BlockBefore

Carlsbad, Texas

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the West Tom Green census division. It lies in ZIP code area 76934. It stands on Sulpher Draw. The Survey maps it on the Carlsbad quadrangle. 622 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,024 feet above sea level.

Carlsbad within Tom Green County

Population over time

2 figures

Carlsbad fell from 719 to 622 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
2010719
2020622-97 (-13%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 9 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

80 since 2005

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 80 fires within 5 miles of Carlsbad between 2005 and 2020, burning about 1,482 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning41
Missing data/not specified/undetermined18
Equipment and vehicle use11
Power generation/transmission/distribution5
Smoking3
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Recreation and ceremony1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
3 September 2009Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service14TH & LLANO
11 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceGRASS FIRE
9 August 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceBURMA W CARLSBAD LOOP FIRE
8 August 2009Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service10539 GLASS CT.
26 August 2009Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service9500 N. US HWY 87
25 August 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceGRASS FIRE
23 August 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service9140 PARADISE LN.
19 August 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service4TH ST. FIRE

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Tom Green County

Storms near this place

60 of 72 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Carlsbad in 72 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 40 hail, 21 thunderstorm wind, 8 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2014Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad1 hurtA powerful microburst struck about 5 miles northeast of Grape Creek and produced one injury and extensive damage across the Indian Creek neighborhood located near the intersection of Glass Road and Grape Creek Road. ||Shingles were blown off several residences, a single wide mobile home was moved off its blocks, and several windows of mobile homes and vehicles were broken by the wind-driven hail. Mobile home skirting was blown out by the strong thunderstorm winds. In addition, several outbuildings were destroyed, a large metal building housing large hay bales was also destroyed as the metal was strewn a couple of hundred yards into a nearby field.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad$7,000,000Afternoon highs reached well above 100 degrees across a large part of West Central Texas. San Angelo measured 109 degrees. A cold front moving south across the region triggered thunderstorms. Several of these storms produced damaging thunderstorm winds. A line of storms formed just north of San Angelo and quickly began producing damaging downbursts winds across San Angelo and the Concho Valley. ||A National Weather Service Damage Survey team found evidence of downburst thunderstorm winds of 75 to 85 mph with some gusts to around 95 mph between Grape Creek and the San Angelo State Park. The downburst winds extended across San Angelo and was approximately 35 miles long and about 20 miles wide. At 7:44 PM CDT the damaging winds began near Grape Creek and snapped or fell about 24 power poles. These damaged poles were located near the baptist church on the south side of Grape Creek and they continued southeast along U.S. Highway 87. At 7:45 PM CDT, the West Texas Mesonet located just south of Grape Creek measured a 69 mph wind gust. By 7:54 PM CDT, these winds reached Mathis Field where the NWS San Angelo ASOS measured 78 mph. There was widespread roof damage across San Angelo. Lots of shingles and metal roofs were blown off, some windows were broken in homes, businesses and vehicles, a few garage doors were blown out, and many utility poles and power lines also were also blown down. Lots of trees were uprooted and large trunks were broken. A couple of hotels in downtown San Angelo, Shannon Hospital, and several apartment buildings lost some of their roofs. An apartment complex off of North Bryant near the Walmart lost a lot of roofing material. One of the walls on the north side of this apartment complex lost its brick veneer as it collapsed when the roof was slightly lifted. The ASOS at Mathis Field in San Angelo measured its last severe sustained wind of 58 mph at 8:16 PM CDT, along with a wind gust of 77 mph.
March 2004Tornado (F1)Carlsbad$200,000About eight manufactured homes were destroyed in the community of Carlsbad from a tornado. Other structures received minor damage.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad$10,000Severe thunderstorm winds lasted for several minutes.
May 2007HailCarlsbad$9,000Golf ball size hail fell for several minutes. Only minor damage was noted.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad$8,000Winds peaked out at close to 75 MPH. The high winds peeled back part of the roof at Grape Creek Middle school.|
May 2007HailCarlsbad$6,000Hail lasted for several minutes. The roar of the hail was heard well before the hail actually reached the observers location. Shingle damage was reported.
May 2007Flash FloodCarlsbad$5,000Heavy rains over the past couple of days combined with heavy rains of about 2 inches in 50 minutes resulted in water rising into a home in Grape Creek.
April 2025HailCarlsbad-The public reported 3 inch diameter hail in Carlsbad. The picture of the hailstone was on social media.
April 2025Tornado (EF1)Carlsbad-A supercell thunderstorm moved across Grape Creek Saturday |evening, producing a brief tornado that damaged numerous trees, |and uprooted at least two trees. The tornado also blew off many |roof shingles from a house, uplifted metal roofing panels from a |small outbuilding, moved a metal carport at least 15 feet, moved |and blew over a trash dumpster, and pushed a trailer a few feet |off its parked location on a stationary block.
April 2025HailCarlsbad-Public reported tennis ball size hail on social media. The very large hail fell between 9 and 930 pm.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-A trained spotter reported a wind gust of 74 mph in Grape Creek.
July 2025Flash FloodCarlsbad-Public video of a yard flooded at least a foot deep in Grape Creek.
July 2025Flash FloodCarlsbad-Law enforcement reported flooding in a home at 8200 North U.S. Highway 87 near Grape Creek.
November 2025HailCarlsbad-Public reported quarter size hail.
February 2024HailCarlsbad-Public reported quarter size hail in Grape Creek.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-Delayed report: There were several public reports of wind damage in the Carlsbad area, including large tree limbs and small trees knocked down.
May 2024HailCarlsbad-Public reported quarter size hail.
November 2024Flash FloodCarlsbad-Law enforcement reported flash flooding at the intersection of FM 2288 and US 87 northbound.
November 2024Flash FloodCarlsbad-Public reported on social media that a low water crossing on East Carlsbad Loop Road was flooded.
November 2024Flash FloodCarlsbad-Public reported on social media that a home was flooded in Grape Creek.
November 2024HailCarlsbad-Public reported half dollar coin size hail.
November 2024HailCarlsbad-Public report of baseball size hail in Grape Creek from social media. The time was estimated by radar.
November 2024Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-Trained spotter reported power flashes at the intersection of US 87 and Grape Creek Road.
May 2022HailCarlsbad-The public reported golf ball size hail in Carlsbad.
May 2022HailCarlsbad-Also, the winds were estimated at 45 mph.
September 2020FloodCarlsbad-A low water crossing at Walnut Grove road and Ricci Acres was flooded with three feet of deep water.
April 2019HailCarlsbad-A Facebook video showed ping pong ball size hail in Carlsbad.
April 2019HailCarlsbad-A tweeted picture of quarter to half dollar size hail was relayed by the media.
June 2019HailCarlsbad-The member of the public posted a photo of the hail via Tweetdeck.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 87 mph.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-A trained spotter reported a 65 mph wind gust in Grape Creek.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-Damaging thunderstorm winds broke several tree limbs and the largest tree limb was 4 inches in diameter.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-An amateur radio operator measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 71 mph in Grape Creek.
December 2015Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-The winds were estimated at 60 mph with a few tree limbs blown down.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-A National Weather Service employee estimated a thunderstorm wind gust at 60 mph in Grape Creek.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-The damaging wind gust caused a building to collapse.
May 2013Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-A part of a metal roof was damaged on Glass Court Road.
June 2011HailCarlsbad-Dime to nickel size hail was reported.
May 2010HailCarlsbad-Dime size hail was reported at Grape Creek Middle School.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-The damaging thunderstorm winds blew shingles off some roofs and broke some tree limbs.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-An amateur radio spotter reported this wind gust.
October 2010HailCarlsbad-A trained spotter reported nickel to quarter size hail covering the ground.
May 2007HailCarlsbad-Severe golfball size hail fell in Carlsbad for several minutes.
May 2007HailCarlsbad-Severe quarter size hail fell for several minutes in the Grape Creek community.
May 2007Flash FloodCarlsbad-Heavy Rains of 2 to 5 inches fell in the immediate vicinity of Carlsbad and produced enough rise to flood the East Carlsbad Loop in a short amount of time.
July 2007Flash FloodCarlsbad-Intense rainfall of about 3 inches in just over an hour produced localized flash flooding of a small, normally dry stream, just to the south of Grape Creek. Water was observed flowing rapidly across a low spot on Old Sterling City Highway.
March 2004Thunderstorm WindCarlsbad-Severe thunderstorm wind gust was measured from a mesonet site at the Grape Creek high school.
October 1993HailCarlsbad-Ham radio operators and storm spotters reported severe weather in and near San Angelo late on the 17th. In North San Angelo, two mobile homes were demolished, with other roofs, fences, power lines, and outbuildings damaged. Two people in one the the trailers sustained minor cuts and bruises. The damage was believed to be caused by a microburst. Golfball-size hail was reported by a spotter in Carlsbad at 2112 CST. Around 2210 CST, another microburst damaged an athletic supply building and the roof of a high school in north San Angelo. Later, quarter-size hail was reported in north San Angelo by a NWS employee. At 2345 CST, a NWS employee reported Ping-Pong-size hail 4 miles northeast of the San Angelo airport.
June 2019HailCarlsbad-no account filed
May 2014HailCarlsbad-no account filed
May 2014HailCarlsbad-no account filed
May 2014HailCarlsbad-no account filed
May 2014HailCarlsbad-no account filed
May 2013HailCarlsbad-no account filed
October 2012HailCarlsbad-no account filed
May 2010HailCarlsbad-no account filed
April 2008HailCarlsbad-no account filed
April 2008HailCarlsbad-no account filed
April 2008HailCarlsbad-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Tom Green County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Grape Creek5.4 miles11
Water Valley5.8 miles9
San Angelo14.7 miles17
Alvery Junction14.7 miles17
S N Junction15.9 miles17
Orient16.9 miles15
Tankersley17.7 miles17
Harriet17.7 miles15

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on CarlsbadAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q979881The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1353826. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

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.

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.