Runnels County, TX Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 488 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $6.97M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 488
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 10
- 0.2% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 26.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively High
Score 69.7 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 50.9 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.47B · Agriculture value exposed: $68.78M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $9.16M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$989K/yr expected annual loss, about 44 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$823K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.2 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$920K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.0 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Low$169K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 470 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$794K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$45.69K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.8 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$747K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Heat waveVery Low$158K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.9 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$100K/yr expected annual loss, about 47 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$14.41K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 174 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$11.64K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,155 years
- Ice stormVery Low$5,286/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- LandslideVery Low$9/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
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.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 10 of 4,268 (0.2%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 6
- Claims paid since 1978
- $140K
Flood claims paid per year
- Hurricane Harvey$101K · 1 claim
- Tropical Storm Paul$23.9K · 2 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 488 events, 2 deaths, $47.07M in damage
- Hail227
- Thunderstorm Wind91
- Drought63
- Flash Flood27 · 1 death
- Tornado17
- Winter Weather17 · 1 death
- Winter Storm11
- Flood7
- Heavy Snow7
- Ice Storm4
Events per year
54 tornadoes on record (EF0 3, EF1 1, EF2 1, EF3 2, F0 18, F1 10, F2 14, F3 3).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Cold/Wind Chill02/14/2021
Runnels
$16.8M damage
What happened
San Angelo ASOS reported reported wind chill readings of -10 to -16 degrees. Runnels County reported damage to roads and bridges, infrastructure and public utility systems.
- Thunderstorm Wind05/25/2002
Winters, Runnels County
$15M damage
What happened
Very high thunderstorm winds along with baseball size hail produced widespread damage across the town of Winters. Numerous windows were broken out by the wind and hail. Numerous trees were also reported blown down by the high winds.
- Winter Weather12/27/2017
Runnels
1 death, $7,000 damage
What happened
A motorist lost control of his vehicle, about 4 miles northwest of Wingate on U.S. Highway 277. His truck slid off the road and hit an oak tree. Widespread freezing fog and drizzle fell, resulting in areas of ice on area roadways and bridges.
- Flash Flood09/03/2024
Miles, Runnels County
1 death
What happened
Law Enforcement received a call of a fatality from flash flooding. A man was swept away by swiftly flowing water.
- Drought08/01/1998
Runnels
$8M damage
What happened
The devastating drought of 1998 that began when little or no rain fell during the normally wet spring months continued through the end of summer. The two main crops across the area, wheat and cotton, were both near total losses, with additional losses to the cattle, sheep, and goat industries. Preliminary loss figures top $150 million dollars.
- TornadoEF3, 18.01 mi path, 1,760 yd wide05/18/2019
Miles, Runnels County
$6M damage
What happened
This long track EF-3 Tornado damaged or destroyed several homes and outbuildings. |It snapped tree trunks and even swept one home completely off its foundation. The tornado wrapped a woman in carpet and threw her for 150 feet. Thankfully, she survived with minimal injuries. This tornado was multi-vortex at times as it also remained mostly in rural areas. It even lodged a steel C-Purlin into a branch of a Mesquite tree at the Ballinger Country Club. This tornado destroyed the Ballinger High school Baseball field and threw a steel axle into the water tower and punctured it, causing all of the water to drain. This tornado affected 30 homes and destroyed six homes.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Hail1.75" hail05/19/2026
Rowena, Runnels County
- Hail1.25" hail05/19/2026
Miles, Runnels County
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind05/10/2026
Ballinger, Runnels County
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind05/10/2026
Ballinger, Runnels County
- Hail3.25" hail05/10/2026
Hatchel, Runnels County
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind05/10/2026
Ballinger, Runnels County
- Hail1.75" hail05/10/2026
Winters Muni Arpt, Runnels County
- Hail1.75" hail04/16/2026
Miles, Runnels County
Drinking water
5 community water systems serve about 10,078 people. Violations since 2021.
5 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 4 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- City of BallingerServes 3,583 · Surface water · Local government8 health violations+14 monitoring or reporting
- North Runnels WscServes 2,766 · Purchased surface water · Local government2 health violations+8 monitoring or reporting
- City of WintersServes 2,281 · Surface water · Local government1 health violation+69 monitoring or reporting
- City of MilesServes 920 · Purchased surface water · Local government1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
- Rowena WscServes 528 · Purchased surface water · Local government21 health violations+50 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Ballinger 2 NW, 6.7 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 96°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 31°F in Jan. About 23.4 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 0.6 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 31°F | 1.01 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 35°F | 1.52 in | 0.2 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 43°F | 1.79 in | - |
| Apr | 79°F | 51°F | 1.56 in | - |
| May | 86°F | 61°F | 3.08 in | - |
| Jun | 92°F | 69°F | 3.07 in | - |
| Jul | 96°F | 72°F | 1.67 in | - |
| Aug | 95°F | 71°F | 2.41 in | - |
| Sep | 88°F | 64°F | 2.57 in | - |
| Oct | 79°F | 53°F | 2.20 in | - |
| Nov | 68°F | 42°F | 1.45 in | - |
| Dec | 60°F | 33°F | 1.04 in | 0.2 in |
| Year | 65°F average | 23.4 in | 0.6 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 2 toxic release facilities in Runnels County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Mueller Supply Co Inc.97.7 lbs released, Ballinger
- Buddy's Plant Plus Corp3.7 lbs released, Ballinger
Total: 101 lbs in 2024, 101 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk4 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Runnels County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Runnels County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $6.97M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), hail (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Runnels County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 488 storm events affecting Runnels County, most often hail (227), thunderstorm wind (91), drought (63).
- How many tornadoes have hit Runnels County?
- 54 tornadoes have been recorded in Runnels County since 1950, including 5 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Runnels County have flood insurance?
- 10 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Runnels County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $140K on 6 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Runnels County?
- At Ballinger 2 NW, average highs reach 96°F in Jul and lows fall to 31°F in Jan, with 23.4 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.