Ira Independent School District Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Ira Independent School District is about the same as Texas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Ira Independent School District is much lower than Texas average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #229
| Ira Independent School District | 0.03 |
| 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
| Ira Independent School District | 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, #1017
| Ira Independent School District | 115.68 |
| 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 1,784 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Ira Independent School District 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: | 0 | Cold: | 0 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 0 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 202 | Hail: | 1,123 | Heat: | 0 | Heavy Snow: | 0 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 0 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 0 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 449 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 0 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 10 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Ira Independent School District.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Ira Independent School District.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 35.1 | 1978-06-16 | 5.3 | 10 | 33.03 | -100.77 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 24 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Ira Independent School District.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 15.2 | 2005-06-05 | 2 | 32°34'N / 101°18'W | 32°30'N / 101°19'W | 5.00 Miles | 1300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 80K | 0 | Borden |
| Brief Description: A significant tornado developed in southern Borden County shortly after 18:00 CST. This tornado initially formed just north of Farm to Market Road 1785 three miles west of that highway's intersection with Farm to Market Road 1205. The tornado then slowly moved southwest, and resulted in a wide swath of damage to mesquite trees, road signs, fences, and utility poles as it crossed Farm to Market Road 1785. The tornado's damaging ground circulation briefly dissipated south of Farm to Market Road 1785 in south-central Borden County. Video provided by the public and storm spotters indicated that this phase of the tornado's life cycle was characterized by a condensation funnel that reached half way to the ground with no debris visible near the ground. National Weather Service meteorologists that conducted a damage survey of the tornado's track initially concluded that the broken damage path was likely the result of two separate tornadoes. Photographic evidence, however, supports that the funnel aloft remained well-defined and that the tornado reformed about one mile north of the Borden and Howard County line. The tornado crossed a county road near the Howard County line, and left a three-quarter mile wide swath of damage to mesquite trees and fences. Large drifts of wind blown mud accumulated several feet high along barbed-wire fences on the north side of the tornadoes circulation. A tin shed also was severely damaged. The tornado then moved over plowed fields as it crossed into north-central Howard County. Damage in the Borden County segment of the tornado's path would suggest a weak category rating. This may be largely due to a lack of man made structures that were affected. More significant (F2) damage was observed along the Howard County segment of the damage path. The total path length over Borden and Howard Counties was nine miles. An outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected parts of west Texas during the afternoon and evening of the 5th. Thunderstorms developed along a stationary frontal boundary over the western low rolling plains and the northeastern Permian Basin during the late afternoon. These storms evolved into supercells, and one storm produced a series of tornadoes across southern Borden and northern Howard Counties. By mid evening, a small cluster of organized severe storms evolved and produced more widespread hail, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall. Damages to agricultural interests across the region were significant, and accounted for a majority of the estimated $2.2 million worth of losses reported. | |||||||||||
| 17.0 | 1968-05-24 | 3 | 32°38'N / 100°46'W | 2.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Scurry | |
| 21.4 | 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 |
| 21.9 | 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 |
| 22.4 | 2005-06-05 | 2 | 32°31'N / 101°24'W | 32°29'N / 101°27'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 300K | Howard |
| Brief Description: The long-lived tornado that developed in south-central Borden County crossed into Howard County east of County Road 41. The tornado's damage path narrowed as it moved over a hay field northeast of Luther. Three hundred round bales of hay, weighing 2,000 pounds each, were shredded by the tornadic winds. All of the hay bales were destroyed and the individual straws of hay served as small missiles, stripping mesquite trees of their bark in a thicket to the west. The tornado crossed County Road 41 about two miles south of the Howard and Borden County line. Chunks of asphalt, some up to six inches in diameter, were removed from the road's surface and deposited in an adjacent field. A 250 yard wide swath was cut through mesquite filled range land west of the road. Large mesquite trees were reduced to stumps that only stood a few feet tall, and were partially debarked. A railroad boxcar that was being used for storage was destroyed one mile west of County Road 41. The boxcar broke into three large pieces as it initially bounced along the earth, leaving large craters in the ground, and then was lofted. The three pieces were displaced a mile to the southwest from the boxcar's original location, near the end of the damage path. A National Weather Service damage survey team concluded that a significant rating (F2) was warranted based on the magnitude of tree and vegetation damage, and the lofting and displacement of the railroad boxcar. The tornadoes total path length across Borden and Howard Counties was nine miles, with a maximum path width of three quarters of a mile in south-central Borden County. An outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected parts of west Texas during the afternoon and evening of the 5th. Thunderstorms developed along a stationary frontal boundary over the western low rolling plains and the northeastern Permian Basin during the late afternoon. These storms evolved into supercells, and one storm produced a series of tornadoes across southern Borden and northern Howard Counties. By mid evening, a small cluster of organized severe storms evolved and produced more widespread hail, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall. Damages to agricultural interests across the region were significant, and accounted for a majority of the estimated $2.2 million worth of losses reported. | |||||||||||
| 22.8 | 1982-05-27 | 2 | 32°25'N / 100°44'W | 32°26'N / 100°41'W | 3.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mitchell |
| 24.7 | 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 |
| 24.8 | 1982-05-27 | 2 | 32°10'N / 100°52'W | 32°25'N / 100°44'W | 15.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mitchell |
| 27.9 | 1982-05-27 | 2 | 32°26'N / 100°41'W | 32°28'N / 100°31'W | 5.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Nolan |
| 29.8 | 1994-05-12 | 2 | 32°47'N / 100°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 30.7 | 2009-04-16 | 2 | 32°18'N / 101°34'W | 32°25'N / 101°27'W | 11.00 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 83K | 0K | Howard |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: At 1953 CST, a trained weather spotter reported a tornado about 5 miles northwest of Big Spring. The NWS Storm Survey confirmed two snapped power poles, minor tree damage and an empty oil pump storage tank knocked over near this location. The tornado then tracked north northeastward and bent an 80 foot aluminum radio tower in half towards the east and snapped two additional power poles due to damaging northerly winds on its northwest flank; this occurred sometime around 2000 CST. At 2005 CST, another trained spotter reported a tornado near the town of Fairview, TX. The damage survey concluded this was a valid report, as the tornado began to turn right snapping multiple power poles and damaging a 12???X10??? storage shed anchored 2-3 feet in the ground along the way. The storage shed was tossed east northeast approximately 30 yards, indicating the tornado passed north of the residence. As the tornado continued eastward just north of Farm to Market Road 2230 east of Fairview, a significant line of power pole damage (2 miles) was observed. There were a total of 28 poles snapped towards the south around 2015 CST. Twenty of these were distribution poles and 8 of these were larger transmission poles. The tornado then possibly weakened and turned left to the northeast. On its way, it damaged another storage shed and a home's north side windows approximately 4 miles northeast of Fairview. The last approximated time for tornadic wind damage was around 2030 CST. The path recorded for this event is not the exact path the tornado actually took. Please see attached image. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A mid to upper level closed low was located over southwest Utah the day of the event. Near the surface, a quasi dryline was located from a line near the mountains of west Texas to the eastern NM/TX border. Dewpoints in the low to mid 50 F range resulted in moderate surface based instability east of the dryline during the early evening hours. The upper dynamics combined with the surface convergence along the dryline led to the development of severe weather as the deep layer shear increased with the approach of the aforementioned feature. There was also a brief window for tornadic storms as low level profiles became increasingly backed east of the dryline as height falls increased ahead of the upper trough just west of the region. A tornado watch was issued from 1642-2400 local. | |||||||||||
| 35.5 | 2004-06-11 | 2 | 32°10'N / 100°44'W | 32°12'N / 100°36'W | 10.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Mitchell |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service damage survey team concluded that a significant tornado struck rural areas of southeastern Mitchell County during the evening of the 11th. The team examined a damage path marked by shredded vegetation (mostly mesquite trees), downed utility poles, agricultural fences, and a complex of destroyed mobile homes that extended over ten miles in a continuous horseshoe shaped path that crossed State Route 208 twenty miles south-southeast of Colorado City. The tornado developed seventeen miles south-southeast of Colorado City around 2028 CST. Damage indicates the tornado's motion was initially toward the southeast then east as it crossed the heavily traveled State Route 208. Two Texas Tech University students traveling north on 208 (south of the tornado's path) watched as a Ford Expedition drove into the tornadic circulation. The large sports utility vehicle was blown 100 yards off of the highway. Evidence supports the vehicle was rolled a considerable distance by the tornadic winds, but it is unclear whether it became airborne. Three motorists were transferred to local hospitals. One person sustained serious injuries that included a broken back. A detailed damage path analysis and corresponding radar data suggest that the tornado then tracked very slowly east a few miles before curving to the northeast. Similar curved damage paths (turning left of the tornado's original motion) are commonly observed when well-developed tornadoes enter the dissipation stage. The tornado proved to remain very dangerous, however, as eight mobile homes were destroyed by the tornado near the end of its life cycle twenty miles southeast of Colorado City. The light weight and unanchored structures were blown over and shredded by the dissipation stage tornadic winds. The trailers were arranged in a complex and were used to provide shelter for groups of hunters that frequent the ranch property. They were not occupied when the tornado struck. In summary, a significant round of severe thunderstorms affected parts of west Texas during the afternoon and evening of the 11th. At least two supercell storms produced giant hail and one strong tornado over the region. A supercell thunderstorm tracked across Terrell County in the west Texas Lower Trans Pecos region during the late afternoon hours. Multiple reports of large hail including two different instances of tennis ball sized stones were received as this storm tracked east along U.S. Highway 90 between Sanderson and Dryden. A second area of convection erupted over the eastern Permian Basin by late afternoon and continued into the evening hours. A severe storm associated with this activity produced half-dollar size hail in the Westbrook community. An isolated classic supercell evolved from this complex of storms and took on a distinctly deviant southeastward storm motion. This storm took on radar characteristics consistent with a classic tornadic supercell. Hail up to the size of golfballs was observed southeast of Colorado City as the storm evolved into its tornadic phase. A long-lived significant tornado tracked across mainly rural areas of Mitchell County just after sunset. The tornado resulted in three injuries when it crossed State Route 208 and blew a vehicle off of the highway. Severe rear flank downdraft winds also resulted in widespread wind damage south of the tornado's path. | |||||||||||
| 36.7 | 1965-05-25 | 2 | 32°09'N / 100°41'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mitchell | |
| 37.5 | 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 |
| 38.8 | 1967-04-12 | 2 | 32°51'N / 100°28'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 39.3 | 1986-04-19 | 3 | 32°27'N / 100°26'W | 32°29'N / 100°21'W | 4.50 Miles | 600 Yards | 1 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Nolan |
| 40.2 | 1973-03-23 | 2 | 32°28'N / 100°24'W | 32°28'N / 100°21'W | 3.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Nolan |
| 40.3 | 1962-05-31 | 2 | 32°40'N / 100°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 41.6 | 1965-08-31 | 2 | 32°45'N / 100°22'W | 2.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 42.5 | 1964-06-20 | 2 | 32°15'N / 101°40'W | 0.80 Mile | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Howard | |
| 44.5 | 1991-05-07 | 2 | 32°28'N / 101°51'W | 32°30'N / 101°46'W | 3.50 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Martin |
| 45.0 | 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 |
| 47.6 | 1967-04-12 | 2 | 32°43'N / 100°15'W | 0.20 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fisher | |
| 47.9 | 1961-03-16 | 2 | 32°24'N / 100°27'W | 32°24'N / 100°04'W | 22.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Taylor |
* 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.