Childress County, TX Environment & Hazard Risk

• DroughtRelatively High$2.34M/yr expected annual loss, about 123 events a year
• Strong windRelatively High$1.77M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.0 events a year
• HailRelatively Moderate$608K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.2 events a year
• WildfireRelatively Low$104K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 330 years
• Ice stormRelatively Low$91.92K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• Winter weatherRelatively Low$54.99K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.7 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Low$475K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• LandslideVery Low$149/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years
• Heat waveVery Low$69.16K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
• EarthquakeVery Low$31.42K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,267 years
• Cold waveVery Low$229K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.4 events a year
• HurricaneVery Low$4,599/yr expected annual loss, about once every 144 years
• LightningVery Low$29.88K/yr expected annual loss, about 48 events a year

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

1 of 2,739 (0.0%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

0

Flood claims since 1978

1

Claims paid since 1978

$7,800

• Hail153
• Thunderstorm Wind127
• Drought105
• High Wind57
• Winter Weather37
• Winter Storm14
• Tornado8
• Flood7
• Heavy Rain4
• Flash Flood4

• Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind06/16/2008

  Childress, Childress County

  6 injured, $17M damage

  What happened

  An extreme convective wind event combined with large hail resulted in widespread and significant damage in the Childress vicinity during the evening hours of Father's Day the 15th.||The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site northeast of the city initially recorded a 58 mph wind gust at 19:33 CST. By 19:35 CST winds at the mesonet site had increased to 80 mph. Witnesses described that rain from the storm, which had approached from the northwest, had come to an ended and that the storm appeared to have passed without incident. A rapid onset of damaging winds and hail, however, then struck from the east. ||A National Weather Service disaster assessment found eye witness descriptions to be consistent with the resultant damage patterns and photographic evidence, which conclusively indicated that a series of wet microbursts impacted the surface east-northeast of Childress. Extreme outflow winds, estimated to approach 100 mph, spread westward across the city as they diverged from the epicenter of the downbursts. In addition to photo and video evidence of multiple microburst occurrences, the cyclic nature of the downbursts was measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas...

• Dust Storm07/04/2017

  Childress

  2 deaths, 2 injured, $70K damage

  What happened

  A blinding dust storm struck southeast Childress County late this night in advance of a strong thunderstorm. As the dust storm enveloped Highway 287 near Kirkland, many motorists slowed to a crawl or stopped, but remained in their lane of travel. A semi trailer approaching from behind was unable to stop in time and crashed into a car, which proceeded to pile into another car. The two occupants of the first car were killed when their vehicle caught fire. Drivers of the semi trailer and second car received minor injuries.

• Drought03/01/2009

  Childress

  $10M damage

  What happened

  Despite a wet summer and early fall of 2008, precipitation was scarce over the west Texas South Plains region from late October 2008 through March 2009. Severe (D2) drought developed over the Rolling Plains during late January and persisted through March. A round of light precipitation fell over the Rolling Plains on 13-14 March, but only provided one quarter to three-quarters of an inch at most locations. Thus these rains did little to curb the ongoing drought, with most communities across the eastern South Plains and Rolling Plains at only 15% to 25% of their long term precipitation averages during the November-December-January-February-March time frame. This follows the driest December-February period on record across the state of Texas.||Soils and grasses across the Rolling Plains remained very dry during March, and conditions had precluded the planting of some cool season crops including winter wheat. Local agricultural officials report that many South Plains cotton farmers planted wheat following last spring's cotton losses which were brought on by persistent blowing dust and hail. Most, if not all, of those wheat crops were lost during the recent drought. ||State...

• TornadoF2, 1.5 mi path, 175 yd wide05/10/2006

  Childress, Childress County

  1 injured, $5.7M damage

  What happened

  A tornado resulted in significant (F2) damage along a one and half mile path through the north side of Childress during the evening hours of the 9th. The tornado developed in a residential are of northwest Childress at 20:30 CST. Damage in the neighborhood was characterized as weak, with numerous downed trees, street signs, and damaged roofs. A resident was injured when a tree fell and struck him, breaking his arm and causing minor lacerations.The tornado then moved east toward the high school. Damage to the high school was extensive. A local television network, KVII-TV in Amarillo, operates an automated weather station on the campus as part of a regional school net. The instrument measured a 109 MPH wind gust as the tornado ripped through the facility at 20:32 CST. Damage at Childress High School was rated F1, with large brick walls blown inn and portions of the building's roof removed. The gymnasium was declared a total loss.The tornado intensified as it continued to move east across Fair Park. A large industrial building used to house city owned emergency vehicles was completely destroyed, with extensive damage to the fleet of vehicles that were parked inside. A tennis court...

• Thunderstorm Wind89 kt wind07/30/2009

  (Cds)childress Arpt, Childress County

  3 injured, $2M damage

  What happened

  A complex of severe thunderstorms produced extreme winds and resulted in significant damage in the Childress vicinity during the 21:00 CST hour of the 29th. The Automated Surface Observing System at the Childress Municipal Airport recorded a 102 mph thunderstorm wind gust at 21:29 CST. The nearby Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet recorded a series of severe gusts between 21:35 CST and 21:45 CST, with a peak gust of 80 mph at 21:40 CST. ||Damage across the northwestern half of the city was extensive. Three people were injured when the walls of a motel collapsed just off of U.S. Highway 287. Two other hotels sustained heavy damages. Minor roof damage was additionally reported at the Childress Regional Medical Center and the Childress High School.

• Hail2.5" hail05/22/1996

  Childress, Childress County

  $3.1M damage

• Thunderstorm Wind87 kt wind08/01/2026

  Kirkland, Childress County

• Thunderstorm Wind58 kt wind07/31/2026

  (Cds)childress Arpt, Childress County

• Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind07/18/2026

  Childress, Childress County

• Hail1.75" hail06/23/2026

  Childress, Childress County

• Thunderstorm Wind51 kt wind06/23/2026

  Childress, Childress County

• Hail1" hail06/12/2026

  Childress, Childress County

• Thunderstorm Wind54 kt wind05/15/2026

  Childress, Childress County

• Thunderstorm Wind62 kt wind04/01/2026

  (Cds)childress Arpt, Childress County

• City of ChildressServes 6,105 · Purchased surface water · Local government5 health violations+14 monitoring or reporting
• Rra Tell Cee Vee WsServes 534 · Purchased surface water · Local government2 health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• Rra Northeast ChildressServes 316 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
• Rra Carey Northfield WsServes 183 · Purchased surface water · Local government2 health violations
• Rra Garden Valley WsServes 125 · Purchased surface water · Local government1 health violation
• Rra Kirkland LazareServes 119 · Purchased surface water · Local government5 health violations
• Rra Saied WsServes 68 · Purchased surface water · Local government1 health violation