Zapata County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Zapata County, TX right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 718 alerts that included Zapata County, roughly 72 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (140 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on May 26, 2020. 5 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Zapata County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Jim Hogg County, Webb County, Starr County.
Zapata County alert history
Alert events that included Zapata County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 140 | 5 | May 9, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 136 | 14 | June 20, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 66 | 1 | July 23, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 57 | 6 | October 16, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 56 | 4 | October 16, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 53 | 0 | December 21, 2025 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 33 | 1 | May 27, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 31 | 1 | June 20, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 29 | 3 | January 27, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 27 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 20 | 2 | January 27, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 19 | 3 | February 1, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 16 | 3 | November 8, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 6 | 2 | June 19, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 6 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 5 | 2 | January 26, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 4 | 0 | January 20, 2025 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 4 | 0 | February 21, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 3 | 0 | January 21, 2025 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 2 | 2 | June 19, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 2 | 0 | June 20, 2024 |
| High Wind Warning | 1 | 0 | December 13, 2018 |
| Tornado Warning | 1 | 0 | May 26, 2020 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | July 23, 2020 |
Tornado history in Zapata County
5 tornadoes have been recorded in Zapata County since 1950, injuring 40 people. That ranks 245 of 254 counties in Texas. The most recent was on July 20, 2005 (rated F0).
Strongest tornadoes in Zapata County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | Zapata County | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 20 |
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | Zapata County | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 20 |
| September 7, 1956 | F2 | Zapata County | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 2002 | F0 | Zapata County | 2 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 20, 2005 | F0 | Zapata County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 20, 2005 | F0 | Zapata County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 2002 | F0 | Zapata County | 2 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | Zapata County | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 20 |
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | Zapata County | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 20 |
| September 7, 1956 | F2 | Zapata County | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Zapata County
- Population: 13,819 (2024 estimate)
- State: Texas
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 048505 (how to use it)