NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Galveston, TX
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
65 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Galveston, Texas since 1851, 33 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 127 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 33
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 127
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Galveston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 69 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | NicholasSep 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | ImeldaSep 17 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 8 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | EdouardAug 5 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 17 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 74 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2003 | GraceAug 31 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 5 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | DeanJul 31 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | JerryOct 16 | 10 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 1 | 34 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | AllisonJun 26 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1987 | Unnamed 1987 stormAug 10 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | BonnieJun 26 | 44 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 20 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1982 | ChrisSep 11 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1980 | DanielleSep 5 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ClaudetteJul 24 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1978 | DebraAug 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | DeliaSep 5 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 55 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | FernSep 10 | 61 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | FeliceSep 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | AbbyAug 7 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1963 | CindySep 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | DebraJul 25 | 20 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1957 | BerthaAug 10 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 27 | 62 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 40 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 24 | 6 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 28 | 71 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 27 | 20 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 21 | 21 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 46 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 8 | 48 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormOct 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormAug 27 | 16 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 29 mi | Category 4 (148 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 22 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 17 | 17 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJul 21 | 35 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 19 mi | Category 4 (138 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJun 27 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 28 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 49 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 7 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 32 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 5 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJun 17 | 64 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 14 | 21 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormJun 24 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 26 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 17 | 57 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 17 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 9 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 4 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 3 | 48 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormJul 14 | 65 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 18 | 37 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Galveston: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Galveston
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s11
- 2000s18
- 1990s17
- 1980s30
- 1970s21(1 EF3+)
- 1960s15(4 EF3+)
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 1961 | F4 | 4 mi | 1 mi | 8 / 200 |
| Mar 8, 1976 | F3 | 23 mi | 12.7 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Aug 18, 1967 | F3 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 12, 1961 | F3 | 2 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1961 | F3 | 4 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 21, 1959 | F3 | 8 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 28, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 8.9 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 17, 1957 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Jun 5, 1981 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 5, 1981 | F2 | 2 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 9, 1981 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 9, 1971 | F2 | 4 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 127, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Galveston while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.