BlockLoraine, Texas
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Loraine census division. It lies in ZIP code area 79532. The Survey maps it on the Loraine quadrangle. 504 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,267 feet above sea level.
Population over time
3 figuresLoraine fell from 656 to 504 between 2000 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 656 | |
| 2010 | 602 | -54 (-8%) |
| 2020 | 504 | -98 (-16%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 8 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1954 USGS Big Spring quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1958 USGS Big Spring quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Loraine quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Sweetwater quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
6 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Loraine between 2009 and 2020, burning about 15 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 |
|---|---|
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 July 2011 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 5.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | CR 182 FIRE |
| 25 June 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | I-20 MM 230 FIRE |
| 31 May 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | GRASS FIRE MM232 ACTULLY AT THE 228 |
| 10 February 2009 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | LORAINE |
| 20 December 2010 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 5.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | FM 1230 CR 182 FIRE |
| 6 January 2009 | Smoking | 2.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | 230 MM1-20 |
Storms near this place
60 of 62 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Loraine in 62 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 31 hail, 17 thunderstorm wind, 7 tornado, 6 flash flood. The reports record 4 injuries. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | 3 hurt, $10,000 | Tractor-trailer blown over along I-20. Video shared via email. Wind speeds are estimated to be between 60 to 70 mph. Property cost damage is an estimation. |
| March 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Loraine | 1 hurt, $275,000 | A weak tornado struck the city of Loraine resulting in one injury and damage to several light-weight structures and vehicles. Damage surveyed by a National Weather Service meteorologist began on the south side of the city near Looby Street. From there the tornado traveled northeast producing a one mile long damage path that cut across the southeast corner of the city to near Interstate 20. Along the path, a roof was partially removed from one home and several vehicles and trailers were damaged or destroyed. About $100,000 worth of musical equipment was destroyed when a cargo trailer was rolled by the tornado. The tornado began to dissipate as it crossed Interstate 20 on the east side of the city. Before doing so, it blew two semi-trucks off of the highway, injuring one driver. Several eye witnesses described seeing the tornado's condensation funnel and debris whirling beneath it. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $3,000,000 | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced wind damage near Loraine. Multiple high profile train cars derailed just south of I-20 near mile marker 223 along Lucus Road. The survey team estimated that the wind speeds were roughly 90 mph through this area. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| January 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $590,000 | A wind turbine was destroyed by the severe gust. In addition, a cedar tree was also snapped near its base. |
| May 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Loraine | $65,000 | Thirteen power poles blown down as a result of a brief tornado in eastern Mitchell County. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Tornado (EF1) | Loraine | $40,000 | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced a tornado in Loraine. A damage survey was conducted the next day. The tornado touched down at approximately 9 am CDT and continued generally northeast for a distance of 0.16 miles before lifting. The tornado was on the ground for less than one minute. There was extensive damage to a barn where several walls collapsed and a pole with a cement base was pulled out of the ground. There was also damage to the local fire chief's house where debris from the barn became embedded in the side of the house. At its widest the tornado was estimated to have a width of approximately 50 yards. Based on the damage, the tornado will be rated as an EF-1 with estimated wind speeds of 100 mph. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $40,000 | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced wind damage in Loraine. Straight line winds blew the roofs off of two homes and a barn in Loraine between 905 and 915 am CDT. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| April 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $30,000 | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and winds from the storm resulted in ten downed power poles. The cost of damage is a rough estimate. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $17,000 | An NWS damage survey determined thunderstorm winds damaged a utility pole...destroyed the roof on a building...and caused minor roof damage to a church. |
| June 2018 | Flash Flood | Loraine | $15,000 | Heavy rain from thunderstorms fell across northeast Mitchell County and produced flash flooding. A pickup truck was found washed off the I-20 feeder road at North Fork Champion Creek. The water line on the bridge suggested the water was near 10 feet deep over the feeder road at one point. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| March 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $10,000 | A large tin barn was damaged by severe thunderstorm winds on the north side of the city. The winds entered the structure through a garage door, and blew out the opposite wall. The areal coverage of the severe squall line expanded north and south as it progressed east into west central Texas. Numerous small scale circulations developed along the leading edge of the line in association with line echo wave patterns and bowing segments. Two weak tornadoes resulted over Mitchell County. In addition, damaging thunderstorm winds and hail remained a threat until the convective complex exited the Permian Basin and continued east across central Texas. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Loraine | $10,000 | Reported along Interstate 20 on the county line. Damage sustained to vehicles traveling on the interstate. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $8,000 | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced wind damage in Loraine. There were power lines reported down in Loraine. The time was estimated from radar. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| September 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $5,000 | On FM 644 reports of broken windows from hail and wind. Wind speeds were estimated to be approximately 80 mph. Property damage cost is an estimation. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $1,500 | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced wind damage in Loraine. Power lines were reported to be down in Loraine. The cost of damage is a rough estimate. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $1,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds ripped a metal roof off of a barn. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $1,000 | Microburst winds knocked down 6 trees, a few antennas, and broke some windows in Loraine. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | $1,000 | Large tree limbs were blown off |
| May 2017 | Flood | Loraine | $500 | Heavy rain fell across Mitchell County and produced flooding south of Loraine. Ranch Road 644 south of Loraine was closed due to high water. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| March 1993 | Hail | Loraine | $500 | Golfball-size hail fell in Loraine, in eastern Mitchell County. No significant damage was reported. |
| June 2017 | Flash Flood | Loraine | $300 | Heavy rain moved across Mitchell County and produced flash flooding west of Loraine. There were flooded access roads along I-20 between mile markers 224 and 221. There was flooding along Lucus Road south of I-20. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Loraine | $300 | A trained spotter reported two to three feet of water on FM 1982 five miles north of Lorraine. This flash flooding resulted from thunderstorms that moved across northern Mitchell County. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate. |
| May 1993 | Hail | Loraine | $50 | SKYWARN spotters and the public reported golf ball-size hail in Colorado City. The hail covered the ground and caused minor damage to crops and vehicles. As the storm moved northeast, quarter-size hail fell north of Loraine, as reported by the Mitchell County Sheriff's Office. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Loraine | - | Public report of ping pong ball sized hail in Loraine was received by broadcast media in Abilene. The total time of occurrence is partially estimated by radar. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Loraine | - | A report of dime size hail was received from mPING. |
| September 2023 | Hail | Loraine | - | Report from mPING of quarter-size hail. |
| April 2016 | Tornado (EF0) | Loraine | - | A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced a tornado about three miles west of Loraine. It was a brief weak tornado over an open field, and no damage was reported. It was rated as an EF-0 since no damage was reported. The path length and width were estimated. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Loraine | - | A thunderstorm moved over Mitchell County and produced quarter sized hail seven miles north of Loraine. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Loraine | - | This report was relayed by the local radio station. Minor damage to tree limbs was also reported. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | - | No damage was reported with this event. |
| March 2008 | Hail | Loraine | - | Pea to nickel sized hail fell southeast of Loraine. |
| April 2007 | Hail | Loraine | - | Golfball size hail fell two miles north of Lone Wolf Mountain. |
| March 2007 | Flash Flood | Loraine | - | The radio station in Colorado City reported that streets in Loraine were flooded. |
| May 2005 | Hail | Loraine | - | The public and an employee at the local post office reported quarter size hail in Loraine. The hail reportedly covered the ground. |
| May 2005 | Flash Flood | Loraine | - | Flash flooding resulted in half a foot of water flowing through many city streets in Loraine. Storm spotters reported that the street flooding was brief and that no damage or injuries occurred. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Loraine | - | An off-duty NWS employee photographed a brief tornado north of Loraine. This tornado persisted for less than a minute and remained over open country north of Interstate 20. |
| August 2004 | Flash Flood | Loraine | - | Heavy rainfall resulted in flash flooding over rural portions of northern Mitchell County. Local officials reported high water flowing over the intersection of County Road 426 and Farm to Market Road 644 south of Loraine. |
| October 2003 | Hail | Loraine | - | An isolated severe thunderstorm developed along an outflow boundary and affected the city of Loraine in northeast Mitchell County. Local officials at the City Hall reported large hail. |
| October 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Loraine | - | Several rural residents observed a tornado southeast of Loraine as it was illuminated by near continuous lightning. Witnesses described the tornado as cone shaped, and indicated that vegetation was lofted into the the air in the tornado's debris cloud. The tornado was observed for at least four minutes in open rangeland, and no damage was reported. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Loraine | - | Multiple spotter reports. |
| May 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Loraine | - | Storm spotters reported a brief tornado. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | - | Thunderstorm winds resulted in four tractor -trailers overturning on Interstate 20. |
| May 2021 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| March 2018 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| April 2017 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| April 2016 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| October 2014 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| October 2003 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Loraine | - | no account filed |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley View | 6.6 miles | 9 | |
| Colorado City | 8.2 miles | 9 | |
| Buford | 8.4 miles | 9 | |
| Lowe | 16.3 miles | 8 | |
| Westbrook | 16.4 miles | 8 | |
| Spade | 17.6 miles | 10 | |
| Cuthbert | 17.6 miles | 8 | |
| Pecan Crossing | 18.1 miles | 8 |
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 Loraine | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q982198 | The 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 1340554. 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.