BlockBefore

Plains, Texas

7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Plains census division. It lies in ZIP code area 79355. The Survey maps it on the Plains quadrangle. 1,355 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,642 feet above sea level.

Plains within Yoakum County

Population over time

2 figures

Plains fell from 1,481 to 1,355 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
20101,481
20201,355-126 (-9%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 7 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

3 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of Plains between 2006 and 2015, burning about 500 acres in total. 1 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
Natural1
Smoking1
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1

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
18 September 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined300 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceYOAKUM CO. MUTUAL AID
4 July 2006Natural50 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSCHWARTZ FIRE
17 November 2010Smoking150 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceGRASS ASSIST

Every fire recorded in Yoakum County

Storms near this place

60 of 74 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Plains in 74 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 41 hail, 22 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 5 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
June 2008HailPlains$250,000The Yoakum County Sheriff's Office reported that baseball size hail smashed out many automobile windshields and punctured holes in the roofs of several mobile homes. Two Sheriff's Office cruisers sustained significant damage. Area gins and cotton farmers reported that more than 25,000 acres of cotton were destroyed east of Plains. No injuries were reported.
October 2002HailPlains$250,000Wind-driven tennis ball size hail produced significant damage to at least 54 homes and a number of automobiles. At least 2000 acres of cotton were destroyed.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindPlains$200,000A swath of extreme winds accompanied a bowing line-shaped convective complex as it moved southward over portions of Yoakum and Terry Counties during the late evening hours of the 26th. Severe winds initiated over central Yoakum County as measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Plains where a 62 mph gust was recorded at 20:45 CST. A cattle feed lot located on the New Mexico and Texas state line in western Yoakum County measured a peak gust of 81 mph according to newspaper accounts.||Damage to utility poles, lines, and trees was widespread. Numerous power poles were snapped along Farm to Market Road 213. Some minor crop damage occurred due to sandblasting. No significant structural damage was reported.||Law enforcement officials reported damage in and near Denver City when the winds spread south across southern Yoakum County. Winds estimated up to 70 mph reportedly occurred in the city between 21:10 and 21:15 CST. A number of power poles were snapped by the winds.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindPlains$75,000Newspaper articles reported damaging thunderstorm winds up to 70 miles per hour across northern Yoakum County. The worst damage was reported near Farm to Market Road 1780 where a number of irrigation systems and utility poles were damaged.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindPlains$10,000The Texas Tech Mesonet station north of town measured a 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust. The strong wind destroyed a barn.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindPlains$10,000no account filed
May 1998HailPlains$5,000no account filed
June 1999HailPlains$3,000Large hail damaged a car and broke the windshield.
October 2002Thunderstorm WindPlains$2,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power poles and trees.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPlains-Law enforcement in Yoakum County reported widespread power outages in the town of Plains due to blown down power poles.
April 2025HailPlains-Local broadcast media relayed public reports of hail ranging from golf ball to ping pong ball size in Plains.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured severe wind gusts from 2003 CST through 2010 CST. A peak wind gust of 63 mph was measured at 2007 CST.
September 2025Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a severe wind gust of 59 mph.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust of 61 mph.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured severe wind gusts from 1535 CST through 1537 CST. A peak wind gust of 68 mph was measured at 1535 CST.
May 2023HailPlains-Law enforcement in Plains reported large quantities of accumulating hail up to the size of quarters.
May 2023HailPlains-Law enforcement reported quarter size hail in the city of Plains.
May 2022HailPlains-A local co-op gin reported golf ball size hail. No damage was reported.
May 2021Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust to 61 mph.
June 2021HailPlains-A trained spotter reported quarter size hail in rural east-central Yoakum County.
May 2021Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust to 58 mph.
May 2021HailPlains-Several reports were received of hail up to golf ball size from about four miles west-southwest of Plains to Plains along US Highway 82. No damage was reported.
May 2021HailPlains-The Tokio, Texas co-op gin located at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 1780 and US Highway 82 reported golf ball size hail. No damage was reported.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust to 66 mph. Furthermore, law enforcement in Plains reported that a tree had been blown over and was blocking a roadway in the city of Plains.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust to 70 mph.
May 2018HailPlains-No damage information was available.
October 2018Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust to 71 mph.
June 2017HailPlains-Damage, if any, was unknown.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains recorded wind gusts up to 67 mph for 20 minutes.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a peak wind gust to 69 mph.
September 2011Thunderstorm WindPlains-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust to 59 mph. No damage was reported.
October 2010HailPlains-The public reported quarter to golfball size hail east of Plains along U.S. Highway 82/380. The hail damaged an estimated 2,500 acres of cotton crops.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindPlains-The public reported an estimated wind gust up to 70 mph associated with a thunderstorm along U.S. Highway 82 near the community of Allred. No damage was reported.
June 2010HailPlains-Local farmers reported that large hail destroyed 640 acres of cotton northwest of Plains. Event time is estimated based on Doppler radar.
June 2009HailPlains-Multiple reports of quarter size hail were received along a swath from just north of Plains to Farm to Market Road 1780 in extreme northeastern Yoakum County.
June 2008Tornado (EF0)Plains-A local television station broadcasted a viewer's photograph which showed a brief and small non-mesocyclonic tornado that occurred east of Plains. A number of witnesses reportedly observed the tornado in open fields near U.S. Highway 82/380. No damage was reported.
May 2008HailPlains-Storm Spotters reported nickel size hail along U.S. Highway 82 near the Texas and New Mexico state line southwest of Plains.
May 2007HailPlains-Law enforcement reported large hail up to the size of quarters between Bronco and Plains. Reports indicated severe damage to cotton crops east of Bronco.
June 2007HailPlains-The Terry County Emergency Management Office reported large hail up to the size of nickels in northeastern Yoakum County.
May 2006Tornado (F0)Plains-The local broadcast media relayed reports of a brief tornado north of Plains. No damage was reported.
May 2006HailPlains-Skywarn storm spotters reported golfball size hail just northeast of Plains.
September 2006HailPlains-Local farmers reported that large hail up to the size of quarters damaged cotton crops along a swath from U.S. Highway 82/380 east of Plains to the Yoakum and Terry County line northwest of Tokio. Newspaper articles reported that the hail knocked leaves off of many cotton plants.
May 2005Flash FloodPlains-CR380 between Plains and Brownfield closed due to water. CR1780 5 miles north of Plains flooded.
May 2005Flash FloodPlains-CR380 closed due to water. CR1780 flooded north of Highway 82 and CR380.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindPlains-Measured by the Texas Tech/West Texas Mesonet.
April 2004HailPlains-Golfball size hail was reported by the public.
September 2004Flash FloodPlains-Flooding resulted in the closure of intersection Highway 214 and Farm-to-Market Road 1939.
October 2004Flash FloodPlains-Three inches of rain flooded the area in 30 minutes. Law enforcement reported cars washed off roadways.
September 2003HailPlains-The Yoakum County Sheriff's Office reported golfball size hail.
June 2003Tornado (F0)Plains-The Yoakum County Sheriff's Office reported a tornado over open country.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindPlains-The West Texas Mesonet station north of town measured a 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
August 2001Tornado (F0)Plains-Storm spotters reported a (landspout) tornado near the intersection of County Road 225 and Farm-to-Market Road 214. The tornado remained over open country.
April 1999Tornado (F0)Plains-A brief tornado touchdown in open country was reported by law enforcement officials and by storm spotters. No survey was conducted.
April 1999Flash FloodPlains-Roads were reported flooded throughout the county.
April 1999Tornado (F0)Plains-A brief tornado in open country was reported by a storm spotter. No survey was conducted.
June 2007HailPlains-no account filed
May 2005HailPlains-no account filed
October 2004HailPlains-no account filed
October 2004Thunderstorm WindPlains-no account filed
September 2003HailPlains-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Yoakum 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
Sligo12.0 miles7
Bronco13.1 miles6
Allred14.3 miles6
Pleasant Hill14.4 miles7
Denver City15.5 miles6

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 PlainsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q982455The 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 1365369. 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.