States › Texas › Potter County
Potter County, Texas
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 1,986 events for Potter County, Texas, between 1950 and 2026; hail account for the largest share.
That is 218.6 events per 100 square miles, above the Texas figure of 63.3, and 170.4 per 10,000 residents against 56.0 statewide.
37 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 15 deaths and 167 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $505M and crop damage at $152M.
FEMA has designated the county in 20 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Stinky Fire (fire management assistance, 18 May 2026).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 387 claims since 1978, of which 284 were paid, totalling $5.4M (about $19K per paid claim). FEMA counts 161 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($63M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with Texas and the United States
| Measure | Potter County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 1,986 | 165,476 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 218.6 | 63.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 170.4 | 56.0 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 37 | 4,723 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 15 | 2,429 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $505M | $111B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 3.3 | 13.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $19K | $55K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 7.5 | 24.7 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 1,238 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 549 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 2007 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $1.2M | — | 1 | 137 | Forecast zone |
| 14 Feb 2021 | Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | Cold | — | — | — | 2 | — | Forecast zone |
| 18 Dec 2005 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $39K | — | 1 | 8 | Forecast zone |
| 27 Dec 2007 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | Forecast zone |
| 23 Nov 2013 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | Forecast zone |
| 31 Jan 2008 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $1.5M | — | 1 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 2 Apr 2013 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $45K | — | 1 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 9 Dec 2008 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $80K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 31 Jan 2008 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $50K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Aug 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $43K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 29 Dec 2006 | Ice Storm | Winter | — | $32K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Jul 2002 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $30K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 25 Dec 2011 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $30K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Feb 2010 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 May 2013 | Hail | Hail | 2.75 in | $200M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2013 | Hail | Hail | 1.75 in | $100M | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1972 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 5 | County |
| 28 May 2013 | Hail | Hail | 1.00 in | $50M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2013 | Hail | Hail | 1.50 in | $50M | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2011 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $800K | — | — | 3 | Forecast zone |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2026 | FM-5634 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Stinky Fire | Public assistance |
| 19 Feb 2021 | DR-4586 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms | Public assistance |
| 14 Feb 2021 | EM-3554 | Emergency | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 25 Mar 2020 | DR-4485 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3458 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 1 Jul 2011 | DR-1999 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 29 May 2011 | FM-2913 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Stone Ridge Fire | Public assistance |
| 27 Feb 2011 | FM-2862 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Willow Creek South Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2008 | EM-3294 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike | Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2008 | EM-3290 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav | Public assistance |
| 14 Mar 2008 | EM-3284 | Emergency | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 13 Feb 2008 | FM-2743 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Broadway Fire | Public assistance |
| 11 Jan 2006 | DR-1624 | Major disaster | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 24 Sep 2005 | DR-1606 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita | Public assistance |
| 21 Sep 2005 | EM-3261 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita | Public assistance |
| 2 Sep 2005 | EM-3216 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 8 Jan 2001 | DR-1356 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm | Public assistance |
| 1 Sep 1999 | EM-3142 | Emergency | Fire | Extreme Fire Hazards | Public assistance |
| 26 Aug 1998 | DR-1239 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Charley | — |
| 19 May 1989 | DR-828 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | $109,563 | $36,521 |
| 2023 | 5 | 4 | $1,072,076 | $268,019 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | $70,000 | $70,000 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | $2,416 | $2,416 |
| 2017 | 2 | 1 | $918 | $918 |
| 2015 | 3 | 2 | $7,985 | $3,992 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2012 | 3 | 3 | $18,360 | $6,120 |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | $5,351 | $2,675 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | $1,070 | $535 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | $9,446 | $9,446 |
| 1999 | 3 | 3 | $125,375 | $41,792 |
| 1998 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | $4,922 | $4,922 |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1994 | 14 | 12 | $92,271 | $7,689 |
| 1992 | 2 | 2 | $2,868 | $1,434 |
| 1991 | 4 | 3 | $2,560 | $853 |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1989 | 48 | 38 | $110,290 | $2,902 |
| 1988 | 122 | 96 | $1,928,422 | $20,088 |
| 1987 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | $20,159,015 | |
| Tornado | $15,468,629 | |
| Inland flooding | $8,834,809 | |
| Cold wave | $5,949,720 | |
| Strong wind | $3,172,087 | |
| Wildfire | $2,630,532 | |
| Winter weather | $2,105,479 | |
| Drought | $2,017,643 | |
| Earthquake | $1,082,813 | |
| Lightning | $1,057,854 | |
| Heat wave | $690,312 | |
| Ice storm | $273,770 | |
| Landslide | $163 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Potter County, TX?
NCEI records 882 hail events in Potter County since 1950, in 68 different years; that is about 11.5 recorded events a year. 221 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Potter County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 40 tornadoes in Potter County since 1950, 6 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Potter County?
18 May 2026: Stinky Fire, a fire management assistance declaration for fire. The county appears in 20 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Potter County, and how much was paid?
387 NFIP claims since 1978, 284 of them paid, for $5.4M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Potter County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Potter County compare with the rest of Texas?
218.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 63.3 statewide, and 3.3 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 13.4. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.