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Matador, TX

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Founded: 1912 Population: 607 Time Zone: -6
Latitude: 34.00 N Longitude: 100.822 W Altitude: 2,333 ft
Average High: 74.5 Average Low: 48.5 Annual Precipitation: 22.90

 

 



Matador, TX, is located about ninety-five miles west of Lubbock, Texas. In 1882, a group of Scottish investors founded the Matador Ranch and ranch post office named Matador was opened in 1886. In 1891, range manger Henry H. Campbell lays out the town site and the town was designated the county seat of Motley County. In 2010 the population of the Matador was 607, down from 740 in 2000.


  2010 U.S. Census Demographic Profile about Matador, TX.


 

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 ◊  History of Matador, TX
 ◊  History of TX
 ◊  Weather data for Matador, TX
 ◊  Historic Weather Events for TX




History of Matador, Texas[27]



  • 1876, August 21; Motley County is created from Young and Bexar counties. It will be organized on February 5, 1891.[29]
  • 1882, December; Matador Ranch founded by Scottish investors.[28]
  • 1886; A ranch post office named Matador is opened.
  • 1891; The county of Motley is organized. [31]
    • Matador Ranch manager Henry H. Campbell lays out the townsite.
    • Henry H. Campbell encouraged cowboys to set up one-day businesses to meet the General Land Office requirement that a county seat have twenty commercial enterprises.
    • Matador is designated the county seat of Motley County.
  • 1891 or 1892; A school opens.
  • 1901; A bank opens.
  • 1913; Local rail service starts with the construction of the the eight-mile long Motley County Railroad.[30]
  • 1940; The population reaches its high water mark of 1,302.
  • 1927-1928; Dr. Albert Carroll Traweek, Sr., known as the "Pneumonia doctor", establishes the Traweek Hospital. In 1991 the hospital is turn over to the county and is now the Motley County Historical Museum.
  • 1944; Dr. J. S. Stanley opened a hospital. The hospital is enlarged four years later.


For more information about The History of Matador, Texas

 

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Texas´s History


State History[2]



Ancient times [1]


  • ca. 40,000-15,000 B.C. - People migrate to North America from Asia at irregular intervals by way of the Bering Land Bridge.
  • 1000 B.C.-A.D. 1550 - Woodland-culture American Indians settle in permanent locations, usually beside streams, and practice a mixed subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, and some agriculture. They create pottery and also develop elaborate funeral procedures, such as building mounds, to honor their dead.
  • A.D. 700-1550 - Mississippian-culture American Indians create large political units called chiefdoms, uniting people under stronger leadership than the Woodland cultures have. Towns become larger and last longer. People construct flat-topped, pyramidal mounds to serve as foundations for temples, mortuaries, chiefs' houses, and other important buildings. Towns are usually situated beside streams and surrounded by defensive structures.
  • Before 1500 - Prior to the arrival of the first European explorers, numerous tribes of the Indians of Texas occupied the region between the Rio Grande to the south and the Red River to the north.
  • 1519; Sailing from a base in Jamaica, Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, a Spanish adventurer, was the first known European to explore and map the Texas coastline.
  • 1528, November; ´lvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca shipwrecked on what is believed today to be Galveston Island. After trading in the region for some six years, he later explored the Texas interior on his way to Mexico.
  • 1540-1542; In search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado lead an expedition into the present southwestern United States and across northern Texas.


1500 - 1700
  • 1685, February 18; Robert Cavelier de Sieur de LaSalle established Fort St. Louis at Matagorda Bay, and thus formed the basis for France's claim to Texas. Two years later, LaSalle was murdered by his own men.
  • 1689, April 22; Mexican explorer Alonso de Leon reached Fort St. Louis, and found it abandoned, during an expedition planned to reestablish Spanish presence in Texas.
  • 1689; The first mission, San Francisco de la Espada, is established in Spanish Texas to block French trespassing. Sixteen more mission will be built.[3]
    • 1690 - Mission Santísimo Nombre de María
    • 1716 - Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña
    • 1716 - Mission San José de los Nazonis. The Mission is moved to to San Antonio in 1731 and renamed Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña.
    • 1716 - Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches
    • 1716 - Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais
    • 1716-1717 - Mission San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes
    • 1718, May 1 - Mission San Antonio de Valero
    • 1720, Feb. 23 - Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo
    • 1722 - Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga
    • 1722 - Mission San Francisco Xavier de Nájera
    • 1731 - Mission San Juan Capistrano
    • 1754 - Mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario
    • 1757 - Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá
    • 1755 - Mission San Francisco Xavier de los Dolores
    • 1756 - Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz
    • 1793 - Mission Nuestra Señora del Refugio


1700 - 1899
  • 1716-1789; Throughout the 18th century, Spain established Catholic missions in Texas, and along with the missions, the towns of San Antonio, Goliad and Nacogdoches.
  • 1718-31; Spain concentrates its power in Texas at San Antonio.
  • 1718, May 1; The Mission San Antonio de Valero, the first Spanish mission along the San Antonio River, is established.
  • 1749-54; Presidio and missions built at Goliad to protect Texas Coast.
  • 1803; U.S. purchases Louisiana from France.
  • 1812, August 8; About 130-men strong, the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition crossed the Sabine from Louisiana in a rebel movement against Spanish rule in Texas.
  • 1817-1820; Pirate and privateer, Jean Laffite occupied Galveston Island and used it as a base for his smuggling and privateering operation.
  • 1821; August 24; The representatives of the Spanish crown and Iturbide signed the Treaty of Córdoba and Mexico gains independence from Spain.
  • 1822; Stephen F. Austin received a grant from the Mexican government and begins colonization of lower Colorado-Brazos rivers.
  • 1824; Texas and Coahuilla joined as a single Mexican state. Many anglos move to Texas.
  • 1824, October 4; The Constitution of 1824 gave Mexico a republican form of government. It failed, however, to define the rights of the states within the republic, including Texas.
  • 1830, April 6; Relations between the Texans and Mexico reached a new low when Mexico forbid further emigration into Texas by settlers from the United States.
  • 1832, June 26; The Battle of Velasco resulted in the first casualties in Texas relations with Mexico. After several days of fighting, the Mexicans under Domingo de Ugartechea were forced to surrender for lack of ammunition.
  • 1832-1833; The Convention of 1832 and the Convention of 1833 in San Felipe, Texas, were triggered by growing dissatisfaction among the settlements with the policies of the government in Mexico City.
  • 1833; Texas petitions for separation from Coahuilla.
  • 1834; General Antonio López de Santa Anna becomes dictator of Mexico and changes peaceful laws.
  • 1835; The Mexican President General Antonio López de Santa Anna abolished the federal Constitution of 1824 and replaces it with the Siete Leyes.
  • 1835, June; Texas rebels defeat Mexican forces at Fort Anahuac.
  • 1835, Oct. 2; Texans repulsed a detachment of Mexican cavalry at the Battle of Gonzales. The Texas Revolution began.
  • 1835, October 9; The Goliad Campaign of 1835 ended when George Collingsworth, Ben Milam, and forty-nine other Texans stormed the presidio at Goliad and a small detachment of Mexican defenders.
  • 1835, Oct.; Sam Houston is ordered to raise an army.
  • 1835, October 28; Jim Bowie, James Fannin and 90 Texans defeated 450 Mexicans at the Battle of Concepcion, near San Antonio.
  • 1835, October 10; Texans seize Presido La Bahia at Goliad and San Antonio.
  • 1835, November 3; The Consultation met to consider options for more autonomous rule for Texas. A document known as the Organic Law outlined the organization and functions of a new Provisional Government.
  • 1835, November 8; The Grass Fight near San Antonio was won by the Texans under Jim Bowie and Ed Burleson. Instead of silver, however, the Texans gained a worthless bounty of grass.
  • 1835, December 11; Mexicans under Gen. Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered San Antonio to the Texans following the Siege of Béexar. The siege began on October 12, 1835 when 600 Texans lead by Stephen F. Austin and Edward Burleson laid siege to the town.
  • 1836, March 2; The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed by members of the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos. An interim government is formed for the newly created Republic of Texas.
  • 1836, Feb 24; Seige of "The Alamo" begins.
  • 1836, March 2; Texas Declaration of Independence presented at Washington-on-the-Brazos.
  • 1836, March 6; Texans under Col. William B. Travis were overwhelmed by the Mexican army after a two-week siege at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio. The Runaway Scrape began.
  • 1836, March 10; Sam Houston abandoned Gonzales in a general retreat eastward to avoid the invading Mexican army.
  • 1836, March 27; James Fannin and nearly 400 Texans were executed by the Mexicans at the Goliad Massacre, under order of Antonio López de Santa Anna.[4]
  • 1836, April 15; Santa Anna burns Harrisburg.
  • 1836, April 20; Sam Houston's army of 910 arrive at San Jacinto river.
  • 1836, April 21; Texans under Sam Houston routed the Mexican forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Thus, independence was won in one of the most decisive battles in history. [5]
  • 1836, May 14; Texas & Mexico sign the Treaties of Velasco.
  • 1836, Oct. 22; Sam Houston becomes first President of the Republic of Texas.
  • 1839; November; The Texas Congress first met in Austin, the frontier site selected for the capital of the Republic of Texas.
  • 1840, August 11; The Battle of Plum Creek, near present-day Lockhart, is fought between militia and Rangers of the Republic of Texas and a huge Comanche war party under Chief Buffalo Hump.
  • 1840, March 19; Texans kill 35 kill Comanche's San Antonio Council House Fight. The Texas Rangers, Militia suffered 7 killed and 10 wounded, most from friendly fire.
  • 1841, June 19; The Texan Santa Fe Expedition set out from Kenney's Fort near Austin for New Mexico. In md-September 1841, near Sante Fe, the Expedition is intercepted by Mexican forces and marched 2000 miles to prison in Mexico City.
  • 1841, December 13; Sam Houston is reelected as president of the Republic of Texas.
  • 1842, March 5; A Mexican force of over 500 men under Rafael Vasquez invaded Texas for the first time since the revolution. They briefly occupied San Antonio, but soon headed back to the Rio Grande.
  • 1842, September 11; San Antonio was again captured, this time by 1400 Mexican troops under Adri´n Woll. Again the Mexicans retreated, but this time with prisoners.
  • 1842; September 17; At the Battle of Salado Creek, Colonel Mathew Caldwell of the Texas Rangers leads just over 200 militiamen against 1,600 Mexican Army troops, commanded by Adri´n Woll, and Cherokee warriors and defeated them outside of San Antonio de Bexar along Salado Creek.
  • 1842, Fall; Sam Houston authorized Alexander Somervell to lead a retaliatory raid into Mexico.
  • 1842 November 25; 700 men under the command of Alexander Somervell leave San Antonio to punish the Mexican Army for raids in Texas. The Somervell Expedition recaptured Laredo and then, with a reduced force of 500, took the Mexican town of Guerrero. Without serious backing for the expedition from the Republic of Texas, Somervell ordered his men to disband and return home, but not all of the men obey the order todisband and stay.
  • 1842, December 20; Some 308 from the orginal 700 men of the Somervell force approach Ciudad Mier, they are unawar of a force of 3,000 Mexican troops were in the area under the command of Generals Francisco Mejia and Pedro de Ampudia. Th ill-fated Mier Expedition surrendered at the Mexican town of Mier.[8]
  • 1842, December 23; The Mier Expedition led by William S. Fisher cross the Rio Grande and entered the town of Ciudad Mier and demanded supplies from the town. They camped outside of the town. By December 25, a large detachment of Mexican troops arrived in Ciudad Mier and the two sides engage in a bloody battle that lasted almost 24 hours. The Texans sustained thirty casualties. They soon ran out of food, water, and ammunition. More than 200 Texans surrendered to Mexican forces, unaware that they had mauled the Mexican troops to an almost unbelievable degree, inflicting an astounding 800 casualties.[9]
  • 1842, December 29; After the Mexican invasion of Austin in March 1842, president Sam Houston orders officials in Austin, TX, to remove the records of the Republic of Texas to the city of Houston, touching off the bloodless Archives War.
  • 1843, March 25; After the men captured at Mier attempted to escape, President Antonio López de Santa Anna ordered that the recaptured prisoners, some 176 men, be put to death immediately. The governor of the state of Coahuila, Francisco Mexía, refused to carry out the order and pleaded with foreign ministers in Mexico City to persuade the president to change his mind. The order was changed to execution of every tenth man. Tthe prisoners were forced to draw from a jar containing 159 white beans and 17 black beans. At dusk that day, those unlucky enough to draw a black bean were shot to death, as was the leader of the escapees, Scottish-born, captain Ewen Cameronas, who led the escape attempt, and who had drawn a white bean.[10]
  • 1843, May 27; The Texan's Snively Expedition reached the Santa Fe Trail, expecting to capture Mexican wagons crossing territory claimed by Texas. The campaign stalled, however, when American troops intervened.
  • 1843, June; Sam Houston unilaterally declared a truce with Mexico, which was accepted the following month. [6]
  • 1845, December 29; U. S. President James Polk followed through on a campaign platform promising to annex Texas, and signed legislation making Texas the 28th state of the United States.
  • 1846, April; The Mexican-American War ignited as a result of disputes over claims to Texas boundaries. The outcome of the war fixed Texas' southern boundary at the Rio Grande River.
  • 1848, February 2; The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed. The treaty established the U.S.-Mexican border of the Rio Grande River, and ceded to the United States the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. In return, Mexico received US $18,250,000 ($461,725,000 [2011])—less than half the amount the U.S. had attempted to offer Mexico for the land before the opening of hostilities—and the U.S. agreed to assume $3.25-million ($82,225,000 [2011]) in debts that the Mexican government owed to U.S. citizens.[19]
  • 1850, November 25; In a plan to settle boundary disputes and pay her public debt, Texas relinquished about one-third of her territory in the Compromise of 1850, in exchange for $10,000,000 from the United States.
  • 1852, May ; The first Lone Star State Fair in Corpus Christi symbolized a period of relative prosperity in Texas during the 1850's. Organizer Henry L. Kinney persuaded Dr. Ashbel Smith to be the fair's manager.
  • April 1856 April 29; Backed by the US military, a shipment of 32 camels arrived at the port of Indianola. The resulting Texas Camel Experiment used the animals to transport supplies over the "Great American Desert."
  • 1860; Federal Census:[7]
    • State population = 604,2151
    • White population = 420,891 (69.66 % of state population)
    • African-American population = 182,921 (30.27 % of state population)
    • Slave population = 182,566 (99.81 % of African-American population)
    • Free black population = 355 (0.19 % of African-American population)

  • 1861, February 1; Texas seceded from the Federal Union following a 171 to 6 vote by the Secession Convention. Governor Sam Houston was one of a small minority opposed to secession.
  • 1861 - 1865 American Civil War. [More Information]
  • 1865, December 6; The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified by Georgia, thus officially abolishing slavery.
  • 1866; The abundance of Texas Longhorn cattle in south Texas and the return of Confederate soldiers to a poor reconstruction economy marked the beginning of the era of Texas trail drives to northern markets.
  • 1866, March 6; Texas rejoins the United States of America. Reconstruction continued, however, for another four years.
  • 1870; Fort Sam Houston is established in San Antonio, Texas.
  • 1874, January 17; Richard Coke is elected governor of Texas but incumbent governor, E. J. Davis disputes the election results and refused to relinquish his office. The Coke-Davis dispute ended peacefully in Austin as E. J. Davis relinquished the governor's office. Richard Coke began a Democratic Party dynasty in Texas that continued unbroken for over 100 years.
  • 1876, October 4; The opening of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas marked the state's first venture into public higher education. Tuition totaled $10.00 per semester.
  • 1883, September 15; The University of Texas opened its doors in Austin for its inaugural session. First courses were offered in the Academic Department and a Law Department.
  • 1888, May 16; The dedication of the present state capitol in Austin ended seven years of planning and construction. The building was funded with 3,000,000 acres of land in north Texas.
  • 1891, January 20; Based on a campaign platform calling for the regulation of railroads and big business, James Hogg took office as the first native-born governor of Texas.
  • 1896; Plessy v. Ferguson decision by U.S. Supreme Court establishes "separate but equal" doctrine in racial policy.
  • 1898, February 15; The USS Maine (ACR-1) exploded and sinks in Havana Harbor, Cuba.
  • 1898; Spanish-American War.


1900 - 2009




For more information about The History of Texas, visit the following sites:



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Matador, TX Weather Information



Monthly average highs and low temperatures and the average amount of precipitation for Matador, TX.
Data from WT_Meso Roaring Springs 3N, Roaring Springs.


 

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Annual

Avg. High

63.1 °

58.2 °

66.6 °

75.4 °

82.6 °

90.2 °

94.8 °

92.7 °

85.3 °

76.2 °

63.5 °

54.8 °

74.5 °

Avg. Low

27.3 °

31.6 °

38.4 °

47.0 °

56.5 °

65.4 °

69.6 °

68.2 °

60.7 °

50.1 °

38.0 °

29.7 °

48.5 °

Mean

40.2 °

44.9 °

52.5 °

61.2 °

69.6 °

77.8 °

82.2 °

80.5 °

73.0 °

63.2 °

50.8 °

42.3 °

61.5 °

Avg. Precip.

0.67 in

0.90 in

1.21 in

1.81 in

3.16 in

3.60 in

2.10 in

2.41 in

3.11 in

2.09 in

0.99 in

0.85 in

22.90 in





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Historical Weather data


I am still doing research on this weather history of the city.




TX Notable Severe Weather Events



Texas´ Weather History



Droughts[17]


Palmer Drought Severity Index
 D0: Abnormally Dry
 D1: Drought - Moderate
 D2: Drought - Severe
 D3: Drought - Extreme
 D4: Drought - Exceptional

  • 1913; Extreme droughts conditions existed in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and South Dakota. The drought in Texas ended by a major storm lasting from September 8 to 13, 1913.
  • 1916; Extreme droughts conditions existed along the Texas coast. A Major Storm lasting from March 31 and ending April 2, 1916 in South-Central and South Texas ended the drought.
    NOAA Drought March 1916

  • 1918; Research shows that in 1918 the surface waters over vast stretches of the eastern Pacific Ocean were unusually warm. This quasiperiodic climate pattern is called El Niño, and was the strongest of the 20th century.[20] The drought of 1918 was one of the worst drought in Texas modern history.
    • NOAA Drought August 1918

  • 1930 - 1936; The American Midwest and the Canadian prairie are in the gripes of the Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties. This period of severe dust storms, causes major ecological and agricultural damage. The Dust Bowl affected 100,000,000 acres and is centered on the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, and adjacent parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. Many Americans migrated west looking for work and were often known as "Okies", since so many came from Oklahoma. Some residents of the Plains, especially in Kansas and Oklahoma fall ill and die of dust pneumonia or malnutrition.[18]

    • NOAA Drought October 1934

  • 1950's; The 1950s drought was characterized by both low rainfall amounts and excessively high temperatures. Texas rainfall dropped by 40% between 1949-1951 and by 1953, 75% of Texas recorded below normal rainfall amounts. Excessive temperatures heated up cities like Dallas where temperatures exceeded 100°F on 52 days in the summer of 1953. Kansas experienced severe drought conditions during much of the five-year period, and recorded a negative Palmer Drought Severity Index from 1952 until March 1957, reaching a record low in September of 1956.

    Between 1949 and 1951, Texas rainfall dropped by 40% with75% of Texas recorded below normal rainfall amounts. Temperatures were also extremely high temperatures exceeded 100°F on 52 days in the summer of 1953. By 1954, the drought encompassed a ten-state area reaching from the mid-west to the Great Plains, and southward into New Mexico. The drought maintained a stronghold in the Great Plains, reaching a peak in 1956. The drought subsided in most areas with the spring rains of 1957.[21]

    • NOAA Drought September 1956

  • 2011; Most of Texas and Oklahoma, as well as parts of Louisiana, Kansas and New Mexico are suffering from extreme draught conditions. In 2011, the across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean, knowen as La Nina, is the sixth-strongest in records dating back to 1949.

    • NOAA Drought July 2011



For more information:

Tornadoes[15]



Enhanced Fujita Scale
EF0 EF1 EF2 EF3 EF4 EF5




  • 1896, May 15 - 27; The May 1896 tornado outbreak sequence produced at least two, or perhaps three F5 tornadoes as well as the third deadliest tornado ever in United States history. A total of 484 people were killed during the entire outbreak sequence that lasted from May 15 to May 27, 1896, by at least 20 different tornadoes which struck Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky and Michigan. On May 15 a tornado struck Sherman, TX, killing sixty people and injuring 150.
  • 1896, May; The May 1896 tornado outbreak sequence outbreak killed 484 people were killed during the entire outbreak sequence by at least 20 different tornadoes which struck Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky and Michigan. On May 15, 1896, 73 people were killed and nearly 300 others injured.
  • 1900, May 5-6; The Plains tornado outbreak occurred between May 5 and 6, 1900 and affected areas from Nebraska to Texas and Missouri. The press dubbed May 6th as the "day of the cyclones". There were at least 19 significate tornadoes and two that killed people.
  • 1902, May 18; The 1902 Goliad, Texas tornado outbrea, 1 violent, 3 killer tornadoes, killed 114 people and injured 250. At least 50 people were in the black United Methodist Church, none survived.
  • 1917, May 25 - June 7; The 1917 May-June tornado outbreak sequence was an eight-day tornado event that killed at least 382 people, mostly in the Midwestern and parts of the Southeastern United States. The states affected by this tornado outbreak were Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
  • 1922, May 4; The twin tornadoes that ripped through Austin, Texas on May 4, 1922 left thirteen dead and fifty people injured. The storm originally had one funnel cloud, that separated into two tornadoes. The east tornado tore through East Austin, Travis Heights, St. Edward's University, Penn Field, St. Elmo, and Manchaca. The western tornado thrashed the University of Texas campus, the State Institute for Deaf Dumb and Blind Colored Youths, Deep Eddy, and Oak Hill.
  • 1947, April 9-10; The 1947 Glazier-Higgins-Woodward tornadoes affected Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas on April 9, 1947. As many as 181 were killed and 970 injuring in this outbreak. The outbreak was responsible for the deaths of 17 in Glazier , TX, and another 51 in Higgins, Texas, on the Texas-Oklahoma border. An estimated 107 people were killed in Woodward, OK. The damage track in Woodward, OK, was two miles wide and destroyed 100 city blocks.
  • 1957, April 2; The April 1957 Dallas tornado outbreak struck most of the Southern United States from April 2 to the early hours of April 4, 1957, producing 50 tornadoes. Nineteen people were killed by this outbreak in three states, 1 in Mississippi, 6 in Oklahoma and 12 in Texas.
  • 1957, April 21; During the 1957 Lubbock tornado outbreak, there were six tornadoes (4 significant, 2 violent). No deaths were caused by this outbreak.
  • 1957 May 15; During the 1957 Silverton, Texas tornado outbreak there were 9 tornadoes (6 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer), killing 21 people and injuring 80. A eight-block-long swath was cut through the town of Silverton, TX.[23]
  • 1964, April 3 The 1964 Wichita Falls Tornado hit the north and northwest portions of Wichita Falls along with Sheppard Air Force Base during the afternoon of April 3, 1964. The tornado killed 7 people, injured 111, destroyed 225 homes and inflicted major damage at Sheppard Air Force Base. This was the first tornado ever captured on live television.[24]
  • 1970, May 11; On May 11, 1970, two tornadoes struck Lubbock, TX, a F1 and a F5. The F5 tornado hit the central business district. Twenty-six people were killed and approximately were 500 injured.
  • 1979, April 10-11; The 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak affected Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Nebraska, Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Alabama. Fifty nine tornadoes touched down dyring this outbreak including two F2´s and killing 58. On April 10, 1979 (known locally as "Terrible Tuesday") a F4 touched down in Wichita Fall, TX, killing 42 and injuring 1,800. The tornado left 20,000 people homeles. The 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak affected Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Nebraska, Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Alabama. Fifty nine tornadoes touched down during this outbreak including two F2´s and killing 58. On April 10, 1979 (known locally as "Terrible Tuesday") a F4 touched down in Wichita Fall, TX, killing 42 and injuring 1,800. The tornado left 20,000 people homeless.[25]
  • 1980, August 1; Hurricane Allen spawned a tornado that hit Austin, Texas, and caused $100 million in damage. This was costliest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado in recorded history.
  • 1982, May 11-12; The May 1982 Tornado Outbreak affected Oklahoma, and Texas. There were a total of 70 confirmed tornadoes, 14 that were significant. There were 2 fatalities due to this outbreak.
  • 1987, May 22; There were 3 tornadoes during the 1987 Saragosa, Texas tornado event, one was a F4. The F4 struck the Catholic Hall of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where a graduation ceremony for preschoolers was taking place killing 22. Eight others were killed elsewhere across the town.
  • 1987, November 15-16; The 1987 Arklatex tornado outbreak affected the Southeastern United States. There were 50 confirmed tornadoes, four rated as F3´s, killing 11, 10 in Texas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornadoes_of_1987
  • 1991, April 26-27; The 1991 Andover, Kansas tornado outbreak was a violent outbreak of 55 that affected Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Iowa, and Missouri. There were 4 F4´s and 1 F5. Thenf5 struck Sedgwick, Butler, Kansas killing 17. There were two deaths in Oklahoma, and 19 in Kansas.
  • 1994, April 25-27; The April 1994 tornado outbreak affected Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, New York and Kentucky. There were 101 tornadoes with two F2 and 6 fatalities, 3 of which were in the Lancaster/Hutchins, TX area.
  • 1996, April 19-22; The April 1996 Tornado Outbreak Sequence affected Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ontario, Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana, Quebec and Arkansas. There were 117 confirmed tornadoes with 11 F3s and six people were killed. In Arkansas there 2 deaths, 8 homes and a mobile home destroyed and a church was also damaged. Six people were injured. In the Ft. Smith, Oklahoma, area 2 people were killed, 498 homes were destroyed while 620 had major damage and 1275 had minor damage, 98 businesses were damaged or destroyed and 246 apartment units were damaged. 89 people were injured
  • 1997, May 27; The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak that affected Central Texas. There were 20 confirmed tornadoes, including 1 F4 and 1 F5. The F5 began as a weak pencil-like tornado near the Bell-Williamson County line, the funnel rapidly intensified into a 3/4 mile wide multi-vortex storm that struck the Jarrell, TX, area. There were 27 fatalities caused by the storm. The twister ripped asphalt off the roads and pulled grass and soil from the ground to a depth of 18 inches (46 cm) before dissipating near a wooded area outside Jarrell. His outbreak also claimed the lives of two others, one in the Cedar Park area and another in southof Lake Travis.
  • 1999, April 3; The Easter weekend 1999 tornado outbreak affected Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. There were 17 confirmed tornadoes, 3 F3s and 1 F4. The F4 traveled from northwest of Shreveport, LA, to north of Midway killing 7 people.
  • 2000, March 28; The Great 2000 Fort Worth Tornado moved eastward through the downtown area of Fort Worth, Texas. During the outbreak there were ten confirmed tornadoes, 2 of them were F3s. There were 2 deaths west of downtown Fort Worth and seven buildings collapse when a F3 struck the area. Another F3 caused $27 million damage in the Arlington/Grand Prairie area. The worst damage was at the municipal airport.
  • 2006, May 9; The May 2006 North Texas tornado affected Oklahoma and Texas. There were seven reported tornadoes, two of them severe, one of which was a killer that caused 3 fatalities.
  • 2007, March 28-31; The May 2007 Tornado Outbreak affected Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska and Illinois there were 123 confirmed tornadoes, 5 EF3s and one EF5. The EF5 struck Greensburg, Kansas killing eleven and destroying 95 ‰ the town. One other person was killed during this outbreak.
  • 2007, April 24; The 2007 Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass tornadoes were a deadly pair of tornadoes that struck the border cities of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, and Eagle Pass, Texas. There were 93 confirmed tornadoes, 2 EF3s and one EF4. There were seven fatalities in the US and three in Mexico.
  • 2008, May 22-25; The Late May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Minnesota, Ontario, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Manitoba. There were 235 confirmed tornadoes 11 EF3, one EF3 and 1 EF4. There were 12 fatalities during this outbreak. Here were 114 confirmed tornadoes in Kansas, 70 on May 23. Oklahoma had 14 tornadoes and there were 10 in Texas.
  • 2009, February 10-11; The February 2009 tornado outbreak affected Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan, Iowa, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. There were 15 confirmed tornadoes, one EF4. The EF4 struck SE of Grady, Oklahoma killing 8 people.
  • 2009, April 9-10; The April 2009 tornado outbreak affected Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kentucky, South Carolina and North Carolina. There were 85 confirmed tornadoes, 9 EF3s and 1 EF4. There were 5 deaths caused by this outbreak two in Tennessee and 3 in Arkansas. An EF3 tornado hit the Mena, Arkansas area killing three people; an EF4 tornado hit Murfreesboro, Tennessee killing two people.
  • 2010, April 22-24; The April 2010 tornado outbreak affected the Midwest, U.S. South, including Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. There were 88 confirmed tornadoes with 4 EF3s and 2 EF4s. There were ten fatalities and 146 injuries in Mississippi.
  • 2010, April 30 - May 2; The April-May 2010 tornado outbreak affected the Midwest, U.S. South, including Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. There were 60 confirmed tornadoes with 4 EF3s. Five people were killed from the tornadoes, three in Mississippi, one in Pocahontas, Tennessee and one in Scotland, Arkansas.
  • 2011, April 14-16; The April 14-16, 2011 tornado outbreak affected Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. There were 162 confirmed tornadoes, 14 EF3s and 43 fatalities.
  • 2011, April 25-28; The April 25-28, 2011 tornado outbreak affected Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. There were 334 confirmed tornadoes, 22 EF3s, 11 EF4s and 4 EF5s. There were 328 fatalities, 237 in Alabama, 6 in Arkansas, 14 in Georgia, 31 in Mississippi, 32 in Tennessee, and 4 in Virigina.
  • 2011, May 21-27; The May 21-27, 2011 tornado outbreak was a seven day event that affected Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Colorado, California, Louisiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Alabama. There were a total of 180 tornadoes, 3 EF 4s and 2 EF 5s. There were 172 fatalities related to this outbreak. 153 people were killed when an EF 5 struck the town of Joplin, Missouri (see 2011 Joplin tornado).


For more information:

Hurricanes


Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5


  • 1527, November; One of only two known tropical cyclones to have made landfall in Texas in November, a tropical cyclones destroys a merchant fleet on Galveston Island, killing at least 162 people and possibly up to 200.
  • 1553; During the year, a hurricane affects a Spanish treasure fleet near the coastline, quickly capsizing three vessels and displacing or wrecking thirteen others.
  • 1554; Another Spanish treasure fleet is affected by a hurricane, with three ships lost during the storm near South Padre Island, TX.
  • 1590, November; Thousands aboard ships are killed by a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico; it is unknown if the storm affected Texas, though meteorologist David Roth included the storm in his publication on Texas Hurricane History.
  • 1600, September 12; An offshore hurricane causes 60 fatalities.
  • 1615, August 30, 1615; A storm capsizes a ship offshore, killing all passengers aboard.
  • 1631, October 21; More than 300 lives are lost during a hurricane that moves through the Gulf of Mexico; it is unknown if the storm affected Texas, though meteorologist David Roth included the storm in his publication on Texas Hurricane History.
  • 1766, September 4; Galveston is struck by a hurricane which washes five treasure ships ashore. The storm produces a storm surge of around 7 feet (2.1 m), which causes flooding near the coastline. A mission on the lower Trinity River is destroyed.
  • 1791; Moving ashore along the southern Texas coastline, a hurricane floods South Padre Island and other surrounding areas. About 50,000 cattle are killed due to the flooding.
  • 1818, September 12; A hurricane floods Galveston Island up to 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, and also severely damages all but six buildings on the island. All ships near the island are seriously damaged or destroyed. The hurricane is the first known storm to affect the region in 21 years; the majority of the Texas coastline is uninhabited, until 1817 when privateer Jean Lafitte settles near Galveston for about five years. See: 1818 Atlantic hurricane season.
  • 1829, September 10; The southern coastline of Texas experiences heavy damage and flooding when a hurricane strikes near the mouth of the Rio Grande. This is the first tropical cyclone to affect the state in 11 years; throughout much of the 1820s, the region near the coastline becomes more populated, though most settlements are inland. None of the locations report a destructive storm during the time period. See: 1829 Atlantic hurricane season.
  • 1831, August 18; A hurricane hits near the mouth of the Rio Grande, causing further damage to areas affected by the storm two years prior.
  • 1834, September; A tropical cyclone affects the region near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
  • 1835, August 18; Considered among the severest storms on record in the region, a hurricane moves ashore in extreme southern Texas, which washes all ships ashore along Brazos Island. A ship in Matagorda Bay capsized during the storm, causing 14 deaths.
  • 1837, October; The Racer's Storm becomes the first hurricane on record to affect the entire Texas coastline. It first strikes near Brownsville on October 1, where it destroys most of the ships on Brazos Island. Turning northeastward into the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane approaches Galveston on October 6, bringing a storm tide of at least 6 ft (1.8 m) which floods all of Galveston Island. The storm destroys most of the buildings in Galveston, and across the coast, ships are washed ashore up to 3 miles (5 km) inland. It continues northeastward and leaves the state near Sabine Pass, after causing at least two deaths in the state.
  • 1838; A tropical cyclone is accompanied with high tides as it moves ashore near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
  • 1839, November 5; A hurricane makes landfall near Galveston, becoming one of only two hurricanes in November to hit Texas.
  • 1840; A tropical cyclone produces flooding and destroys buildings near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
  • 1842, September 8; After moving across the Gulf of Mexico, a storm moving ashore near the mouth of the Rio Grande brings heavy rainfall along its path.
  • 1843, September 17; A strong tropical storm hits near Galveston, which wrecks several buildings and houses from storm surge flooding. The storm kills 40 cattle when a house blows down. Damage is estimated at $10,000 (1842 USD, $220,000 2008 USD).
  • 1842, October 5; Galveston, is struck by another hurricane, with several buildings damaged or destroyed. The storm floods most of the island, though no lives are lost.
  • 1844, August 6; Moving ashore in the extreme southern portion of the state, a hurricane causes heavy damage, destroying most of the buildings near the coastline. On Brazos Island, the storm kills 70 people.
  • 1848, October 17; Another hurricane makes landfall near the mouth of the Rio Grande, which floods Brazos Island and causes above normal tides.
  • 1849, September 13; Southern Texas is struck by a hurricane, with some ships damaged by the storm.
  • 1886, Oct. 12; Hurricane Ten of the 1886 Atlantic hurricane season made landfall near the border between Louisiana and Texas. It caused 175-200 deaths due to the heavy rainfall and storm surge, with $250,000 in damage occurring.
  • 1900, September 8; Galveston
  • 1912, October 16; The sixth storm of 1912 made its second landfall just south of Corpus Christi, Texas as a Category 1. 15 people died and damage came to over $28,000.
  • 1915 Galveston hurricane
  • 1943, July 26; 1943 Surprise Hurricane
  • 1945, August 28 ; The fifth hurricane of the 1945 season landfall near Port Aransas in central Texas as a 140 mph (230 km/h) Category 4 hurricane. Towns from Freeport to Brownsville were subjected to hurricane force winds, causing around $20 million (1945 US dollars) in damages, and three deaths.
  • 1957, June 27; Hurricane Audrey made landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas on June 27, 1957, as a 145 mph (233 km/h) Category 4 hurricane. Audrey's 12-foot (3.7 m) storm surge devastated Cameron, Louisiana and Sabine Pass, TX, causing $150 million in damage. Audrey was responsible for at least 390 deaths, although other sources claim the number could be over 500. Audrey is ranked as the sixth deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland.
  • 1961, September 11; Hurricane Carla made landfall near Port Lavaca as a Category 4 hurricane. With an estimated central pressure of 931 mb at landfall, Carla was one of the largest and most intense hurricanes to strike the United States, and the strongest ever to hit Texas. Gusts as high as 170 mph (270 km/h) were estimated at Port Lavaca. Carla killed 31 people in Texas. The low death toll is credited to what was then the largest peacetime evacuation in United States history up until that time. One half million residents headed inland from exposed coastal areas. Carla caused a total of $325 million ($2.03 billion in 2005 USD) in damage.
  • 1967, September; Hurricane Beulah made landfall just north of the mouth of the Rio Grande as a Category 3 storm. highest sustained wind was reported as 136 MPH, recorded in South Padre Island, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Port Isabel. The lower Rio Grande Valley, the four county region that comprises deep south Texas, was inundated with torrential rains and strong winds. Gusts of over 100 MPH were recorded as far inland as the towns of McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, and Pharr, some fifty miles from the gulf coast. Beulah was a record tornado-producer (a record that would stand until 2004) that destroyed homes, commercial property, and inflicted serious damage on the region's agricultural industry. The Rio Grande Valley's citrus industry, based on cultivation of the famous "Ruby Red" grapefruit, was particularly hard hit. Padre Island, just off the Texas gulf coast, suffered significant devastation, and the island's sensitive ecosystem was altered by the storm. Within a 36 hour period it dropped almost 30 inches of rain in Beeville, Texas. Hurricane Beulah caused an estimated $1.1 billion (in 2000 dollars) in damage. Sources report 58-59 deaths from the storm.
  • 1971, September; Hurricane Edith caused tides up to 6' in Sabine Pass in 1971.
  • 1978, August 1; Tropical Storm Amelia amde lanfall in Corpus Christi, TX, with flooding rains, which led to the deaths of 30 people in Texas in late July 1978.
  • 1979, July 24-27; Tropical Storm Claudette produced torrential rains in both Texas and Louisiana when it made landfall. The highest total was reported in Alvin, Texas where 42 inches (1,100 mm) of rain fell. This remains the twenty-four hour rainfall record for any location in the United States.
  • 1980, August 10; Hurricane Allen made landfall near Brownsville, Texas as a category 3 hurricane. A wind gust of 140 miles per hour (230 km/h) was reported in Port Mansfield and up to 20 inches (510 mm) of rain fell in Kingsville. Allen caused seven deaths and an estimated $600 million (1980 USD).
  • 1983, August 18; Hurricane Alicia made landfall near Galveston as a category 3 hurricane causing $5.4 billion (2007 USD) in damage and twenty-one fatalities. Rainfall totals of at least 7 inches (178 mm) were reported in Southeast Texas with a maximum of 9.5 inches (241 mm) of rain in Liberty. The peak wind gust in Galveston was 102 miles per hour (164 km/h). Alica also caused twenty-three tornadoes.
  • 1988, September 17; Hurricane Gilbert makes landfall in northern Mexico and causes tides up to 5 feet (1.5 m) above normal. Isolated locations in West Texas received 7 inches (178 mm) of rain. 29 tornadoes were recorded across Texas with the worst damage being in San Antonio. Gilbert caused three deaths in Texas, with all three caused by tornadoes in San Antonio.
  • 1998, August; Tropical Storm Charley made landfall near Port Aransas. Serious inland flooding occurred in and around Val Verde Country and thirteen people reportedly died. Del Rio recorded 17 inches (43 cm) of rain in 24 hours from the storm, a record for the city and the most rainfall from a tropical cyclone in Texas since Tropical Storm Claudette in 1979.
  • 1999, August; Hurricane Bret made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane at Padre Island on August 23, becoming the first major hurricane to hit Texas since Hurricane Alicia
  • 2006, September 2; The remnants of Hurricane John, an East Pacific storm, cause moderate to heavy rainfall. In northern Texas, moisture from the storm combined with cold front produce moderate amounts of rainfall across the southwest United States, including a total of 8 inches (200 mm) in Whitharral and more than 3 inches in El Paso, Texas. The rainfall flooded many roads in southwestern Texas, including a ½ mile portion of I-10 in El Paso.



For more information:

Floods[16]



USGC - Flood Mark
  • 1853, June; Concho River Basin: The town of San Angelo was almost totally inundated by this flood, which probably produced the highest known peak on the Concho River at San Angelo.
  • 1869, July 3; Austin Vicinity: The greatest rain known in Austin (at least until 1921) began July 3 and lasted about 64 hours. Lower Austin, the towns of Webberville and Bastrop, TX, were inundated. Several people drowned.
  • 1880, May 27; South Texas: This storm caused the largest flood ever known in Brackettville; it inundated all of the city except parts of two hills. More than 20 people drowned.
  • 1880, August 14; South Texas: Extremely heavy rains rendered all streams impassable between San Antonio and the Rio Grande. The storm was Centered in Bexar Co., San Antonio.
  • 1880, September; West Texas: This storm caused severe flooding near Mason and the largest known peak on the Frio River at Uvalde. The town of Frio was inundated. The storm was Centered in Uvalde Co., Uvalde.
  • 1881, November; Rio Grande Basin: This storm caused the highest flood on the Rio Grande since 1848 and disastrous damage in Brackettville, Brownsville, and Matamoras. The storm was Centered in Kinney Co., Brackettville - Cameron Co., Brownsville.
  • 1882, August 23 to 24; Tom Green and Erath Counties: Substantial rainfall caused the South Concho River to crest 45 feet above normal. San Angelo was inundated and the town of Ben Ficklin was washed away except for the courthouse and jail. More than 50 people were reported drowned.
  • 1884, May 20 to 21; North-Central, Texas: Substantial rainfall caused the Trinity River at Fort Worth to overflow, inundating the bottomlands for a mile on either side and washing away a few cabins. The crest was the highest known since 1866. At Waco, the Brazos River crested at 32 feet as recorded by the USGS. Thirteen inches of rain were recorded.
  • 1884, June; Rio Grande Basin: This storm caused severe flooding from El Paso to Fort Quitman and caused $1 million in damage to railways. The storm was centered in El Paso Co., El Paso.
  • 1885, May 27 to 28; North-Central, Texas: Heavy rains from the 27th to the 28th caused extensive flooding on the Bosque and Brazos Rivers in Bosque and McLennan Counties. Bridges were washed out and homes and farmlands were inundated. The storm was centered in McLennan Co., Waco.
  • 1889, July 10; Del Rio Area: Heavy rainfall caused flooding in the Del Rio area and caused the Rio Grande to swell to over a mile wide at Del Rio. The storm was centered in Val Verde Co., Del Rio.
  • 1894, April 29 to May 1; Central Texas: A narrow band of 5-6 in. of rain from vicinity of Bandera, Kendall, Blanco, and Travis Counties to Lamar County caused minor flooding.
  • 1896, January 29 to February 2; Central and East Texas: The storm was centered at College Station in Brazos County where 10.34 in. of rainfall was recorded. The city of Marshall in Harrison County recorded 9.4 in.
  • 1896, September 25 to 27; About 7-9 in. of rain in the area of Goliad, Blanco, and Hearne caused major flooding in those areas.
  • 1889, June 28 to July 1; Central and East Texas: Rainfall centered over the Brazos River Basin averaged 17 in. over an area of about 7,000 miles². One storm center was in Robertson County near the city of Hearne, and another was in Coryell County. Hearne reported 34 in. of rain, and Turnersville reported 33 in. Long-time residents in the area described the flood on the Brazos River as the worst in their lifetime. As many as 35 people died, and damage was estimated at $9 million. . read more...
  • 1900, April 5 to 8; Panhandle and Central Texas: Substantial rainfall from the Rio Grande to the High Plains caused damage in the Colorado, Brazos, and Guadalupe River Basins. McDonald Dam on the Colorado River in Austin was destroyed. A wall of water claimed 23 lives and caused $1.25 million in damage in Austin
    • .
  • 1900, July 13 to 18; Central Texas: Heavy rainfall in the Guadalupe River Basin caused about a 75-year flood peak near Comfort, Texas. Galveston Co. recived 15.85 in. of rain while Kerr Co. received 13.28 in. The storm was centered in the Galveston Co. and Galveston Kerr Co., Kerrville area.
  • 1900, September 8 to 10; Galveston area; A destructive hurricane left no buildings untouched, and more than one-half of the city was demolished. Barometric pressure measured 27.64 mm Hg at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8. All rain and wind gages in the Galveston area were swept away. As many as 6,000 people lost their lives. The hurricane caused the Nation's greatest natural disaster. More information - 1900 Galveston hurricane.
  • 1900, September 20 to 23; North Texas: Storm was centered in Coleman County near the city of Coleman where 11.25 in. of rain was recorded in 48 hours. There was some loss of life and about $300,000 in property damage in the Brazos, Trinity, and Colorado River Basins.
  • 1913, December 1 to 6; Central and East Texas: Rainfall for the last 10 days of November averaged 4.21 in., Guadalupe River Basin; 3.74 in., Colorado River Basin; 3.53 in., Brazos River Basin; 2.98 in., Trinity River Basin; and 4.05 in., San Antonio River Basin. These rains laid the foundation for floods greater than any known at that time. Rains for first few days of December were more or less continuous but were heaviest Dec. 2-4. Rainfall Dec. 1-6 averaged 4.78 in., Guadalupe River Basin; 3.95 in., Colorado River Basin; 5.37 in., Brazos River Basin; 5.30 in., Trinity River Basin; and 2.94 in., San Antonio River Basin. About 85 percent of the rain fell Dec. 2-4. Flooding resulted in 177 deaths, and losses exceeded $8.5 million.
  • 1921, September 8 to 10; Central Texas: Heavy rainfall over a large area in Central Texas Sept. 8-10 produced peak discharges at several streamflow-gaging stations. Taylor in Williamson County recorded 23.98 in. during 35 hours, with 23.11 in. during 24 hours. Bucket surveys determined that Thrall had 32 in. of rain in 12 hours. Flooding caused the loss of at least 224 lives and resulted in property damage of more than $19 million. The storm was centered over Williamson Co., Taylor.
  • 1932, June 30 to July 2; Central Texas: Heavy rain June 30-July 3 on parts of the Nueces and Guadalupe River Basins produced historically significant peak discharges at several streamflow-gaging stations. Very heavy rain fell on the upper Guadalupe River Basin west of Kerrville June 30-July 2. This rain amounted to more than 35 in. during about 36 hours at the State Fish Hatchery above Ingram. Heavy rainfall also was recorded in the Frio and Medina River Basins. Rainfall of 14 in. was measured at Bandera, Lima, and Medina in the Medina River Basin. Vanderpool, at the headwaters of the Medina River, measured 33.5 in. July 1-2. The floods in the Frio River were the highest known at that time. The heaviest rainfall on the Frio River Basin was at Rio Frio in Real County, where 24 in. was recorded July 1-2. Flash floods were responsible for seven deaths.
  • 1932, August 30 to September 5; Most of Texas: Flooding was disastrous over much of Laredo, Piedras Negras, and Eagle Pass. Freestone Co. received 19.50 in of rain.
  • 1935, May 31; Seco Creek Basin: Heavy rainfall over the Seco Creek Basin above D'Hanis in early morning May 31 caused the creek to rise rapidly and reach the highest historical stage for D'Hanis. There were no rain gages in the basin during the storm, and receptacles ordinarily used for measuring rainfall ran over or were washed away. Bucket surveys estimated that 22-24 in. of rain fell over a small area, and that 12-14 in. fell at other points during 3 hours or less. The National Weather Service reports that a maximum of 22 in. of rain fell in 2 hours and 45 minutes. An average amount of more than 9 in. fell on the entire 80-mi² watershed.Four children and one woman drowned. Damage to railroad and highways was estimated at $48,500.
  • 1935, June 10 to 15; Central Texas: Heavy rain over the Colorado and Nueces River Basins caused flooding greater than any known before. The Llano and West Nueces Rivers experienced extraordinary floods. There were few official rain gages in the area, but unofficial records were compiled from many sources. Heavy rain of 4-12 in. fell during 24 hours.
  • 1936, June 30 to July 4; Texas: Rain fell June 30-July 4 on parts of the Rio Grande Basin and the Nueces, Guadalupe, Colorado, and Neches River Basins. The rain produced large peak discharges at several streamflow-gaging stations. Heavy rain, amounting to 17 in., was recorded at Eagle Pass in the Rio Grande Basin. Rainfall of more than 10 in. was recorded in the Neches River Basin at Rockland in Tyler County. The heaviest recorded rainfall was in central Guadalupe River Basin. Maximum recorded storm rainfall was 21.0 in. at Bebe in Gonzales County 1:00 a.m. June 30 to 1:00 p.m. July 1. Severe flooding in central Guadalupe River Basin caused 26 deaths and estimated property damage of more than $2 million.
  • 1936, September 13 to 18; Sandy and Walnut Creeks in the Colorado River Basin reached the highest stages known at the time. Rainfall exceeded 30 in. Sept. 13-18 at some locations in a large part of the Concho River Basin. In the vicinity of Fort McKavett in Menard County, more than 10 in. of rain fell Sept. 13-16. At the headwaters of Terrett Draw, about 10 mi south of Fort McKavett, 21-25 in. fell noon Sept. 15 to noon Sept. 16. A very heavy rain of 8-30 in., with 14 in. during about 2.5 hours at one location, fell on the North Llano River Basin Sept. 13-16. The maximum storm rainfall of 30.0 in. was recorded at Broome in Sterling County from 1:00 a.m. Sept. 15 to 7:00 p.m. Sept. 17. San Angelo in Tom Green County had extensive damage—about 300 buildings were washed away. Much of the business district and 500 homes in San Angelo were flooded.
  • 1936, September 16 to 17; Sterling County: The storm was centered over Broome in Sterling County. Broome recorded 23.5 in. during the 18-hour period 9:00 p.m. Sept. 16 to 3:00 p.m. Sept. 17
  • 1938, July 16 to 25; Middle Colorado River Basin: Floods were caused by heavy rains that centered over the San Saba River, South Concho River, and Brady Creek watersheds. Maximum recorded rainfall was 13 in. July 23 at two places, 8 and 10 mi north of Eldorado in Schleicher County. Eldorado recorded 30 in. July 16-25. About 70 locations had 20 in. or more. Parts of 12 counties were inundated. Six people were reported drowned, and property and crop losses were estimated at $5 million.
  • 1948, June 23 to 24; Rio Grande Watershed: Intense storms were centered along the divide between the Devils River and the tributaries lying immediately to the east June 23-24. The rain began during the morning June 23 and continued into the next day, with the most intense rain early morning June 24. The storm had three separate storm centers, each receiving 24 in. or more rain in less than 24 hours.
  • 1952, September 9 to 11; Guadalupe and Lower Colorado River Basins: Two to 26 in. of rain fell on a 25,000-mi2 area that formed a 100-mi-wide belt extending from Corpus Christi northwestward for 250 mi. Storm totals of 20-26 in. were concentrated in a small area in Blanco and Kendall Counties. Hye in Blanco County recorded 23.55 in. during 48 hours, with 20.70 in. during one 24-hour period. Five people were killed and the flood caused an estimated $17 million in damage.
  • 1954, June 24 to 29; Lower Rio Grande Basin: Hurricane Alice ( Category 1) moved inland from the Gulf of Mexico June 24. The heaviest rainfall recorded was on the Pecos River below Sheffield and its tributary, Howards Creek. On Johnson Draw (a tributary of the Devils River), a large part of the town of Ozona was severely flooded, and several people drowned. As much as 34 in. of rain was observed at two centers 22 and 40 mi north of Langtry. An unknown number of lives were lost in the floodwaters, particularly at Piedras Negras, Mexico, opposite Eagle Pass, Texas.
  • 1957, April to June; Texas and Adjacent States; Total rainfall on much of the eastern two-thirds of Texas for the 3-month period exceeded that normally recorded for a 12-month period. These rains effectively broke the infamous 1950s drought.
  • 1961, September 10 to 12; Gulf Coast: The eye of Hurricane Carla (Category 5) crossed the Texas coastline at 3:00 p.m. Sept. 11. Relatively low-intensity rain fell the entire 3-day period. Storm rainfall was 15.32 in. at Galveston, and 11.66 in. at Conroe. At least 32 people lost their lives. Damage from this destructive storm was an estimated $408 million.
  • 1966, April 22 to 29; Northeast Texas: The storm produced 20-26 in. of rain in parts of Wood, Smith, Harris, Upshur, Gregg, Marion, and Harrison Counties during the 8-day period Apr. 22-29. Most of the rain fell during a 72-hour period Apr. 22-25. The heaviest rains were centered over the Gilmer-Harleton area. At Gladewater, 22.74 in. fell during 60 hours. At least 25 persons lost their lives in the flood. Total damage was estimated at $12 million.
  • 1967, September 19 to 25; South Texas: Rainfall produced by Hurricane Beulah (Category 5) caused floods of record-breaking magnitude on many streams in a 50,000 mi2 area of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico in September and October. The hurricane crossed the Texas coastline near Brownsville about daybreak Sept. 20 and dissipated in the mountains of northern Mexico Sept. 22. During Sept. 19-25, as much as 25.5 in. of rain was measured at Falls City in Karnes County. Unofficial measurements were as much as 34 in. on the Nueces River Basin. The rains produced historically significant peak discharges at several streamflow-gaging stations. The storm covered about 39 counties in Texas, causing 44 deaths and $145 million in damages.
  • 1970, May 14 to 15; San Marcos Vicinity: This storm produced at least 18 inches and caused two deaths and about flooded 400 homes in the San Marcos area... Read More ..
  • 1972, May 11 to 12; New Braunfels: During a 4-hour period, 16 in. of rain fell in the San Marcos area in Hays and Caldwell Counties.The National Weather Service reports that about 12 in. of rain fell in about 1 hour. Seventeen lives were lost to the rampaging floodwaters that inundated 400 homes and caused about $17.5 million in damages.
  • 1973, June 12 to 13; Southeast Texas: massive storm in the area of Houston, Liberty, and Conroe produced 10-15 in. of rain. About 10 deaths occurred and about $50 million in damages.
  • 1976, June 15; South Houston: The majority of rain fell on a small area. Hunting Bayou at Loop 610 recorded 10.2 in. during 6 hours. Floodwaters caused eight deaths and damages exceeded $25 million.
  • 1978, August 1 to 4; Central Texas: Rain initiated by the remnants of Tropical Storm Amelia fell over Central Texas Aug. 1- 4. Rainfall of more than 48 in. near Medina in Bandera County established a U.S. record of extreme point rainfall for a 72-hour period. A second storm resulted from the interaction of a cold front with a maritime air mass producing 32.5 in. at Albany in Shackelford County, with 23 in. during the 8 hours ending 2:00 a.m. Aug. 4. Major flooding occurred on the Medina and Guadalupe Rivers. Thirty-three lives were lost, and total damages reportedly exceeded $110 million.
  • 1979, April 18 to 21; Parts of Upper Coast: Some of the worst flooding ever to hit Montgomery County resulted from rains Apr. 18 that totaled 12 in. or more in less than 12 hours. About 10 in. was recorded during 3 hours at Splendora. As much as 14 in. was recorded in the vicinity of Conroe during an 8-hour period beginning just before dawn. Almost 2,000 residents were evacuated from their homes. The storm caused $50 million of damages in Conroe and another $50 million in other parts of Montgomery County.
  • 1979, July 24 to 28; East Texas and Upper Coast: Continuous, torrential rains fell in the eastern upper coast and southeastern Texas for almost 48 hours causing major flooding that closed streets and highways and forced hundreds of residents from their homes. Rainfall totals of 10-20 in. for 2 and 3 days were common. Alvin in Brazoria County recorded the maximum 24-hour rainfall on record for the United States of 43 in.
  • 1980, August 5 to 12; Southeast Texas: Almost all of the southern one-fourth of Texas had at least 5 in. of rain from Hurricane Allen. Three-day rainfall totals exceeding 15 in. were reported in parts of Jim Wells and Hidalgo Counties and around Aransas Pass. Three people drowned in the storm surge, and damage to property was estimated at $650-700 million.
  • 1980, September 5 to 10; Central and East Texas: Tropical Storm Danielle produced torrential rains over a large part of Texas. Jefferson and Orange Counties had 12-16 in. of rain. In Kimble County, downpours of 25 in. caused massive flooding along the Llano River. The San Angelo area in Tom Green County had 5-9 in. of rain. The effects of Danielle were felt as far west as Big Bend National Park, where 4-8 in. fell. Floodwaters damaged about 900 homes, 175 businesses, and hundreds of automobiles. Kimble, Mason, Menard, and Llano Counties had damages totaling $20 million.
  • 1981, May 24 to 25; Austin Vicinity: A short-duration, intense rainfall caused the worst flooding since 1935 on many of the small watersheds in and around Austin. The rainfall began at 9:30 p.m. May 24 and ended shortly before midnight May 25. Some locations had more than 10 in. of rain during 4 hours. Thirteen people drowned in flash flooding, and property damage was reported at $35.5 million. .. read more...
  • 1981, October 10 to 14; North-Central Texas and Oklahoma: The storm extended in a southwest-to-northeast direction from near Abilene to near McAlester, Okla. Maximum recorded rainfall was 23 in. during 34 hours about 5 mi north of Clyde, Tex. Numerous areas reported rains exceeding 10 in. Six lives were lost, and damage was about $115 million.
  • 1984, October 19; Jim Wells, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio Counties: Strong thunderstorms along a stationary front north of Corpus Christi produced heavy downpours Oct. 19 that resulted in serious flash flooding. Odem in San Patricio County had an unofficial total of 25 in. during a 3.5-hour period, making the event one of the largest depths for this duration in the United States. .. read more...
  • 1987, May 29 to June 13; South-Central Texas: Two weeks of intense rainfall in south-central Texas caused flooding in the Medina, Colorado, Guadalupe, and San Antonio River Basins. ...read more...
  • 1987, July 16 to 17; Hill Country: During the evening July 16 and early morning July 17, storms produced flash floods across seven counties north and northwest of San Antonio. Heavy rains in Kerrville began at 4:00 a.m., and by dawn 3.3 in. had fallen. As much as 11.50 in. of rain fell at Hunt, with 5-10 in. on surrounding areas. Flooding caused tragic loss of life when a church bus filled with 39 teenagers and 4 adults was swept into a raging river. Ten persons drowned and the remaining 33 were rescued by helicopter. ...read more...
  • 1989, May 16 to 19; Upper Coast and North Texas: Houston Intercontinental Airport recorded 10.28 in. May 17-18. Spring recorded more than 15 in. during a 24-hour period May 17-18. Widespread rains caused flooding that resulted in five deaths and total damages of about $50 million. ...read more...
  • 1989, June 26 to July 7; Southwest Texas: Tropical Storm Allison caused torrential rains of 10-15 in. from Houston to Beaumont. Houston Intercontinental Airport recorded 10.34 in. during 24 hours.
  • 1991, December 18 to 23; Central Texas: Record-breaking peak discharges were recorded at several streamflow-gaging stations in a large area of central Texas Dec. 18-23. Daily rainfall totals exceeded 4 in. at numerous locations. Maximum recorded 24-hour rainfall was 8.6 in., and maximum recorded 12-hour rainfall was 7.3 in., both at Evant in Coryell County. Medina had 15.59 in. during 5 days. Ten deaths were attributed to the flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency dispensed about $43 million. ...read more...
  • 1994, October 15 to 19; Southeast Texas: A tropical, mid-latitude rainfall of unusual proportion on a 30- to 35-county area of southeast Texas resulted in catastrophic flooding. The intense rainfalls totaled more than 25 in. at several locations and more than 8 in. on much of southeast Texas. Flooding caused 18 deaths and property damage was estimated to be about $700 million.
  • 1995, May 29; Montgomery County: Up to 19 in. of rainfall caused flooding on Cypress and Spring Creeks and the West and East Forks of San Jacinto River. About 16,000 homes were damaged and 22 flood deaths were reported. ...read more...
  • 1998, October 17 to 18; South-Central Texas: Up to 30 in. of rainfall occurred in a 2-day period—about 5,000 mi2 in parts of 19 counties received at least 8 in. of rain. Thirteen streamflow-gaging stations in the Guadalupe and San Antonio River Basins recorded peak discharges equal to or greater than the 100-year peak and record-breaking peak discharges were recorded at 11 of the stations. Thirty-two lives were lost and property damage was estimated to be $500 million. ...read more...
  • 2001, June 6 to 9; Southeast Texas: Twenty-seven counties were declared federal disaster areas after as much as 36 in. of rainfall from Tropical Storm Allison fell on the area. Twenty-three deaths occurred. Damages claimed at least 5,000 buildings, about 10,000 homes, and were assessed at about $5 billion dollars.


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References


  1. ^ North Carolina Museum of History   [Online] http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/nchh/amerindian.html
     •Lone Star Junction   [Online] http://www.lsjunction.com/events/events.htm
  2. ^ Arney and Friend - Western Website for Kids   [Online] http://www.dorpexpress.com/Arney/Texas_History.html
     •Lone Star Junction   [Online] http://www.lsjunction.com/events/events.htm
  3. ^ Wikipedia - Spanish missions in Texas   [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_missions_in_Texas
  4. ^ Lone Star Junction: Massacre at Goliad   [Online] http://www.lsjunction.com/events/goliad_m.htm
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  5. ^ Lone Star Junction: Battle of San Jacinto   [Online] http://www.lsjunction.com/events/jacinto.htm
     • SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS: Battle of San Jacinto   [Online] http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/batsanjacinto.htm
  6. ^ Texas State Library and Archives: Texas Annexation - 1843: Britain Makes Its Move  [Online] http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/annexation/part3/page1.html
     • OCCUPATION OF THE WEST AND THE MEXICAN WAR 1821-1843 [pdf]  [Online] http://www.mysocialstudiesclass.com/THEMEXICANWAR.pdf
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     • Lone Star Junction: The Mier Expedition  [Online] http://www.lsjunction.com/events/mier.htm
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     • Bradley, James. Flyboys. Back Bay Books, Little, Brown and Company. © 2003. pp. 192-199
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     • The Oswald Timeline   [Online] http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/oswald.htm
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     • JFK Kennedy Assassination - Zapruder film   [Online] http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9ea91_jfk-kennedy-assassination-zapruder_news
     • Wikipedia: Single bullet theory   [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_bullet_theory
  15. ^ Wikipedia: List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks   [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_tornadoes_and_tornado_outbreaks
  16. ^ USGS: Major and Catastrophic Storms and Floods in Texas   [Online] http://www.floodsafety.com/texas/USGSdemo/date.htm
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     • NOAA, National Climatic data Center, Historical Palmer Drought Indices   [Online] http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/drought/historical-palmers.php
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     • Farming in the 1930: Dust Bowl  [Online] http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.html
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     • Times Record News: Twisted memories by Lynn Walker   [Online] http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2008/apr/02/twisted-memories/
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      [Online] Texas Escapes - http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/MatadorTexas.htm
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