BlockBefore

Smyer, Texas

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Levelland census division. It lies in ZIP code area 79367. The Survey maps it on the Smyer quadrangle. 441 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,389 feet above sea level.

Smyer within Hockley County

Population over time

3 figures

Smyer fell from 480 to 441 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.

YearPeople Change
2000480
2010474-6 (-1%)
2020441-33 (-7%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 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

13 since 2009

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 13 fires within 5 miles of Smyer between 2009 and 2018, burning about 194 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined4
Equipment and vehicle use4
Debris and open burning3
Smoking1
Other causes1

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
25 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2011-93
25 August 2011Smoking2.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2011-92
30 July 2018Equipment and vehicle use6.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2018144
25 June 2018Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2018110
22 June 2018Other causes1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2018108
23 March 2013Debris and open burning20 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2013-23
23 February 2009Debris and open burning10 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2009-18
22 February 2017Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2017-25

Every fire recorded in Hockley County

Storms near this place

59 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Smyer in 59 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 34 hail, 16 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 1 flood. The reports record 2 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2025Tornado (EF1)Smyer2 hurtAn intense cyclic supercell thunderstorm produced a total of eight known tornadoes over portions of Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock Counties. This was the sixth of the tornadoes. This tornado developed approximately three miles northeast of Smyer damaging or destroying multiple manufactured homes as it moved eastward before dissipating along the Hockley/Lubbock County line. At least two manufactured homes were rolled off their foundations and heavily damaged causing two injuries.
May 2001Thunderstorm WindSmyer$70,000Strong thunderstorm wind destroyed a mobile home. An NWS storm survey indicated that wind gusts associated with this damage were likely in the 80 to 100 mph range.
May 1994HailSmyer$50,000no account filed
June 2003Thunderstorm WindSmyer$40,000Strong thunderstorm wind destroyed a mobile home.
March 2015Thunderstorm WindSmyer$10,000The Hockley County emergency manager forwarded a report of structural damage near the intersection of Nightingale and Deere Road in far eastern Hockley County. The roof to a well-constructed 60x75-foot metal barn was destroyed with debris strewn south for 1/4 mile. The time of the event was estimated.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindSmyer$5,000no account filed
May 1994HailSmyer$5,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindSmyer$1,000Strong thunderstorm wind removed numerous shingles from the roof of a house on Farm-to-Market Road 2130.
May 2014Tornado (EF0)Smyer$500Storm spotters and an off-duty NWS employee observed a seven minute tornado over rural land about seven miles southeast of Levelland. Although this tornado did destroy a small roof extension attached to an outbuilding, the construction of the roof was of low quality and therefore the tornado was assigned an EF0 rating.
October 2018Thunderstorm WindSmyer$300A trampoline was damaged after being lofted over a fence and landing in a neighbor's yard.
April 2025HailSmyer-A nearly stationary supercell over northeastern Hockley County generated severe size hail for nearly two hours. Numerous reports were received from the public and storm chasers of hail ranging in size from quarters to baseball size. No damage was reported from the hail.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Smyer measured a wind gust to 64 mph.
June 2025Tornado (EF2)Smyer-An intense cyclic supercell thunderstorm produced a total of eight known tornadoes over portions of Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock Counties. This was the seventh of the tornadoes. This new tornado formed close to the termination of the previous tornado just before it dissipated. An NWS storm survey revealed that a manufactured home had been rolled off its foundation and completely destroyed resulting in the EF-2 rating. Additional damage to structures was found as far south as the intersection of Texas State Highway 114 and Farm to Market Road 2378 in Lubbock County. The tornado then dissipated in Lubbock County just north of Texas State Highway 114.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Smyer measured severe wind gusts from 1838 CST through 1857 CST. A peak wind gust of 109 mph was measured at 1846 CST. These winds were associated with a rear flank downdraft.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Anton measured a wind gust of 63 mph.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Smyer measured a severe wind gust of 69 mph.
November 2024Flash FloodSmyer-Flash flooding was observed just east of Smyer along Texas State Highway 114 early in the morning of the 18th. Heavy rainfall from a line of thunderstorms produced a torrential amount of rainfall in a short period of time.
October 2023HailSmyer-A report from the public was received of hail up to two inches in diameter approximately three miles east of Smyer. No damage was reported.
June 2023HailSmyer-A trained spotter reported quarter size hail east of Smyer.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet in Smyer measured severe wind gusts from 1940 CST through 1942 CST. A peak wind gust of 61 mph was measured at 1940 CST. Additionally, visibility was briefly near zero due to blowing dust in Smyer.
May 2022HailSmyer-A trained spotter reported quarter size hail two to three inches deep on the ground.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Smyer measured severe wind gusts from 1703 CST through 1713 CST. A peak wind gust of 65 mph was measured at 1704 CST.
May 2021HailSmyer-A storm chaser reported hail up to tennis ball size southwest of Smyer. No damage was reported.
May 2021Tornado (EFU)Smyer-Numerous reports of a funnel cloud and a brief touchdown were received on a supercell just west of Wolfforth. The tornado briefly touched down in an open field in Hockley County just west of the Lubbock/Hockley County line. No damage was known from this tornado, therefore, a rating of EF-Unknown was assigned.
May 2020HailSmyer-A report of quarter size hail was received about two miles northwest of Smyer.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Smyer measured a peak wind gust of 71 mph at 2245 CST. Severe winds were measured from 2242 through 2252 CST.
March 2019HailSmyer-Reported on Farm-to-Market Road 1585. Damage information was not available.
May 2019HailSmyer-No damage was reported.
May 2019HailSmyer-Damage was not known.
June 2013HailSmyer-A Skywarn spotter reported quarter size hail near Smyer.
November 2011HailSmyer-The U.S. Post Office in Smyer estimated hail to the size of quarters. No damage was reported.
March 2011HailSmyer-Storm chasers reported golfball size hail near Smyer. No damage was reported.
May 2011HailSmyer-A trained spotter in Smyer reported very large two inch hail. No damage was reported.
June 2009HailSmyer-Post office employees reported golfball size hail in Smyer as a supercell thunderstorm moved westward into Hockley County from northwestern Lubbock County. No damage was reported.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindSmyer-A Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet meteorologist estimated thunderstorm winds in excess of 60 mph along Farm to Market Road 168 south of Smyer. No damage was reported.
May 2008Tornado (EF0)Smyer-A rope-shaped tornado was witnessed by several people north of Smyer just before 11:00 CST. The tornado reportedly remained in open fields near the Spade Ranch north of Texas Highway 114, and generally west of Farm to Market Road 168. Although the tornado may have actually crossed Farm to Market Road 168 before it dissipated, no damage was reported.
August 2008HailSmyer-Local newspapers reported that small hail caused minor damage to cotton crops just southeast of Smyer. Crop damages were reportedly light enough that crops were expected to generally recover by the end of the growing season.
June 2007HailSmyer-Hail up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter damaged a swath of cotton near the intersection of Farm to Market Roads 168 and 1294 north of Smyer.
August 2004HailSmyer-The public reported golfball size hail.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindSmyer-Strong thunderstorm winds snapped large tree limbs.
May 2001HailSmyer-Storm spotters reported golfball size hail.
May 2001Tornado (F0)Smyer-Law enforcement officials reported a brief tornado touchdown in open country west of town. No NWS storm survey was conducted.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindSmyer-Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees on Farm-to-Market Road 2130 about a mile north of Highway 114.
September 2017HailSmyer-no account filed
September 2016Funnel CloudSmyer-no account filed
July 2015FloodSmyer-no account filed
April 2001HailSmyer-no account filed
April 2001HailSmyer-no account filed
April 2001HailSmyer-no account filed
May 2001HailSmyer-no account filed
May 2001HailSmyer-no account filed
August 2001HailSmyer-no account filed
June 1999HailSmyer-no account filed
May 1996HailSmyer-no account filed
June 1995HailSmyer-no account filed
June 1995HailSmyer-no account filed
May 1995HailSmyer-no account filed
June 1995HailSmyer-no account filed
June 1995HailSmyer-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Hockley 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
Opdyke6.0 miles8
Opdyke West7.4 miles8
Arnett9.3 miles7
Levelland11.4 miles7
Ropesville11.8 miles9
Roundup12.8 miles10
Whitharral13.7 miles7
Clauene14.1 miles7

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 SmyerAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q973202The 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 1368526. 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.