Report Title: Major and Catastrophic Storms and Floods in Texas     
Opening
Guide to report
Glossary of terms
Lists of storms sorted by date, county or maximum precipitation
Storms lists sorted by date
Storm lists sorted by county
Storm lists sorted by maximum precipitation
Substantial flood peaks
Links to related WWW resources
Assorted documents related to Texas storms
Bibliography
Dedication and Credits
  Texas Storms in Tarrant County Select Another County
10 storms  
     
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1.  
North-Central Texas
April 23 to 25, 1922
Rainfall moved from the Panhandle to north-central and east Texas.
Deaths and Damage:   Flooding in Fort Worth claimed 11 lives and about $1 million in property damage.
Max. Precipitation:   Unknown
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Fort Worth
References:   Dallas Morning News, 1999; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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2.  
North-Central Texas
April 5 to 30, 1942
The largest amounts of rainfall occurred in Tarrant and Cooke Counties. Tarrant County had nearly 17 in. of rain while Cooke County had about 16.5 in. The highest daily total, 5.7 in., occurred in Cooke County on the 25th.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   17.00 in. (Tarrant Co.)
16.50 in. (Cooke Co.)
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Ft. Worth
Cooke Co., Gainesville
References:   U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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3.  
North-Central Texas
May 16 to 17, 1949
Excessive rain ranging from 2 to 10 in. in the upper Trinity River Basin on May 16th and 17th produced the flood of record in Fort Worth with extensive flooding of business and residential areas and leaving residents without city water for about 3 days. Dallas had the second highest flood of record with severe flooding along lowlands outside of the levee district, and several sections of south Dallas, unprotected by levees. The same excessive precipitation that caused the Fort Worth-Dallas flood also caused moderate flooding along the Brazos River from Granbury to Waco on the 17th and extended into the Sulphur and Sabine River Basins.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   12.00 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Kennedale
References:   U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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4.  
Fort Worth
May 17, 1949
Maximum recorded rainfall was 12 in. on Village Creek in the West Fork Trinity River Basin southeast of Fort Worth.
Deaths and Damage:   Ten lives were lost, and damage was $15 million in Fort Worth and vicinity.
Max. Precipitation:   12.00 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Fort Worth
References:   Breeding, 1949


USGS_76

5.  
Trinity, Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, Nueces River Basins
September 28 to October 4, 1959
As much as 12 in. of rain caused extensive flooding in the upper Trinity River Basin on Big Fossil, Big Sandy, Chambers, and Richland Creeks and produced historically significant peak discharges at several streamflow-gaging stations. In the middle Brazos River Basin, floods (exceeding all previously known) on North Bosque River and Cowhouse Creek followed rain totaling more than 14 in. at some places. Spring Creek in the middle Colorado River Basin reached its highest stage since 1882 following rainfall that exceeded 10 in. Johnson Creek, in the headwaters of the Guadalupe River, recorded the second highest flood known since at least 1852. Flash flooding on the upper Nueces River Basin followed heavy rain Oct. 3-4. Unofficial totals of as much as 16 in. of rain were reported.
Deaths and Damage:   One person drowned during the flood. Big Fossil Creek flooded parts of Richland Hills, a suburb of Fort Worth, causing an estimated $300,000 in damage. Damage to agricultural interests and rural public properties was estimated at $700,000 by the U.S. Weather Bureau.
Max. Precipitation:   16.00 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Fort Worth
References:   Asquith and Slade, 1995; Hendricks, 1964b, p. 70-74

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6.  
Fort Worth Vicinity
June 24 to 25, 1961
A small-area storm of high intensity caused flash flooding in Richland Hills near Fort Worth. Three rain gages in the area recorded rainfalls of 3.64-4.71 in. A bucket survey was conducted on upper Big Fossil Creek where 7.7, 8.0, and 8.7 in. of rain were recorded.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   8.70 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Fort Worth
References:   Rostvedt, 1965b, p. 57

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7.  
Haltom City near Fort Worth
September 6 to 7, 1962
As much as 11 in. of rain fell Sept. 7 on upper Big Fossil Creek Basin. During the afternoon Sept. 7, the recording rain gage near Justin, about 13 mi northeast of Big Fossil Creek Basin, measured 5 in. during 1 hour and 2 in. more the following hour.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   11.00 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co., Fort Worth
References:   Rostvedt and others, 1968a, p. 99-101

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8.  
Central and East Texas
June 23 to 28, 1968
During the afternoon June 23, Tropical Storm Candy moved inland over the middle Texas coast. The storm weakened slowly as it moved north toward the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Rainfall totals of 3-4 in. were common throughout central and eastern Texas, with numerous locations reporting 5 in. or more.
Deaths and Damage:   No deaths or injuries resulted from this storm; however, estimates placed crop losses at $2.1 million and property losses at $625,000.
Max. Precipitation:   5.00 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Dallas Co., Dallas
Tarrant Co., Ft. Worth
References:   Rostvedt and others, 1972, p. 42

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9.  
North-Central Texas
March 27, 1977
Heavy rain fell in Tarrant, Somervell, and Dallas Counties.
Deaths and Damage:   There were 5 drownings and $1 million in property damages.
Max. Precipitation:   Unknown
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Tarrant Co.
Somervell Co.
Dallas Co.
References:   Dallas Morning News, 1999

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10.  
Dallas and Tarrant Counties
May 5, 1995
Damage caused by wind speeds up to 70 miles per hour, softball-size hail, and high-intensity rain caused this storm to be deemed the "costliest thunderstorm event in history" by the National Weather Service. The maximum rainfall intensity was almost 3 in. in 30 minutes. 109 people were injured by hail.
Deaths and Damage:   20 lives were lost, and $2 billion in damage was reported.
Max. Precipitation:   4.96 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):  

Dallas Co., Dallas
Tarrant Co.
References:   None

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