Wharton County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Texas Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Wharton County is about the same as Texas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Wharton County is lower than Texas average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #193
| Wharton County | 0.00 |
| 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
| Wharton 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, #92
| Wharton County | 182.42 |
| 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 6,075 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Wharton 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: | 0 | Cold: | 3 | Dense Fog: | 2 | Drought: | 108 |
| Dust Storm: | 5 | Flood: | 1,255 | Hail: | 1,929 | Heat: | 19 | Heavy Snow: | 25 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 6 | Ice Storm: | 19 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 79 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,161 | Tropical Storm: | 11 | Wildfire: | 18 | Winter Storm: | 33 | Winter Weather: | 38 |
| Other: | 364 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Wharton County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Wharton County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Wharton County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 43 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Wharton County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 7.9 | 1964-06-15 | 2 | 29°18'N / 96°06'W | 1.50 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 7.9 | 1966-04-14 | 2 | 29°18'N / 96°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 9.2 | 1955-05-23 | 2 | 29°19'N / 96°05'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 9.6 | 1972-03-20 | 2 | 29°20'N / 96°05'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 9.8 | 1966-03-28 | 3 | 29°27'N / 96°20'W | 29°23'N / 96°12'W | 9.30 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Colorado |
| 10.1 | 1993-04-07 | 2 | 29°25'N / 96°17'W | 0.50 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Wharton | |
| Brief Description: The Wharton Newspaper reported large trees blown down, metal roofs blown off barns and water pump housings blown over on Farm-to-Market Road 2614 northwest of Egypt near the community of Bonus. There were numerous reports of street flooding in the Wharton vicinity. | |||||||||||
| 12.2 | 1961-11-22 | 3 | 29°24'N / 96°05'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 13.0 | 1953-12-02 | 2 | 29°12'N / 96°02'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 13.9 | 1970-10-23 | 2 | 29°18'N / 96°00'W | 1.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 18.2 | 1965-04-19 | 3 | 29°27'N / 96°00'W | 0.20 Mile | 150 Yards | 1 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Fort Bend | |
| 19.9 | 1970-10-23 | 2 | 29°18'N / 95°54'W | 1.50 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wharton | |
| 22.7 | 1967-09-20 | 3 | 29°04'N / 96°31'W | 0.10 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 23.3 | 1964-02-04 | 2 | 29°36'N / 96°20'W | 29°37'N / 96°17'W | 3.80 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Colorado |
| 24.3 | 1975-12-24 | 3 | 29°01'N / 96°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 27.7 | 1961-09-11 | 2 | 29°00'N / 95°54'W | 0.40 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Matagorda | |
| 29.5 | 1981-05-09 | 2 | 29°30'N / 95°49'W | 29°28'N / 95°47'W | 3.30 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fort Bend |
| 34.0 | 1966-02-09 | 3 | 28°58'N / 96°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 34.1 | 1994-05-13 | 2 | 29°23'N / 96°47'W | 0.20 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 5K | Lavaca | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down near Vienna, destroying a mobile home and a house, knocking down power lines and covering the roadway with debris. One witness reported hearing a sound like a "freight train." | |||||||||||
| 36.2 | 1967-09-21 | 2 | 29°34'N / 96°44'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Colorado | |
| 37.0 | 1983-01-31 | 2 | 29°47'N / 96°08'W | 29°50'N / 96°08'W | 3.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Austin |
| 37.2 | 1974-09-13 | 3 | 29°35'N / 95°45'W | 29°37'N / 95°43'W | 3.60 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Fort Bend |
| 38.9 | 2007-03-31 | 2 | 29°23'N / 96°52'W | 29°22'N / 96°52'W | 0 | 4 | 75K | 0K | Lavaca | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: To the southeast of Hallettsville, and southeast of the first tornado, a second tornado touched down near 0345 CST. This was just off FM530 on Road 16C, near the community of Light Chapel. This tornado touched down just south of a mobile home and began moving toward the northeast. A father, along with two sons and a daughter, had just arrived home less than an hour before the touchdown and had fallen asleep when the storm struck. The father reported feeling a jolt that awakened him as severe thunderstorm winds ahead of the tornado struck the mobile home. He reported that it became quiet again and then the mobile home exploded as the tornado stuck. He and his three children were blown and tossed almost 150 feet, coming to rest on the top of the former south wall of his mobile home. Broken glass was everywhere, but, in spite of cuts and bruises, they took shelter in a small nearby roofless shack as hail continued to fall. He then walked, carrying an injured son and daughter, to a neighbor???s house to call for help. His truck, parked under an awning just south of the mobile home was rolled and crushed. Had he and his children arrived only a few minutes later at their home, they could easily have been killed. That all have recovered except for minor bruises and cuts can only be considered a miracle. The father???s comments were that it???s all okay ??? we???re okay. What was destroyed is just ???stuff.??? Based on the destroyed mobile home, which had been tied down, and the rolled and twisted metal frame, the tornado was rated EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Winds were estimated at 115 mph. The tornado path length was placed at four-tenths of a mile with a path width of 75 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: In the early morning hours of March 31, both supercells and short bow echoes began to form along the north-south aligned cold front after it crossed the IH-35 corridor. Moving into the eastern portion of South Central Texas, these storms produced heavy rainfall, large hail, and two tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 39.2 | 1967-09-20 | 3 | 29°27'N / 96°51'W | 2.00 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Lavaca | |
| 39.9 | 1955-05-18 | 2 | 28°42'N / 96°14'W | 2.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Matagorda | |
| 39.9 | 1967-09-20 | 3 | 28°42'N / 96°13'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 4 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Matagorda | |
| 41.2 | 1998-10-18 | 2 | 29°49'N / 95°56'W | 29°49'N / 95°56'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 1 | 1 | 75K | 0 | Waller |
| Brief Description: Tornado destroyed mobile home. One person killed and another injured in the home. Nine other homes damaged and 2 barns destroyed. M47MH | |||||||||||
| 41.3 | 1992-11-21 | 2 | 29°41'N / 95°48'W | 29°47'N / 95°46'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25.0M | 0 | Harris |
| 41.7 | 1972-03-20 | 2 | 29°26'N / 96°56'W | 29°26'N / 96°52'W | 4.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lavaca |
| 42.8 | 2003-11-17 | 2 | 29°37'N / 95°38'W | 29°37'N / 95°38'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 60 | 500K | 0 | Fort Bend |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down on west Airport Drive near Industrial in Sugar Land. 60 injuries with 7 people sent to hospital for further treatment. Damage to several office building roofs in Industrial Park. Additional damage to a Daycare facility at West Airport Drive and Dairy Ashford Road. Roof damage to several residential homes in the Meadows subdivision. Reports of several cars overturned or blown off of road along Airport Drive. A total of 24 tornadoes touched down during this 15 hour period of severe weather in southeastern Texas on November 17, 2003. In addition to these tornadoes, a major flood developed over Harris and surrounding counties during the middle of this tornadic outbreak. Over 300 homes, along with hundreds of vehicles, were flooded. These tornadic storms developed over parts of Wharton and Matagorda counties shortly after sunrise with the first confirmed tornado occurring just east of El Campo around 9:00 am. Strong 500mb upper level troughing over the western U.S. moved from west to east across the Southern Plains. The polar jet stream associated with this 500 millibar trough surged into west Texas and then curved sharply northeastward into the Central Plains. The sub-tropical jet stream was oriented west to east across deep southern Texas. This jet stream pattern was the impetus to strong lower level convergence due to the enhanced upper level divergence. Low level moisture had substantially increased and was about 200 percent of normal by 6 AM. Vertical wind profiles also showed a great deal of low level wind shear with the greatest shear occurring in the lowest 2000 feet. In addition, these veering wind speeds rapidly increased with height. A focus for the thunderstorm development was provided by a weak low level boundary which was aligned southwest to northeast, or generally along the U.S. Highway 59 corridor. This feature was nearly-stationary and thunderstorms repeatedly developed and moved along this boundary. The axis of heaviest rain was coincident with this boundary. | |||||||||||
| 44.2 | 1955-06-05 | 2 | 29°42'N / 96°47'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Colorado | |||
| 44.6 | 1960-02-17 | 2 | 29°46'N / 95°48'W | 29°48'N / 95°44'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Harris |
| 44.9 | 1955-05-19 | 2 | 29°27'N / 96°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lavaca | |
| 45.1 | 1986-02-05 | 2 | 29°50'N / 95°51'W | 29°50'N / 95°49'W | 4.00 Miles | 170 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Waller |
| 45.7 | 1965-01-21 | 2 | 29°37'N / 96°53'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 45.8 | 1971-02-25 | 2 | 29°44'N / 96°47'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Colorado | |
| 46.4 | 1961-03-16 | 2 | 29°57'N / 96°16'W | 0.10 Mile | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Austin | |
| 47.1 | 2003-11-17 | 2 | 29°37'N / 95°33'W | 29°37'N / 95°33'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Harris |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down in the Meadows subdivision in Fort Bend County and traveled into Harris County. Tornado moved over the intersection of West Bellfort and Kirkwood. Numerous apartments lost roofs in the extensive SW Village Apartment Complex damage. A total of 24 tornadoes touched down during this 15 hour period of severe weather in southeastern Texas on November 17, 2003. In addition to these tornadoes, a major flood developed over Harris and surrounding counties during the middle of this tornadic outbreak. Over 300 homes, along with hundreds of vehicles, were flooded. These tornadic storms developed over parts of Wharton and Matagorda counties shortly after sunrise with the first confirmed tornado occurring just east of El Campo around 9:00 am. Strong 500mb upper level troughing over the western U.S. moved from west to east across the Southern Plains. The polar jet stream associated with this 500 millibar trough surged into west Texas and then curved sharply northeastward into the Central Plains. The sub-tropical jet stream was oriented west to east across deep southern Texas. This jet stream pattern was the impetus to strong lower level convergence due to the enhanced upper level divergence. Low level moisture had substantially increased and was about 200 percent of normal by 6 AM. Vertical wind profiles also showed a great deal of low level wind shear with the greatest shear occurring in the lowest 2000 feet. In addition, these veering wind speeds rapidly increased with height. A focus for the thunderstorm development was provided by a weak low level boundary which was aligned southwest to northeast, or generally along the U.S. Highway 59 corridor. This feature was nearly-stationary and thunderstorms repeatedly developed and moved along this boundary. The axis of heaviest rain was coincident with this boundary. | |||||||||||
| 47.2 | 2003-11-17 | 2 | 29°38'N / 95°34'W | 29°38'N / 95°33'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0 | Fort Bend |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down in the Meadows subdivision in Fort Bend County and traveled into Harris County. One home lost roof with several other homes damaged. A total of 24 tornadoes touched down during this 15 hour period of severe weather in southeastern Texas on November 17, 2003. In addition to these tornadoes, a major flood developed over Harris and surrounding counties during the middle of this tornadic outbreak. Over 300 homes, along with hundreds of vehicles, were flooded. These tornadic storms developed over parts of Wharton and Matagorda counties shortly after sunrise with the first confirmed tornado occurring just east of El Campo around 9:00 am. Strong 500mb upper level troughing over the western U.S. moved from west to east across the Southern Plains. The polar jet stream associated with this 500 millibar trough surged into west Texas and then curved sharply northeastward into the Central Plains. The sub-tropical jet stream was oriented west to east across deep southern Texas. This jet stream pattern was the impetus to strong lower level convergence due to the enhanced upper level divergence. Low level moisture had substantially increased and was about 200 percent of normal by 6 AM. Vertical wind profiles also showed a great deal of low level wind shear with the greatest shear occurring in the lowest 2000 feet. In addition, these veering wind speeds rapidly increased with height. A focus for the thunderstorm development was provided by a weak low level boundary which was aligned southwest to northeast, or generally along the U.S. Highway 59 corridor. This feature was nearly-stationary and thunderstorms repeatedly developed and moved along this boundary. The axis of heaviest rain was coincident with this boundary. | |||||||||||
| 47.4 | 1986-02-05 | 2 | 29°50'N / 95°49'W | 29°52'N / 95°46'W | 4.00 Miles | 170 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harris |
| 48.1 | 1969-04-11 | 3 | 28°48'N / 95°39'W | 2.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 13 | 2.5M | 0 | Matagorda | |
| 48.6 | 1967-09-20 | 3 | 29°21'N / 97°04'W | 29°21'N / 97°00'W | 4.30 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Lavaca |
| 49.2 | 1966-04-18 | 3 | 29°04'N / 95°27'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Brazoria | |
| 49.7 | 1971-02-25 | 2 | 29°48'N / 96°48'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Fayette | |
* 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.