Hartley County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Hartley County is about the same as Texas average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Hartley County is much lower than Texas average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #21
| Hartley County | 0.08 |
| 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
| Hartley 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, #174
| Hartley County | 99.27 |
| 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 7,437 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Hartley 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: | 3 | Cold: | 1 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 43 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 257 | Hail: | 5,297 | Heat: | 7 | Heavy Snow: | 37 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 4 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 78 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,569 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 13 | Winter Storm: | 18 | Winter Weather: | 1 |
| Other: | 109 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Hartley County.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 3 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Hartley County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 18.1 | 1982-10-14 | 3.9 | 5 | 36.1 | -102.57 |
| 37.5 | 1970-01-12 | 3.5 | 33 | 36.1 | -103.2 |
| 40.5 | 1976-06-24 | 3.5 | 5 | 35.62 | -103.28 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 20 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Hartley County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 15.4 | 1971-06-08 | 2 | 36°03'N / 102°31'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hartley | |
| 15.4 | 1971-06-08 | 2 | 36°03'N / 102°31'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hartley | |
| 17.8 | 1989-05-12 | 2 | 35°41'N / 102°26'W | 35°40'N / 102°18'W | 7.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hartley |
| 25.6 | 1972-05-10 | 2 | 35°49'N / 103°04'W | 2.50 Miles | 660 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Union | |
| 26.0 | 1971-04-19 | 2 | 36°11'N / 102°40'W | 36°15'N / 102°34'W | 7.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dallam |
| 30.0 | 1971-04-19 | 2 | 36°16'N / 102°43'W | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0 | Dallam | |||
| 31.3 | 2007-04-21 | 2 | 35°47'N / 102°07'W | 36°03'N / 102°00'W | 20.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 14 | 1.3M | 0K | Moore |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado formed ten miles west southwest of Dumas at 1816 CST and tracked northeast for about twenty miles before exiting Moore county one half of a mile north of Cactus at 1840 CST. The tornado continued in Sherman county for about another four miles...before dissipating at 1852 CST. In Moore county...evidence suggested that the tornado was about three quarters of a mile wide as it passed through the town of Cactus. The most significant damage occurred across the northwest half of Cactus...but most homes and businesses received some damage as a result of this tornado. It is estimated that at least ten mobile homes were demolished and many more left uninhabitable. Fourteen people were injured in Cactus...however there were no fatalities. On April 25...Governor Rick Perry declared a State of Emergency in two proclamations for Moore county as a result of the Cactus tornado. The Governor also requested President Bush to declare a Presidential Disaster Declaration for the county. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Numerous severe thunderstorms producing large hail...damaging winds...and tornadoes moved north and northeast across the western and central Texas panhandle during the evening hours. The only injuries occurred in Cactus from a tornado...however no fatalities were reported. | |||||||||||
| 34.3 | 1972-05-10 | 2 | 36°14'N / 102°14'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dallam | |
| 35.3 | 1972-05-10 | 2 | 36°15'N / 102°14'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dallam | |
| 36.9 | 2010-05-23 | 2 | 36°06'N / 103°10'W | 36°13'N / 103°07'W | 9.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 325K | 0K | Union |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: There was damage to agricultural equipment. A single wide mobile home that had tie down straps was completely destroyed and the undercarriage was carried approximately 40 yards. No injuries reported. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A sharp dry line moved west out of west Texas and became stationary over the far eastern plains on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Meanwhile, an unseasonably deep upper level low pressure system over the Great Basin was moving slowly east toward New Mexico. The combination of the upper level disturbance approaching New Mexico and extreme instability along the dry line set the stage for widespread severe weather from Quay County northeast into Union County. | |||||||||||
| 37.5 | 1967-05-05 | 2 | 36°02'N / 102°00'W | 36°02'N / 101°58'W | 2.30 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Moore |
| 37.6 | 1964-08-19 | 2 | 35°41'N / 101°58'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Moore | |
| 40.6 | 2007-04-21 | 2 | 35°40'N / 101°55'W | 35°51'N / 101°52'W | 12.00 Miles | 704 Yards | 0 | 0 | 8K | 0K | Moore |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado developed approximately one to two miles south of Farm to Market Road 1913 about three miles east of Four Way...and likely dissipated near State Highway 152 five miles east of Dumas. Visible damage was limited to five single power poles snapped...fence downed...and large round hay bales were tossed around. No injuries were reported. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Numerous severe thunderstorms producing large hail...damaging winds...and tornadoes moved north and northeast across the western and central Texas panhandle during the evening hours. The only injuries occurred in Cactus from a tornado...however no fatalities were reported. | |||||||||||
| 40.8 | 1992-06-27 | 3 | 35°42'N / 101°57'W | 35°43'N / 101°51'W | 5.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Moore |
| 46.3 | 1971-06-09 | 2 | 36°02'N / 101°49'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sherman | |||
| 46.3 | 1971-06-09 | 2 | 36°02'N / 101°49'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sherman | |||
| 46.3 | 1971-06-09 | 2 | 36°02'N / 101°49'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sherman | |||
| 47.5 | 1965-09-18 | 2 | 36°24'N / 103°02'W | 36°26'N / 103°07'W | 5.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Union |
| 49.0 | 1971-06-09 | 4 | 36°02'N / 101°49'W | 36°05'N / 101°44'W | 5.90 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sherman |
| 49.2 | 2010-05-23 | 2 | 36°21'N / 103°08'W | 36°33'N / 103°00'W | 16.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0K | Union |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Debris on Highway 56 was seen at mile post 93. Power lines were down, barbed wire fences and hay bales were all over. In addition, a steel building from a feed lot was destroyed, a cow with a broken leg was observed on the road, and a semi truck was turned over on private property. The tornado crossed the New Mexico-Oklahoma state line approximately 8.7 miles southeast of Seneca and continued into neighboring Cimarron County, Oklahoma. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A sharp dry line moved west out of west Texas and became stationary over the far eastern plains on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Meanwhile, an unseasonably deep upper level low pressure system over the Great Basin was moving slowly east toward New Mexico. The combination of the upper level disturbance approaching New Mexico and extreme instability along the dry line set the stage for widespread severe weather from Quay County northeast into Union County. | |||||||||||
* 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.