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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Italy, TX

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Italy, Texas since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was John in 1994. Since 1950, 154 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
1

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
6

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
154

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
13

14 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Italy

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Italy, Texas, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
1994JohnSep 855 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 5
1983AliciaAug 1948 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1961CarlaSep 1237 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 1855 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 4
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27overheadTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1900Unnamed 1900 stormSep 937 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 4
1871Unnamed 1871 stormJun 547 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Italy: 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 Italy

By decade

  • 2020s17
  • 2010s23(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s17
  • 1990s24
  • 1980s14(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s36(6 EF3+)
  • 1960s11(3 EF3+)
  • 1950s12(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Italy, Texas
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 10, 1973F423 mi23.3 mi6 / 77
Mar 31, 1959F420 mi10.4 mi6 / 31
May 26, 1976F47 mi18.8 mi0 / 0
May 23, 1971F324 mi7.1 mi1 / 49
Dec 26, 2015EF320 mi8.52 mi0 / 46
May 9, 1981F316 mi5.2 mi0 / 0
May 11, 1978F316 mi7.2 mi0 / 0
May 25, 1976F319 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Apr 15, 1973F322 mi3.8 mi0 / 3
May 14, 1969F318 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Mar 16, 1965F311 mi11.1 mi0 / 1
Mar 26, 1961F3in town9.1 mi0 / 4

The strongest 12 of 154, 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 Italy 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.

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