NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Harlingen, TX
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
43 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Harlingen, Texas since 1851, 22 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Harold in 2023. Since 1950, 82 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 22
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 82
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Harlingen
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HaroldAug 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | NicholasSep 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | HannaJul 26 | 32 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2018 | HectorAug 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2011 | DonJul 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | overhead | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | DollyJul 23 | 18 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2003 | ErikaAug 16 | 65 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | BretAug 23 | 51 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1993 | ArleneJun 20 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1988 | UlekiSep 8 | 73 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1983 | BarryAug 28 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1980 | AllenAug 10 | 13 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1978 | AmeliaJul 30 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | FernSep 11 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | CandyJun 23 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1967 | BeulahSep 20 | 10 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1960 | Unnamed 1960 stormJun 24 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | GerdaSep 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | AlmaJun 15 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | AliceJun 25 | 45 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 2 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 26 | 72 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormSep 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 10 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 5 | 39 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJun 27 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormSep 7 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 14 | 73 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 18 | 57 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormJun 28 | 64 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormOct 16 | 49 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 15 | 49 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 31 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 11 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 26 | 46 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormSep 21 | 12 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormSep 23 | 25 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 13 | 3 mi | Category 3 (120 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 5 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 2 | 43 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormJun 26 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Harlingen: 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 Harlingen
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s8
- 2000s23
- 1990s15
- 1980s9
- 1970s9
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 1969 | F3 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1969 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1980 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1970 | F2 | 5 mi | 25.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 26, 1967 | F2 | 15 mi | 40.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1962 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 30, 2015 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1997 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1988 | F1 | 2 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1977 | F1 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 1970 | F1 | 16 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1970 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 82, 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 Harlingen 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.