Kent County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Texas Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Kent County is about the same as Texas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Kent County is much lower than Texas average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #26
| Kent County | 0.07 |
| Texas | 0.04 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Kent County | 0.0000 |
| Texas | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #151
| Kent County | 114.78 |
| Texas | 208.58 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 9,803 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Kent County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 2 | Cold: | 5 | Dense Fog: | 1 | Drought: | 68 |
| Dust Storm: | 7 | Flood: | 638 | Hail: | 6,177 | Heat: | 6 | Heavy Snow: | 23 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 12 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 77 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,583 | Tropical Storm: | 1 | Wildfire: | 11 | Winter Storm: | 28 | Winter Weather: | 45 |
| Other: | 119 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Kent County.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Kent County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 10.7 | 1978-06-16 | 5.3 | 10 | 33.03 | -100.77 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 32 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Kent County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 7.1 | 2005-06-12 | 2 | 33°15'N / 100°39'W | 33°14'N / 100°41'W | 2.00 Miles | 1200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 15K | Kent |
| Brief Description: The National Weather Service in Lubbock, TX conducted a damage survey in Kent County, approximately 8 miles to the northeast of Clairemont. In collaboration with the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, CO and Texas Tech University meteorologists assessing the tornadoes across the county with Doppler-On-Wheels (DOW) data, a better understanding of the wind fields and tornado timing was achieved. The area of assessed damage was bounded by a triangle comprised of FM2320 to the south, FM1228 to the east, and CR112 to the west. There was a damage path characterized by tree damage across the zone. The path of the damage was oriented from a northeast-east to southwest-west direction. DOW data confirmed the large, wedge tornado initially propagated to the east and northeast, became nearly stationary, then rotate southward around the west side of the parent mesocyclone. The tornado moved to the southwest, then south and crossed FM1228 from the north/northeast to the south/southwest. The path of the tornado was between 0.6 to 0.7 miles wide. In assessing the damage, a circulatory patter was evident in a wheat field owned by a private farmer, with all of the wheat laying down to the south. Along this quadrant of the circulation, large farm equipment (tractors and cotton trailers) were tossed and mangled. An 80,000 lb box car was shaken by the tornado and the associated strong wind but was not moved from its location, however the contents inside were disturbed. The farm vehicles were tossed briefly a few times as there were scar marks and impact marks in the field as the equipment was blown to the south. The front-end of one tractor was snapped off after the second impact with the ground, as the vehicle was likely too heavy to remain airborne and was dragged and rolled by the tornadic wind and circulation. On the east side of the circulation, there were tree branches not grown in that immediate area that were stripped clean of bark. A cotton trailer (lighter than the other equipment) was lifted from its original location and was tossed to the north and mangled upon impact. The equipment was tossed approximately 3/10 of a mile within the circulation. It was evident from the damage pattern and debris, the circulation was multi-vortex in nature. The DOW measured wind speeds ranging from 45, 65 and 90 meters per second at various stages of the tornado life cycle at heights between 3 and 50 meters above ground level. | |||||||||||
| 9.9 | 1991-04-24 | 2 | 33°18'N / 100°45'W | 33°18'N / 100°35'W | 12.10 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kent |
| 24.5 | 1989-06-06 | 3 | 33°29'N / 101°01'W | 33°29'N / 100°59'W | 1.00 Mile | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dickens |
| 25.5 | 1962-06-07 | 2 | 32°54'N / 100°32'W | 32°52'N / 100°30'W | 3.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher |
| 28.9 | 1963-04-26 | 2 | 32°44'N / 100°55'W | 32°48'N / 100°36'W | 19.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Scurry |
| 29.0 | 1967-04-12 | 2 | 32°51'N / 100°28'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 29.4 | 1994-05-12 | 2 | 32°47'N / 100°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 33.5 | 1961-06-05 | 2 | 33°13'N / 101°22'W | 33°09'N / 101°20'W | 5.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garza |
| 35.6 | 1987-05-28 | 2 | 33°33'N / 100°25'W | 33°33'N / 100°15'W | 13.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | King |
| 37.8 | 1968-05-24 | 3 | 32°38'N / 100°42'W | 32°39'N / 100°40'W | 2.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Scurry |
| 38.0 | 1965-08-31 | 2 | 32°45'N / 100°22'W | 2.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 38.1 | 1968-05-24 | 3 | 32°38'N / 100°46'W | 2.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Scurry | |
| 38.5 | 1989-06-06 | 3 | 33°37'N / 101°32'W | 33°29'N / 101°01'W | 29.00 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crosby |
| 38.9 | 1968-05-24 | 3 | 32°38'N / 100°36'W | 32°38'N / 100°40'W | 4.10 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Scurry |
| 39.6 | 1962-06-16 | 2 | 33°12'N / 101°32'W | 33°18'N / 101°22'W | 11.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garza |
| 40.3 | 1960-05-24 | 3 | 33°45'N / 100°51'W | 33°47'N / 100°49'W | 3.30 Miles | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Motley |
| 41.0 | 1981-05-07 | 2 | 33°29'N / 101°23'W | 1.50 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Crosby | |
| 41.0 | 1989-05-15 | 2 | 33°40'N / 100°23'W | 33°45'N / 100°29'W | 7.00 Miles | 90 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | King |
| 42.3 | 1991-05-02 | 2 | 32°53'N / 100°08'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jones | |
| 42.7 | 1962-05-31 | 2 | 32°40'N / 100°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 44.2 | 1967-04-12 | 2 | 32°43'N / 100°15'W | 0.20 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 46.9 | 1990-05-14 | 2 | 32°56'N / 100°01'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Jones | |
| 47.0 | 1969-05-05 | 2 | 33°09'N / 101°37'W | 33°11'N / 101°33'W | 4.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lynn |
| 47.1 | 1957-04-20 | 2 | 33°48'N / 100°25'W | 0.40 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | King | |
| 47.1 | 1981-05-07 | 2 | 33°41'N / 101°20'W | 33°42'N / 101°18'W | 2.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Crosby |
| 48.8 | 2009-06-13 | 2 | 33°12'N / 99°57'W | 33°10'N / 99°54'W | 4.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0K | Haskell |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service survey team found a quarter mile wide EF2 tornado that tore the roof off of four homes and desroyed several outbuildings, irrigation sprinklers, and power poles. EPISODE NARRATIVE: On June 13, thunderstorms developed along an outflow boundary across Northwest Texas. A supercell thunderstorm moved southeast across Haskell County and produced a strong tornado. There was significant damage near Rule. Also, large hail and widespread 60 to 70 mph winds were reported with this severe storm. | |||||||||||
| 49.0 | 1957-05-24 | 3 | 33°24'N / 101°40'W | 33°43'N / 101°19'W | 29.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lubbock |
| 49.2 | 1990-05-14 | 2 | 32°53'N / 100°00'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Jones | |
| 49.2 | 1981-05-07 | 2 | 33°40'N / 101°22'W | 33°45'N / 101°20'W | 6.10 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Crosby |
| 49.5 | 1981-05-07 | 2 | 33°42'N / 101°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Crosby | |
| 49.6 | 1982-05-30 | 2 | 33°00'N / 99°58'W | 32°57'N / 99°56'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Haskell |
| 49.6 | 2005-05-12 | 3 | 33°35'N / 101°30'W | 33°39'N / 101°25'W | 6.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 200K | Crosby |
| Brief Description: F3 tornado in Ralls. A strong tornado developed approximately 9 miles to the southwest of Ralls around 8:40 PM and tracked to the northeast for six miles. Along the path of this tornado, several power poles were blown over or snapped and a few center pivots were overturned or twisted. A residence was completely destroyed with debris entirely removed from the foundation. The majority of the debris from this structure was blown to the northeast approximately 10 to 30 feet from the foundation...with other related debris dispersed over a mile away. Two pickup trucks were lifted and deposited upside down 5 to 30 feet from former locations. Trees were mud-splattered and stripped of bark with large branches completely torn off trunks. Center pivot irrigation systems were either blown over or twisted in surrounding fields...however some were left unscathed to the northeast of this tornado. Additional debris associated with this tornado was also deposited in a field across from US Highway 62/82 before dissipating. An outbreak of severe thunderstorms occurred across portions of the Texas panhandle and the South Plains of West Texas on Thursday May 12, 2005. The weather pattern on this day was highly conducive for severe thunderstorm and tornado development. A southward moving cold front early in the day became nearly stationary by afternoon as a strong flow of moisture overspread the area from the southeast. Numerous waves of severe thunderstorms developed throughout the afternoon on Thursday and continued well into the after midnight hours on Friday. During this long duration event, between the hours of 4:30 PM and 10:00 PM, several tornadoes occurred across the area. The National Weather Service in Lubbock, TX, dispatched a damage survey team to assess reports of tornadoes and associated damage. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.