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Wheeler, Texas

6 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the Wheeler census division. It lies in ZIP code area 79096. The Survey maps it on the Wheeler quadrangle. 1,487 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,507 feet above sea level.

Wheeler within Wheeler County

Population over time

2 figures

Wheeler fell from 1,592 to 1,487 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
20101,592
20201,487-105 (-7%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 surveys from 6 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

132 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 132 fires within 5 miles of Wheeler between 2006 and 2020, burning about 7,068 acres in total. 24 started naturally. 12 were 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
Equipment and vehicle use32
Missing data/not specified/undetermined32
Natural24
Debris and open burning13
Arson/incendiarism12
Power generation/transmission/distribution12
Misuse of fire by a minor5
Smoking2

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
7 September 2012Natural20 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceCHARLES MOORE
4 September 2012Equipment and vehicle use5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceWHEELER FEED YARD
15 September 2015Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSTACK LOT
15 September 2013Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service67-13
10 September 2013Equipment and vehicle use5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service66-13
1 September 2010Natural1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceJACK HELTON
1 September 2010Natural1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceCHRISTNER
8 August 2018Power generation/transmission/distributionunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service642018

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Wheeler County

Storms near this place

60 of 130 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wheeler in 130 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 93 hail, 25 thunderstorm wind, 7 tornado, 2 flash flood. 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
June 2018Thunderstorm WindWheeler1 hurtMultiple trees and power lines down throughout the town of Wheeler. 5 people trapped in a home, roof collapsed. One house destroyed in northwest Wheeler. Tree fell on vehicle trapping two people. One person transported to hospital with injuries.
April 2001Tornado (F2)Wheeler$150,000An official storm damage survey was made of the estimated tornado path length and width. A home and farm equipment were severely damaged. Several large trees and power poles were also knocked down. Several areas of non-tornadic downburst winds were also assessed...primarily in the west and southwest areas of Wheeler county.
May 1995HailWheeler$75,000no account filed
March 2000Thunderstorm WindWheeler$36,000Several roofs blown off along with several power poles down.
March 2007Thunderstorm WindWheeler$21,000Whole cottonwood trees were blown over by the high winds. Powerlines and power poles were blown down. Overhead doors blown out of a barn. No injuries were reported.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindWheeler$9,000A power pole was blown down and multiple large tree branches were snapped across the town.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindWheeler$7,000A car port was blown over and windows to a sports utility vehicle were blown out by thunderstorm wind gusts.
August 2004Thunderstorm WindWheeler$6,000Trampoline was blown over and onto a house.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindWheeler$5,000HVAC ducting blown off of a roof. Public report relayed by broadcast media.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindWheeler$5,000An off-duty National Weather Service employee reported that there were power poles blown down and there was also some damage to tree limbs.
July 2009HailWheeler$3,000A trained spotter reported that the large hail had broken the windows of a residence.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWheeler-The mesonet station located four miles east of Wheeler measured a 63mph wind gust from some showers that moved across the area.
August 2023FloodWheeler-Law enforceement reported water covering the road on HWY 152 near the feed lot.
May 2019HailWheeler-Late report of pea to penny size hail, time estimated from radar.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Trees uprooted. Time estimated by radar.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Late report of 2 homes with roof damage. The first had the metal roof completely torn off and the other had a quarter of the roof shredded.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Wheeler RAWS site recorded 66 MPH peak gust.
June 2018Tornado (EF0)Wheeler-This brief tornado began at 1021 PM CDT 2 miles northwest of Wheeler, Texas and ended at 1022 PM CDT approximately 1 mile northwest of Wheeler, Texas. The tornado had a path length of about 0.6 miles, and a path width of 50 yards. This tornado was rated EF-0 with an estimated peak wind speed of 80 to 85 mph. EF-0 damage occurred to trees, barns, and 5 homes. One manufactured home was completely destroyed. The other homes had roof damage.
May 2018HailWheeler-Late report of dime to quarter sized hail, with up to half an inch of rain measured. Time of report estimated from radar.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Late report of trees up to 2 feet diameter being felled close to the trunk due to thunderstorm winds.
May 2018Funnel CloudWheeler-Local ABC affiliate webcam capturing high based funnel cloud with thunderstorm.
May 2018Funnel CloudWheeler-Storm chaser video showed a funnel cloud.
May 2018HailWheeler-Report received from the spotter network.
May 2018HailWheeler-Report received by Twitter.
May 2018HailWheeler-Report relayed from Broadcast Media.
May 2018HailWheeler-Broadcast media relayed the report of baseball sized hail.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Multiple power poles snapped, power lines down, and trees down on highway 83.
May 2016HailWheeler-Quarter size hail was reported two miles east of Wheeler.
May 2016HailWheeler-One inch hail fell in Wheeler.
May 2016HailWheeler-Quarter size hail fell on Highway 83, 5 miles north of Wheeler. No significant hail accumulation was noted, although minor street flooding occurred in Wheeler.
May 2016HailWheeler-Quarter size hail fell in Wheeler. No significant hail accumulation occurred.
April 2015HailWheeler-Golf ball size hail fell in Wheeler.
April 2015HailWheeler-The public estimated 2 inch diameter hail in Wheeler. A specific location was not obtained but radar data indicates the most likely location would have been the southeast side of town. No damage was reported.
April 2015HailWheeler-Quarter size hail was reported in Wheeler.
April 2015HailWheeler-Tennis ball size hail was reported 2 miles east-northeast of Wheeler by a storm chaser.
May 2015Flash FloodWheeler-Heavy rain caused flooding in a few locations in Wheeler County. Flash flooding was reported on Highway 152 between County Road 16 and 17, where 6 to 12 inches of water covered the road. Flooding was also reported one mile west of Shamrock, where the Interstate 40 service road was impassable.
April 2014HailWheeler-A supercell approached the city of Wheeler (Wheeler County) during the early evening hours of the 20th. A law enforcement official in the town of Wheeler (Wheeler County) reported golf ball (1.75 inches) size hail. The storms that produced this hail continued to slowly move to the southeast after producing this hail.
May 2009HailWheeler-The fire department reported dime to quarter size hail.
July 2009HailWheeler-The Wheeler Fire Department reported the hail at 12th Street and Canadian Street.
May 2008HailWheeler-The hail was reported to be covering the ground.
May 2008HailWheeler-Hail was reported south of Wheeler on U.S. Highway 83.
May 2008HailWheeler-Golf ball to lemon size hail reported by the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Report of six to ten inch diameter tree branches blown down along State Highway 152.
July 2004HailWheeler-Trained spotter lives right on the Hemphill and Wheeler county line.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindWheeler-Reported by local school net site.
April 2003Tornado (F0)Wheeler-The tornado remained over open country. The tornado path length and width were estimated. No damgae or injuries occurred from this tornado.
May 2003Tornado (F0)Wheeler-The tornado remained over open country. No damage or injuries were reported.
June 1997HailWheeler-Reported at intersection of Highways 1046 and 48.
March 1995HailWheeler-Wheeler County Sheriff's Office reported dime- to quarter-size hail.
July 1995HailWheeler-The sheriff's office reported dime size hail.
May 1995HailWheeler-A significant severe weather day with five tornadoes and hail up to softball-size. Damage in Pampa was estimate at over $200,000. The majority of the remaining damage occurred to automobile along highway corridors. All five tornadoes we over open county and were reported by Skywarn spotters, Vortex spotters or local TV meteorologists.
June 2023Flash FloodWheeler-no account filed
June 2019HailWheeler-no account filed
May 2018HailWheeler-no account filed
May 2017HailWheeler-no account filed
June 2012HailWheeler-no account filed
June 2012HailWheeler-no account filed
February 2012HailWheeler-no account filed
June 2012HailWheeler-no account filed
April 2012HailWheeler-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Wheeler 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
Magic City8.3 miles6
Kelton8.9 miles5
Twitty9.3 miles6
Briscoe9.6 miles5
Mobeetie10.2 miles5
New Mobeetie10.8 miles5
Gageby12.6 miles5
Kellerville13.3 miles5

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 WheelerAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q979821The 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 1371329. 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.