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Val Verde County, Texas

48 topographic sheets cover 33 settlements here, and 4 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

4 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Texas within the United States
Val Verde County within Texas

What the record shows

  • 234 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 4 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings and 1 district.
  • 1 of the 4 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 33 populated places in this county; 33 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

4

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Cassinelli Gin Housebuilding198686002188
Del Rio Cemeteries Historic Districtdistrict200303000664
Southern Pacific Passenger Depotbuilding2026100012685
Val Verde County Courthouse And Jailbuilding197777001478

The county from the air

48 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 3,924 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 48 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1947-07-31, scale 1:20000
1947-07-31, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1947-07-31, scale 1:20000
1947-07-31, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1947-07-31, scale 1:20000
1947-07-31, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1947-07-31, scale 1:20000
1947-07-31, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1948-11-02, scale 1:48000
1948-11-02, scale 1:48000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1948-11-02, scale 1:48000
1948-11-02, scale 1:48000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1948-11-02, scale 1:48000
1948-11-02, scale 1:48000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1948-11-02, scale 1:48000
1948-11-02, scale 1:48000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-24, scale 1:46000
1950-04-24, scale 1:46000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-24, scale 1:46000
1950-04-24, scale 1:46000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-24, scale 1:46000
1950-04-24, scale 1:46000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1950-04-24, scale 1:46000
1950-04-24, scale 1:46000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-27, scale 1:63000
1954-05-27, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-27, scale 1:63000
1954-05-27, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-27, scale 1:63000
1954-05-27, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-05-27, scale 1:63000
1954-05-27, scale 1:63000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1956-12-30, scale 1:63996
1956-12-30, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1956-12-30, scale 1:63996
1956-12-30, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1956-12-30, scale 1:63996
1956-12-30, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1956-12-30, scale 1:63996
1956-12-30, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-01-09, scale 1:8000
1961-01-09, scale 1:8000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-01-09, scale 1:8000
1961-01-09, scale 1:8000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-01-09, scale 1:8000
1961-01-09, scale 1:8000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-01-09, scale 1:8000
1961-01-09, scale 1:8000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-01-29, scale 1:29200
1966-01-29, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-01-29, scale 1:29200
1966-01-29, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-01-29, scale 1:29200
1966-01-29, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-01-29, scale 1:29200
1966-01-29, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1968-02-07, scale 1:29200
1968-02-07, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1968-02-07, scale 1:29200
1968-02-07, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1968-02-07, scale 1:29200
1968-02-07, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1968-02-07, scale 1:29200
1968-02-07, scale 1:29200. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-12-08, scale 1:118725
1969-12-08, scale 1:118725. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-12-08, scale 1:118725
1969-12-08, scale 1:118725. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-12-08, scale 1:118725
1969-12-08, scale 1:118725. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-12-08, scale 1:118725
1969-12-08, scale 1:118725. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-11-06, scale 1:30000
1970-11-06, scale 1:30000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-11-06, scale 1:30000
1970-11-06, scale 1:30000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-03-17, scale 1:27600
1971-03-17, scale 1:27600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-03-17, scale 1:27600
1971-03-17, scale 1:27600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-03-17, scale 1:27600
1971-03-17, scale 1:27600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-03-17, scale 1:27600
1971-03-17, scale 1:27600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-06-03, scale 1:120920
1972-06-03, scale 1:120920. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-06-03, scale 1:120920
1972-06-03, scale 1:120920. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

35 stations, 3 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

23 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 233-1Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city: Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; 8th; N. Main
  • 233-2Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by City limits; N. Main; Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad; City limits
  • 233-3Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by 8th; City limits, San Felipe Creek; Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad; N. Main
  • 233-4Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad; San Felipe Creek; San Felipe Creek, Gillis Ave., Losoya; S. Main
  • 233-5Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Losoya, Gillis Ave.; San Felipe Creek; City limits, Nicolson; S. Main
  • 233-6Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad; S. Main; Martin; Wernett
  • 233-7Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad; Wernett; Martin, Ware, Martin; City limits
  • 233-8Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Martin, Ware, Martin; Wernett, Las Vacas, Nicolson; City limits; City limits
  • 233-9Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Martin; S. Main; Nicolson, City limits; Nicolson, Las Vacas, Wernett
  • 233-10Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by San Felipe Creek; Mendez; Garza; San Felipe Creek
  • 233-11Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by San Felipe Creek; Taini Ave., Chapoy, Taini Ave.; Garza; Mendes
  • 233-12Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by San Felipe Creek; Brodbent Ave.; Garza; Taini Ave., Chapoy, Taini Ave.
  • 233-13Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by San Felipe Creek; Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad, Jones Ave., Third; Garza; Brodbent Ave.
  • 233-14Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by San Felipe Creek, City limits; City limits; Leon Ave.; Third, Jones, Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad
  • 233-15Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Garza, Leon Ave.; City limits; City limits; Brodbent Ave.
  • 233-16Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Garza; Brodbent Ave.; City limits; City limits, Mendez, Mesquite, Flores
  • 233-17Justice Precinct 1: Del Rio city - That part Bounded by Garza; Flores, Mesquite, Mendez; City limits; San Felipe Creek
  • 233-18Justice Precinct 1 - That part outside Del Rio city
  • 233-19Justice Precinct 2
  • 233-20Justice Precinct 3
  • 233-21Justice Precinct 4
  • 233-22Justice Precinct 5
  • 233-23Justice Precinct 6

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

186 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 186 of them, burning about 224,695 acres. 40 started naturally and 5 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined74
Natural40
Equipment and vehicle use18
Recreation and ceremony15
Debris and open burning9
Fireworks8
Smoking7
Railroad operations and maintenance6
Arson/incendiarism5
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
25 April 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined175,000 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceDEATON COLE FIRE
27 April 2014Debris and open burning14,987 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceMALONE FIRE
14 March 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined6,000 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceMACY
14 August 2015Natural3,000 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceWEST
25 February 2011Debris and open burning1,750 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceWHITEHEAD #1
21 July 2009Natural1,536 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceBEAVER LAKE RANCH
16 February 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,500 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceWHITE FIELDS
21 February 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,500 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceMOODY FIRE

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1956 to 2026

60 of 705 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 705 reports for this county, causing 9 deaths, 196 injuries and about $70,855,310 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail322
Thunderstorm Wind196
Flash Flood129
Tornado45
Flood11
Funnel Cloud2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 1998Flash FloodCountywide9 killed, 150 hurt, $40,000,000no account filed
May 1995Tornado (F2)Del Rio22 hurt, $250,000The tornado was first spotted by public and later confirmed by the sheriff and a spotter. It caused only minor damage. It was the larger of the two tornadoes that formed that evening. Residents near the tornado reported hail the size of a quarter before the tornado arrived, then hearing a "freight train" type of sound as it touched down. It damaged boats and trailers in the Lake Amistad area, then passed across rural subdivisions, damaging several mobile homes and houses and injuring nearly two dozen people. Two people in a pop-up trailer were injured shortly afterward as a strong thunderstorm gust blew the trailer into a tree. A second tornado was spotted shortly afterward behind the mall. The two tornadoes knocked down about a dozen power poles.
August 1998Flash FloodNorth Portion5 hurt, $20,000no account filed
October 1993Tornado (F1)Del Rio4 hurt, $500,000Two tornados were reported in the south part of the County, and large hail reports were made from across the County. The first tornado moved through the southeast part of Del Rio, causing widespread minor damage to the area. The second tornado moved through the Val Verde Estates area of Del Rio. Several mobile homes were destroyed and damaged, four persons had minor injuries.
April 2002HailDel Rio3 hurt, $500,000Large hail, propelled by winds estimated at 50 to 60 mph, destroyed street signs, dented automobiles, and knocked out windows of vehicles, homes and businesses across Del Rio. Hundreds of automobiles lost windshields and were severely dented. Three people were treated for minor injuries after being struck by the large hail.
March 1987Hailnot stated3 hurtno account filed
September 1988Tornado (F2)not stated2 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
May 1982Tornado (F2)not stated2 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
February 1997Flash FloodCountwide2 hurt, $50,000no account filed
May 1995Thunderstorm WindDel Rio2 hurtThe tornado was first spotted by public and later confirmed by the sheriff and a spotter. It caused only minor damage. It was the larger of the two tornadoes that formed that evening. Residents near the tornado reported hail the size of a quarter before the tornado arrived, then hearing a "freight train" type of sound as it touched down. It damaged boats and trailers in the Lake Amistad area, then passed across rural subdivisions, damaging several mobile homes and houses and injuring nearly two dozen people. Two people in a pop-up trailer were injured shortly afterward as a strong thunderstorm gust blew the trailer into a tree. A second tornado was spotted shortly afterward behind the mall. The two tornadoes knocked down about a dozen power poles.
May 1989Tornado (F1)not stated1 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
April 2020HailDel Rio$10,000,000A thunderstorm produced four inch diameter hail in Del Rio. The large hail that hit the City of Del Rio likely caused in excess of 10 million dollars in damage but as of this writing do not have an accurate estimate of damage from city/county/state officials or private insurance companies.
May 1995HailNWS Del Rio$6,600,000Damage was reported to over 1,400 vehicles and to more than 2,200 homes and businesses in the Del Rio area.
September 2008FloodDel Rio$1,000,000Water releases from an upstream reservoir in Mexico caused flooding along the Rio Grande in Del Rio. Vega Verde Road and several properties along the road were flooded. Evacutions did occur in order to get residents out of the area as roads became inundated and impassable.
May 2004HailDel Rio$500,000The second supercell storm struck near 635 pm to the northwest of Del Rio near the Los Campos subdivision. This is west of US 90 and south of Amistad Dam. Spotters reported that rain and hail struck first, followed by high winds. Hail varied in size with some as large as softballs and with winds estimated at over 70 mph. Damage in this part of Del Rio was the worst in the area, consisting of broken windows, dented home exteriors, torn roofs, damaged fences, large trees limbs blown down, trees knocked over, vehicles dented with broken windshields, and livestock injured and killed. In spite of the considerable damage, the amount of damage in dollars will still likely be less than the massive hailstorm suffered by Del Rio in April of 2002.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$500,000A second thunderstorm developed from the remains of the first storm that had struck Val Verde County. At 1615 CST, a Val Verde Sheriff's Department spotter reported small tornado six miles south of Del Rio. It was very small and short lived. No damage was noted as the area was later searched. Shortly afterward, winds blew a 120-foot by 25-foot section of metal roof off the La Paloma Shopping Center. The roof was blown some 90 feet and landed on eight automobiles in the parking lot of the shopping center. Additional damage was reported to the roof of a church in Del Rio.
April 1993HailDel Rio$500,000A National Park Service Ranger and the sheriff's office reported tennis ball-size hail in the Spur 406 Campgrounds on the West side of Lake Amistad. A Park Ranger also reported 3.00-inch hail in the San Pedro Canyon Estates, northwest of Del Rio. An estimated $112,000 dollars in damage was reported to home in the area. The sheriff's office reported golf ball-size hail covering the ground on Highway 277 north of Del Rio.
May 1982Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 1982Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 1982Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 2002Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$200,000The supercell thunderstorm that produced downbursts and large hail in Del Rio formed in Mexico and moved eastward into Val Verde County. The severe thunderstorm winds struck first, knocking over trees and signs and damaging roofs in and around Del Rio.
May 2010Flash FloodDel Rio$100,000Thunderstorms produced heavy rain which flooded some homes in Del Rio.
April 2007Tornado (EF0)Del Rio$100,000A deputy from the Sheriff's Department watched as a rope-shaped tornado lifted up and dropped down as it skipped along a path approximately one mile long just east of the city of Del Rio at the Val Verde Park Estates. The tornado caused minor damage to ten homes and mobile homes. It also knocked over telephone poles and tossed outbuildings along its path.
May 2003Flash FloodSouth Portion$80,000Heavy rain began falling over southern Val Verde County early on the morning of May 27. The rain continued through the morning, with reports from the city of Del Rio of accumulations approaching 6 inches by 8 am CST. An additional 2.5 inches of rain fell over the Del Rio area between 8 am and 2 pm. As a result of the rainfall, county roads flooded across the southern third of the county. Some of the worst flooding occurred in and around the city of Del Rio, where 11 people were evacuated to shelter at the Civic Center as water threatened to enter their homes. Many students were unable to get to their schools that morning. Others who had reached their schools were dismissed early as soon as a temporary break in the heavy rainfall occurred. Law enforcement officials guarded the most dangerous low water crossings through the morning and mid afternoon. This rainfall set a record for the month of May.
June 1997Flash FloodDel Rio$80,000no account filed
May 2004HailComstock$75,000The first supercell began to produce severe weather near 6 pm in Comstock. The combination of large hail and damaging winds broke windows in nearly every home and vehicle in Comstock. In addition, the hail caused widespread minor roof damage. One house had major roof damage. As this supercell thunderstorm began to move to the east-northeast...a second supercell thunderstorm formed to its southwest and began to move toward the city of Del Rio.
April 2022Thunderstorm WindAmistad Res East$50,000A thunderstorm produced a wind gust measured at 58 mph. The wind tore a 10 foot by 20 foot section of roof off a house that damaged power lines resulting in a power outage on the south shore of Lake Amistad.
May 2018Tornado (EF0)Pandale Mills Arpt$50,000A weak tornado moved through a hunting camp in north central Val Verde County. It damaged some 5th wheel campers and knocked down power lines. The storm moved off to the north bringing down more power lines, but no poles. The strongest winds were estimated at 75 mph that caused EF0 damage. The tornado crossed into southern Crockett County before dissipating.
June 2014Flash FloodLangtry$50,000Coop Observer reported roads flooded around Langtry. Portions of the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center sustained heavy water damage from a leaking roof after getting nearly 12 inches of rain in only a few hours.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindAmistad Res East$50,000A thunderstorm produced an estimated wind gust of 60 mph which overturned a boat on Lake Amistad near Tank Canyon.
August 2007Flash FloodLangtry$50,000Showers and thunderstorms associated with Erin spread across the northwest half of Val Verde County in the mid-afternoon. Rain totals averaged between 3 and 4 inches with up to 8 inches east of Juno and around Pandale. Flash flooding began in the evening and continued through midnight into the early morning hours. SH163, FM189, and FM1024 were reported closed due to high water.
May 2004Tornado (F1)Del Rio$50,000Shortly after the severe winds and hail, the first and most powerful of several tornadoes struck. It was observed by the Val Verde County Emergency Manager as it touched down near 640 pm south of Amistad Lake along Holdup Pass, approximately one mile south of US 90. The tornado, rated F1on the Fujita scale, was about 100 yards wide. It first moved eastward destroying the roof of a home and tossing the debris over one-quarter mile along its path. Occupants of the home had found shelter in their interior closet and were uninjured in spite of considerable damage to the home and the surrounding area. After tracking eastward for one mile the tornado turned 45 degrees to the right and tracked along mostly open country for almost 3 more miles. Along the route it tore down power poles, leveled vegetation, damaged roofs and broke windows. It then lifted and dissipated
October 2003Flash FloodEast Portion$50,000Showers and thunderstorms moving across the county from mid morning through the late evening produced general 2 to 3 inch totals over the eastern half of the county. Isolated totals to 5 inches were indicated near Del Rio. Roads in and around low water crossings were closed from the late morning into the mid and late afternoon over the northeast part of the county. Roads in and around the Del Rio area were closed from noon through midnight. Damages were generally confined to roads and bridges.
June 2002Flash FloodDel Rio$50,000Rainfall of up to 4 inches in less than 2 hours caused flash flooding across the city of Del Rio. The Sheriff's Department reported numerous low water crossings flooded in the city.
October 2002Flash FloodSouth Portion$50,000Scattered thunderstorms from the late evening of October 7 into the morning of October 8 produced widespread 1 to 2 inch rainfall with isolated totals to 6 inches from below Amistad Dam into the Del Rio area. The Val Verde Sheriff's Department reported flash flooding across numerous roads south and east of Amistad Dam. The flash flooding continued into the morning hours.
March 2000Tornado (F1)Del Rio$50,000A small tornado was produced by a supercell storm that had formed in Mexico and moved northeastward into the U.S. The tornado destroyed a small barn, overturned trailers and killed several cattle. The report was made simultaneously by a rancher and a park ranger.
February 1998Thunderstorm WindComstock$50,000A severe downburst destroyed a building east of Comstock, also damaging trees and vegetation in the area.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindComstock$50,000Storm produced winds estimated at over 60 mph at Mayfield. It blew over a small building that had been anchored in the ground. At Comstock, winds estimated at over 60 mph blew down numerous power lines.
April 1994HailLaughlin Air Force Ba$50,000DPS trooper reported hail from 0.75- to 1-inch in diameter falling along highway 90 E just eas of the Laughlin Air Force Base front gate. Two VIP 6 storms had merged just east of the base about 1500 CST.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$50,000At 1550 CST the roof of a barn and a car shed was blown off in northern Val Verde County. At almost the same time, wind gusts to 66 knots were recorded at Rough Canyon at Lake Amistad. The storm then dissipated very quickly.
April 1994HailLangtry$50,000Thunderstorms that formed along a cold front moved southeastward across Val Verde County, producing widespread heavy rain and hail. Golf ball-sized hail fell southwest of Laughlin Air Force Base, along with very heavy rainfall. The hail was reported to be two inches deep. At 1658 CST, softball-sized hail was spotted just east of Langtry. A funnel cloud was sighted 12 miles south of Pandale by a deputy sheriff. At the same time, a funnel cloud was reported 10 miles northwest of Comstock by a deputy sheriff. Laughlin Air Force Base weather personnel reported funnel clouds over the base as well.
October 1993Tornado (F1)Del Rio$50,000Two tornados were reported in the south part of the County, and large hail reports were made from across the County. The first tornado moved through the southeast part of Del Rio, causing widespread minor damage to the area. The second tornado moved through the Val Verde Estates area of Del Rio. Several mobile homes were destroyed and damaged, four persons had minor injuries.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$50,000no account filed
July 2003Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$40,000Downburst winds from the line of thunderstorms flipped over a trailer at Del Rio. The trailer was located in the south part of the city near the Rio Grande.
September 1996Thunderstorm WindCountywide$40,000no account filed
April 2025Thunderstorm Wind(Drt)Del Rio Intl Ar$25,000A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. The wind damaged the roofs of several buildings at an apartment complex, peeled sheet metal off another structure, and downed a tree. The damage was near Del Rio High School along Memorial Dr. and Avondale St.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindComstock$25,000no account filed
October 2000Flash FloodSoutheast Portion$25,000no account filed
July 1991Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
September 1988Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1982Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
April 2020Thunderstorm WindAmistad Res East$20,000A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 70 mph that knocked down power poles near Salem Point on Lake Amistad.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindAmistad Res East$20,000Severe thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 55 knots blew down trees at Lake Amistad.
September 2003Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$20,000The Val Verde County Sheriff's Department reported power lines blown down by severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 knots in the southern part of Del Rio.
March 2000HailDel Rio$20,000no account filed
March 1998Flash FloodNorth Portion$15,000Hwy 163 near Baker's Crossing was flooded for over an hour as over 3 inches of rain had fallen upstream within the past hour.
May 1997Flash FloodCountywide$15,000Up to 3 inches of rain in under 2 hours produced flash flooding over the southern part of the county. Highway 90 was closed from Del Rio to Comstock. Widespread flooding of streets was also reported in the city of Del Rio.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindDel Rio$15,000A severe thunderstorm produced heavy rain, followed by damaging wind and finally a tornado as it moved into the Del Rio area. Winds damaged a houseboat and small outbuildings at Lake Amistad as the storm approached the city. Damage was reported to trees as it entered the western edge of the city. As much as three to five inches of rain, in less than a half-hour, produced widespread flooding along San Gabriel Creek, causing damages to homes and buildings. Nearly two dozen motorists were stranded in their vehicles in high water and had to be rescued. Widespread power outages were reported across Del Rio.
May 2001Flash FloodEast Portion$15,000no account filed
June 2000Flash FloodSoutheast Portion$15,000no account filed

Mines and quarries

21 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 21 workings inside this county. 4 still produce and 17 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Manganese11
Barium-Barite4
Sand and Gravel, Construction2
Nitrogen-Nitrates2
Limestone, General1
Stone, Crushed/Broken1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Reece Albert Inc Kelley PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Schnaubert Ranch QuarryLimestone, GeneralProducer
Del Rio Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Murrah Cave ProspectNitrogen-NitratesOccurrence
Unnamed OccurrenceNitrogen-NitratesOccurrenceUnderground
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducerGravel, Sand
Howard Draw Barite ProspectBarium-BariteOccurrence
Howard Draw MineBarium-BaritePast ProducerBarite
Mills Ranch Barite ProspectBarium-BariteOccurrence
Mills Ranch MineBarium-BaritePast ProducerBarite
Babb DepositsManganeseOccurrencePyrolusite, Wad
Babb Manganese ProspectManganeseOccurrence
Feely Mn ProspectManganeseOccurrence
Feely ProspectManganeseOccurrenceVein
Ingram-Howe DepositManganeseOccurrence1914
Mills Ranch MineManganesePast ProducerPyrolusite, Wad
Mills Ranch Mn ProspectManganeseOccurrence
Oppenheimer Canyon OccurrenceManganeseOccurrence
Oppenheimer Draw Mn ProspectManganeseOccurrence
Shumla DistrictManganesePast ProducerSOLUTION-CAVITY FILLING
Shumla Mn ProspectsManganeseProspect

Every populated place in the county

33

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.