the Smokehouse Creek Fire. At approximately 2:20 pm on February 26, 202…
Reports state two female horseback riders (one 24 years old the other 6 years old) traveling along the banks went missing prior to noon on Monday June 23rd. By 7 PM that day, search and rescue crews located the still saddled horse the females were last seen riding downstream of t…
The number of residents affected were 1088. There were 250 business that also reported economic injuries. Damages and economic impact also resulted from: debris cleanup (downed trees, etc), numerous downed power lines and broken power poles, and damaged to roads and bridges.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A 60mph wind gust was measured at the mesonet site located six miles east-southeast of Lora, or about ten miles east of Miami AT 613pm CDT. This site also observed a maximum wind gusts of 74mph at 632pm CDT.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Severe wind gusts occurred for four minutes at the mesonet site located six miles east-southeast of Lora. The peak wind gust of 68mph occurred at 831pm CDT.
Flood Flood
Heavy rainfall occurred over Canadian and this resulted in significant water across 2nd street in town. This water impeded traffic in one lane, but allowed for traffic to travel in the adjoining lane.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Multiple trees were blown down and some fell across roads.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Measured wind gusts between 65mph and 69mph occurred at the mesonet site located six miles east-southeast of Lora. These occurred between 2209 CDT and 2212CDT.
Drought Drought
Most of this region was in Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought to begin June. Normal to well above normal precipitation was observed through most of the June except for a dry middle of the month. Well above normal precipitation was observed for the month across eastern porti…
Drought Drought
Much of Hutchinson, Roberts, and Hemphill counties were in Exceptional Drought (D3) at the start of the month. Conversely much of Hansford, Ochiltree, and Lipscomb counties started the month in Severe Drought (D2). With a continually growing deficit in rainfall, the cluster of co…
High Wind High Wind
A 61mph wind gust was measured at the mesonet site located six miles east of Canadian. This wind gust resulted from a shower that collapsed over the mesonet site and produced a severe wind gust. Though the shower was formerly a thunderstorm, no convective activity was present dur…
Drought Drought
Severe Drought (D2) continued into April as the area still lacked any significant precipitation. This lack of rain continued through much of the month, but there were a few showers and storms that moved through the county. In total, the county measured 0.05 inches up to maybe one…
Drought Drought
Drought conditions worsened in the northeast Texas Panhandle during March, escalating from Moderate Drought (D1) to Severe Drought (D2) in counties including Hansford, Hutchinson, Ochiltree, Roberts, and Hemphill. This deterioration was attributed to a growing rainfall deficit, w…
Wildfire Wildfire
On March 10th a fire sparked about 5 miles southwest of Canadian Texas known as the Little Fire. The fire was believed to be caused by a motorized vehicle due to roadside activity. The fire managed to burn 401 acres and was contained by March 11th. The fire weather conditions wer…
High Wind High Wind
The peak wind gust in Hemphill County was 62 mph, which was observed at the Canadian AWOS at 1555CST. Other gusts greater than 58 mph were observed from about 1300CST through 1600CST in the county.
Winter Storm Winter Storm
The highest snowfall amounts occurred across the southeastern part of the county, but the majority of the county received four to seven inches of snow. The lowest amount occurred in a small area of the northwestern part of the county, where two to four inches of snow fell. Five i…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The walls of a farm storage building were blown down and the metal roofing blown off. Nearby tree branches were broken off. About three power poles were broken as well.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Miami mesonet began having severe level wind gusts at 119 AM CDT with a peak gust of 90 mph. Severe gusts ended at 130 AM.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Baseball size hail occurred around 12 miles south of Higgins.
Tornado EF1 Tornado
The tornado started near County Road 30 on the very eastern edge of Hemphill County and quickly intensified as it crossed onto property where it produced damage to several buildings and a home. The home sustained some roofing damage and the back corner of the house had a partial …
Hail Hail
Hail fell across Canadian with penny size hail in town and ping pong ball size hail about two miles southeast of Canadian.
High Wind High Wind
The 6 E Canadian mesonet measured a wind gust of 63mph at 2332 CST and the AWOS at the Canadian airport observed a 60mph wind gust at 2335 CST.
High Wind High Wind
Numerous wind gusts exceeded 58 mph between 0141CDT and 0431CDT with the arrival of a sting jet. Winds peaked out at 87 mph around 0258CDT with sustained winds above 45 mph. Wind gusts continued to occasionally gusts between 58 and 64 mph between 0937CDT and 1330CDT.
High Wind High Wind
Each observation site had dozens of high wind gusts from 58 mph to 78 mph, with the highest concentration of high wind gusts between 1030CDT to 1430CDT.
High Wind High Wind
Multiple ground stations measured high wind gusts, up to 69 mph, intermittently for approximately 6 hours.
Winter Storm Winter Storm
Hemphill County saw a swath of 4 to 6 with some higher amounts up to 8 from the southwest corner up to the northeastern corner of the county. the far northwestern and far southeastern corner received less than 4.
Flood Flood
Marshall Drive (County Road P) was closed due to part of the road being washed out one mile east of where the pavement section of the road ends. Road P was washed out at Elk Creek. The flood was likely 200 feet wide where the road crosses Elk Creek.
Drought Drought
November 2nd brought in quite the prolonged rain event to the combined OK/TX Panhandles, especially the southeastern half where 2 to 3 fell. This was 2 to 3 times the normal monthly rainfall for the area and allowed parts of Hemphill and Lipscomb counties that were in Severe Drou…
Drought Drought
With no precipitation over the course of October, areas of Moderate Drought (D1) spread west across Lipscomb and Hemphill counties. The small areas of Severe Drought (D2) that showed up in September had grown over the course of October as well. By months end almost the whole sout…
Drought Drought
Much of the eastern to southern TX Panhandle were already in moderate drought (D1) by the end of August. Conditions continued to remain dry going through the month of September with a small area between Higgins and Canadian, TX developing Severe Drought (D2) conditions which pers…
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Hail of 3 inches in diameter was measured with a ruler and verified via a photo.
High Wind High Wind
Mesonets across the county measured multiple wind gusts between 58 and 64 mph during this time period.
Wildfire Wildfire
Estimated containment via incident update reports. Estimated Acres burned with the use of GIS mapping data is 404,722.
High Wind High Wind
Two mesonet sites located in the county measured multiple gusts exceeding 58 mph with a peak gust of 70 mph during this time. Sustained winds also surpassed 40 mph.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Less than an inch of snow fell in the northern parts of the county and around Canadian. Amounts of one to three inches fell in the southern half of the county.
High Wind High Wind
Two mesonet stations located in the county measured several wind gusts in excess of 58 mph with both measuring a peak gust of 67 mph. The site 10 miles east of Miami observed the peak gust at 1729 CST, while the site six miles east of Canadian measured the gust at 1809 CST.
High Wind High Wind
Two mesonet stations located in the county measured sustained winds between 40 and 50 mph for 5 to 6 hours during the late afternoon and evening hours.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 | 13 | 1 |
| 2024 | 14 | 0 |
| 2023 | 23 | 1 |
| 2022 | 29 | 0 |
| 2021 | 22 | 0 |
| 2020 | 21 | 0 |
| 2019 | 22 | 2 |
| 2018 | 18 | 1 |
| 2017 | 19 | 0 |
| 2016 | 14 | 4 |
| 2015 | 26 | 7 |
| 2014 | 49 | 1 |
| 2013 | 34 | 0 |
| 2012 | 16 | 1 |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | 15 | 0 |
| 2009 | 27 | 0 |
| 2008 | 35 | 0 |
| 2007 | 27 | 1 |
| 2006 | 16 | 0 |
| 2005 | 9 | 1 |
| 2004 | 10 | 0 |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 |
| 2002 | 19 | 2 |
| 2001 | 18 | 0 |
| 2000 | 18 | 1 |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 |
| 1997 | 7 | 0 |
| 1996 | 11 | 0 |
| 1995 | 12 | 3 |
| 1994 | 7 | 0 |
| 1993 | 5 | 1 |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | 11 | 5 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | 3 | 0 |
| 1986 | 5 | 5 |
| 1984 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | 6 | 1 |
| 1982 | 1 | 1 |
| 1981 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980 | 2 | 1 |
| 1979 | 3 | 3 |
| 1977 | 3 | 0 |
| 1976 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968 | 2 | 1 |
| 1967 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962 | 1 | 1 |
| 1961 | 1 | 1 |
| 1955 | 2 | 2 |
| 1954 | 1 | 1 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Hemphill County, measured to its path.
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