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Silverton, Texas

7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Silverton census division. It lies in ZIP code area 79257. The Survey maps it on the Silverton quadrangle. 629 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,278 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Silverton within Briscoe County

On record in Silverton

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Silverton fell from 731 to 629 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
2010731
2020629-102 (-14%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 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

30 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 30 fires within 5 miles of Silverton between 2006 and 2020, burning about 2,135 acres in total. 5 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined13
Natural5
Equipment and vehicle use5
Power generation/transmission/distribution4
Debris and open burning3

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
21 September 2008Equipment and vehicle use50 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
29 August 2020Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service20031
3 July 2020Natural50 acresTexas A & M Forest Service20019
29 July 2018Natural20 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceWALKER FIRE
29 July 2018Natural5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceTIPTON FIRE
17 July 2017Natural70 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceARNOLD/BURSON FIRE
10 July 2020Power generation/transmission/distribution5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service20023
26 June 2020Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service20017

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Briscoe County

Storms near this place

60 of 145 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Silverton in 145 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 77 hail, 49 thunderstorm wind, 14 tornado, 2 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
May 2001HailSilverton$200,000Storm spotters reported that hail tennis ball size and larger broke windows.
May 2022HailSilverton$100,000The fire department in Silverton reported baseball size hail and numerous windshields destroyed.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindSilverton$100,000Storm chaser reported 12 power poles snapped. Several center pivot irrigation systems were destroyed.
June 1995HailSilverton$50,000Large hail damaged a few roofs and dented a couple of cars. The hail reports came from the sheriff's office.
March 2007Tornado (EF1)Silverton$35,000Multiple observers photographed a tornado that developed just southwest of Silverton at 16:43 CST. This tornado crossed Texas Highway 86 just west of Silverton. Local law enforcement officials reported that seven utility poles were damaged along with lightweight buildings as the tornado impacted the outskirts of the city. Storm chasers continued to track the tornado until it roped out north of Silverton over open terrain around 17:00 CST.
May 2001HailSilverton$35,000Storm spotters reported golfball size hail.
May 2001HailSilverton$35,000Storm spotters reported golfball size hail.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindSilverton$30,000Strong thunderstorm wind damaged a roof and blew down power lines.
April 2017HailSilverton$25,000Golf ball size hail was reported at Mackenzie Reservoir. The hail broke windows on cars and campers.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindSilverton$25,000A traveling downburst produced measured wind gusts ranging from 61 mph to 69 mph across southeastern Briscoe County. The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet station located southeast of Silverton recorded a peak gust of 61 mph at 905 pm CST and a similar site at Caprock Canyons State Park recorded multiple severe gusts between 905 pm CST and 917 pm CST. Additionally, a NWS COOP observer reported some downed trees and broken power poles throughout far southeastern Briscoe County. At Caprock Canyons State Park, a water plant north of Lake Theo suffered some structural damage and one fence near the maintenance area was damaged.
August 2004HailSilverton$25,000Law enforcement officials reported golfball size hail.
July 2011Flash FloodSilverton$20,000A thunderstorm developed and remained nearly stationary near Texas Highway 207 in Briscoe and Floyd Counties. This thunderstorm dumped between 10 and 11 inches of rainfall on a localized area between seven miles south of Silverton and five miles north of South Plains. A report of 10.5 of rainfall was received from a farmer who also stated that his basement flooded for the first time. This farmer lived ten miles south of Silverton along 207. Another public report was received of eight inches of rainfall around eight miles south of Silverton. The Texas Department of Transportation closed 207 at the Briscoe and Floyd County line during the evening with three feet of running water over the roadway. A NWS storm survey on the morning of the 12th revealed that one to two feet of standing water remained over the highway with one vehicle abandoned in a ditch. Additionally, area playa lakes were full but not flooded and erosion was evident where water flowed out of the fields.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindSilverton$20,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew the roof off a house and blew down power lines.
June 1995HailSilverton$20,000no account filed
May 2002Thunderstorm WindSilverton$15,000Strong thunderstorm wind gusts damaged several roofs and blew down trees and power lines.
April 2013Thunderstorm WindSilverton$12,000Destructive rear flank downdraft winds accompanying a tornado were found to have snapped or damaged as many as 10 power poles and removed the roof of a barn. Video provided by a storm chaser revealed high winds damaging the roof of the barn located about 300 yards south of the dissipating tornado.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindSilverton$10,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power poles west of town.
April 2013Tornado (EF1)Silverton$5,000A supercell thunderstorm produced an EF1 tornado in rural areas about 4.5 miles southeast of Silverton. This tornado damaged several power poles and one center pivot irrigation system. An NWS storm survey the following day discovered damage consistent with EF1 wind speeds. Video evidence from a storm chaser showed that very strong rear flank downdraft winds well outside the periphery of the tornado damaged the roof of a barn south of the tornado during its rope-out stage.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindSilverton$2,000Local law enforcement officials reported that damaging thunderstorm winds destroyed large tents and blew down utility poles at Mackenzie Reservoir in western Briscoe County. No injuries were reported.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindSilverton$2,000no account filed
May 2025HailSilverton-Several photographs on social media depicted a swath of hail northwest of Silverton near Mackenzie Reservoir along Texas State Highway 207.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured severe wind gusts from 2106 CST through 2113 CST. A peak wind gust of 79 mph was measured at 2109 CST.
November 2025Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a severe wind gust of 64 mph.
June 2024Tornado (EFU)Silverton-Two tornadoes occurred simultaneously in northern Briscoe County. This is the location of the first tornado that was reported. Early on the evening of June second, a supercell thunderstorm developed in far northern Swisher County. The storm crossed an outflow boundary as it moved east across northern and eastern Swisher County resulting in increasing rotation and development of a low-level mesocyclone. Storm chasers reported a tornado as the storm crossed into western Briscoe County. As this tornado was dissipating by around 1910 CST, another tornado began developing on the western flank of the first, becoming the dominant tornado by roughly 1914 CST. For four to five minutes both tornadoes appeared to be in contact with the ground simultaneously. The second tornado remained over open terrain to the east of County Road 207 and Texas State Highway 86 before dissipating just east of the Caprock Escarpment to the northeast of Silverton by 1934 CST.
June 2024Tornado (EFU)Silverton-Two tornadoes occurred simultaneously in northern Briscoe County. This is the location of the second tornado that was reported. Early on the evening of June second, a supercell thunderstorm developed in far northern Swisher County. The storm crossed an outflow boundary as it moved east across northern and eastern Swisher County resulting in increasing rotation and development of a low-level mesocyclone. Storm chasers reported a tornado as the storm crossed into western Briscoe County. As this tornado was dissipating by around 1910 CST, another tornado began developing on the western flank of the first, becoming the dominant tornado by roughly 1914 CST. For four to five minutes both tornadoes appeared to be in contact with the ground simultaneously. The second tornado remained over open terrain to the east of County Road 207 and Texas State Highway 86 before dissipating just east of the Caprock Escarpment to the northeast of Silverton by 1934 CST.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured severe wind gusts from 0141 CST through 0143 CST. A peak wind gust of 59 mph was measured at 0143 CST.
February 2023Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A swath of severe wind gusts occurred from near Silverton to Caprock Canyons State Park. Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet sites near Silverton and Caprock Canyons State Park measured severe wind gusts from 1805 CST through 1816 CST. A peak wind gust of 77 mph was measured at 1805 CST by the Silverton mesonet. A peak wind gust of 71 mph was measured by the Caprock Canyons State Park mesonet at 1814 CST.
June 2023HailSilverton-A local fire department reported hail ranging in size from ping pongs to baseballs. No damage was reported.
June 2023HailSilverton-Several reports were received of hail northwest of Silverton along State Highway 207 ranging in size from half dollar to ping pong balls.
May 2022HailSilverton-A storm chaser reported quarter size hail along Texas State Highway 207 in far northwestern Briscoe County.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a severe wind gust of 59 mph.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a severe wind gust of 66 mph.
June 2022HailSilverton-The fire department in Silverton reported accumulating hail with the largest hail up to quarter size.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured severe wind gusts from 0659 CST through 0724 CST. A peak wind gust of 66 mph was measured at 0701 CST.
March 2021Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 59 mph.
March 2021Tornado (EFU)Silverton-A storm chaser photographed a brief tornado about two miles southwest of Silverton in an open field.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 59 mph.
May 2020HailSilverton-Local broadcast media relayed a report of quarter size hail east of Vigo Park in Briscoe County.
May 2020HailSilverton-Several reports were received from social media and storm spotters of very large hail in Silverton. The largest hail size was estimated at 3.25 inches in diameter. Numerous vehicles were damaged by the hail.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A report from the public was received of power poles broken when a gust front went through the southern portions of the city of Silverton.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 73 mph.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust of 59 mph.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet station near Silverton measured a wind gust to 60 mph.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 72 mph.
March 2019Thunderstorm WindSilverton-Measured by a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet.
March 2019Thunderstorm WindSilverton-Measured by a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet.
May 2019HailSilverton-No damage was reported.
May 2019HailSilverton-The Silverton Fire Department reported quarter size hail in Silverton.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 66 mph.
October 2017Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 63 mph.
October 2017FloodSilverton-Widespread heavy rainfall occurred across eastern Briscoe, Hall, and western Childress Counties from the evening of the 4th through the early morning hours of the 5th. This torrential rainfall brought large scale flooding to eastern Briscoe County. Furthermore, minor river flooding occurred along the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindSilverton-Measured by a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet.
June 2016HailSilverton-The emergency manager in Silverton reported golf ball size hail. No damage was reported.
May 2016HailSilverton-Multiple reports from law enforcement, a fire department, and a storm chaser reported hail up to the size of golf balls in Silverton. No damage was reported.
August 2016Tornado (EFU)Silverton-A motorist on Texas Highway 86 west of Silverton photographed a tornado south of the highway moving slowly westward. No damage survey was conducted as the tornado remained over farmland. The times of the tornado were determined from the photos' exif data, with location and movement approximated from radar.
May 2015HailSilverton-An off-duty NWS employee estimated hail just over two inches in diameter on the ground, but not falling at the time. Damage was unknown.
May 2015Tornado (EF0)Silverton-An off-duty fire department volunteer observed a tornado about ten miles north-northeast of Silverton. Video from a motorist showed this tornado lasted for about one minute.
April 2015FloodSilverton-The NWS Lubbock regional hydrologist conducted a flood survey from torrential rains that fell across Briscoe, Floyd and Motley Counties. Rainfall rates from a high precipitation supercell were measured just above one half inch in five minutes with many locations receiving two to three inches of rain in 30 minutes or less. Despite many roads being temporarily impassable from a few feet of water, damage was not observed.
April 2013Thunderstorm WindSilverton-A KVII-TV schoolnet measured a wind gust of 66 mph in Silverton.

Every storm recorded in Briscoe 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
Rock Creek6.9 miles7
Whitney8.7 miles7
Quitaque15.1 miles7
Antelope Flats19.2 miles9
Woodburn Place19.4 miles9

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 SilvertonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q972949The 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 1368288. 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.