Texas hurricanes and tropical storms
Every recorded hurricane or tropical storm record since 1996 · 135 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 576 hurricane and tropical storm records in Texas from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 38 a year since 2000. The deadliest was Hurricane Ike (September 12, 2008): 37 deaths, 2,411 injuries and $19 billion in damage in 2025 dollars across 48 records. Texas ranks 5th of 34 states and territories by count and 21st of 33 per square mile.
Hurricanes and tropical storms in Texas, 1996 to 2026
Tropical records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 5761996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 38average
- Deaths
- 832,517 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $44.8Bas filed
- Busiest year
- 2020114 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are hurricane and tropical storm records common in Texas?
Texas averages about 38 hurricane and tropical storm records a year since 2000, 5th of 34 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2020 (114). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Texas records 22 hurricane and tropical storm records since 1996, 21st of 33 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Texas have the most hurricane and tropical storm records?
Per square mile, Galveston County leads Texas: 19 days with a hurricane or tropical storm record since 1996, 50.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Nueces County has the most tropical records (29 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is hurricane season in Texas?
66% of its hurricane and tropical storm records since 1996 fell in August and September. The busiest month is September (228 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 69 · Jul 110 · Aug 151 · Sep 228 · Oct 18 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest hurricane and tropical storm records in Texas?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-12 | Hurricane Ike · Storm Surge/TideGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston One named storm filed by several offices: 48 records in 4 episodes, 2008-09-12 to 2008-09-13; the totals are the storm's. The eye of Hurricane Ike moved ashore in Galveston County near the city of Galveston. At landfall, Ike had a central pressure of 951.6 mb, as measured at Galveston Pleasure Pier, and a maximum estimated storm surge of 17 feet over portions of Chambers County and the Bolivar Peninsula. Maximum sustained winds at ... | 37 | 2,411 | $19.5B | |
| 2001-06-05 | Tropical Storm Allison · Tropical StormHarris County · forecast zone Harris One storm episode: 12 records in 12 places, 2001-06-05 to 2001-06-08; the totals are the episode's. Tropical Storm Allison formed in the northwest Gulf of Mexico during the early afternoon of June 5th, 80 miles south of Galveston. Allison moved northward, making landfall on the west end of Galveston Island between midnight and 1am on the 6th, less than 12 hours after forming. As Allison moved inland it caused two to ... | 22 | 0 | $8.6B | |
| 2020-08-26 | Hurricane Laura · Hurricane (Typhoon)Jefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson One storm episode: 8 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. A tropical wave emerged off of Africa during August 16 and then developed into a depression by the 20th. The system gradually became better organized as it passed across the Greater Antilles. It entered the Gulf of Mexico and became a hurricane on the 25th. Outer bands spread inland during the afternoon of the 26th ... | 5 | 18 | $1.8B | |
| 2005-09-23 | Hurricane Rita · Hurricane (Typhoon)Liberty County · forecast zone Liberty One named storm filed by several offices: 18 records in 3 episodes, 2005-09-23 to 2005-09-24; the totals are the storm's. The eye of Hurricane Rita moved ashore in extreme southwest Louisiana between Sabine Pass and Johnson's Bayou In Cameron Parish with a minimum central pressure of 937 mb and maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Rita was a Category 3 hurricane at landfall.Two and a half weeks after Hurricane Katrina made her final and ... | 5 | 3 | $3.4B | |
| 2020-07-25 | Hurricane Hanna · Tropical StormHidalgo County · forecast zone Southern Hidalgo County One named storm filed by several offices: 11 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. Hurricane Hanna, the 2020 Atlantic season's first Hurricane, made landfall along the unpopulated Padre Island National Seashore on the mid-Kenedy County coastline as a Category 1 storm at around 5 PM Central Time Saturday, July 25th, carrying sustained 90 mph winds with gusts over 100 mph in a small portion of the ... | 5 | 0 | $932M | |
| 2017-08-25 | Hurricane Harvey · Hurricane (Typhoon)Aransas County · forecast zone Aransas One named storm filed by several offices: 23 records in 3 episodes, 2017-08-25 to 2017-08-26; the totals are the storm's. Major Hurricane Harvey impacted the Middle Texas coast on August 25th and 26th. Harvey was the first category 4 hurricane to strike Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961. Harvey severely affected the cities of Rockport, Fulton, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Holiday Beach, and Refugio. Minor to moderate damage ... | 3 | 64 | $8.6B | |
| 1998-09-07 | Hurricane Georges · Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston One named storm filed by several offices: 6 records in 2 episodes, 1998-09-07 to 1998-09-09; the totals are the storm's. Synoptic Situation...On Monday September 7 (Labor Day) a tropical disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico was increasing the pressure gradient along the Texas coast. A weak cold front had pushed south to near the Red River by Tuesday evening. At 4pm Tuesday the disturbance was upgraded to a Tropical Depression ... | 3 | 0 | $427M | |
| 2007-09-13 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Orange County · forecast zone Orange One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Hurricane Humberto made landfall as a strong category one hurricane in rural southwestern Jefferson County early in the morning on September 13th, over McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. Storm total rainfall ranged from one inch in southern Jasper and Newton Counties, to almost 11 inches near McFaddin Wildlife Refuge. ... | 1 | 12 | $50M | |
| 2003-07-15 | Hurricane Claudette · Tropical StormAtascosa County · forecast zone Atascosa One named storm filed by several offices: 7 records in 4 episodes; the totals are the storm's. The high winds from former Hurricane Claudette, now Tropical Storm Claudette, struck in the evening of July 15 and continued through most of the night - mainly over the southern part of the county. Winds were unofficially estimated at between 60 and 70 mph with gusts near 80 mph. About 100 homes lost power for a ... | 1 | 2 | $27M | |
| 2020-08-27 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Sabine County · forecast zone Sabine Observed scattered tree damage across the parish with more widespread damage across the southeastern corner of the parish and exposed areas to the open waters of Toledo Bend Reservoir in the far southwestern portion of the parish. Damage included snapped trees, roof damage to an apartment complex, and clusters of ... | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest hurricane and tropical storm records in Texas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-12 | Hurricane Ike · Storm Surge/TideGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston One named storm filed by several offices: 48 records in 4 episodes, 2008-09-12 to 2008-09-13; the totals are the storm's. | 37 | 2,411 | $19.5B | |
| 2001-06-05 | Tropical Storm Allison · Tropical StormHarris County · forecast zone Harris One storm episode: 12 records in 12 places, 2001-06-05 to 2001-06-08; the totals are the episode's. | 22 | 0 | $8.6B | |
| 2017-08-25 | Hurricane Harvey · Hurricane (Typhoon)Aransas County · forecast zone Aransas One named storm filed by several offices: 23 records in 3 episodes, 2017-08-25 to 2017-08-26; the totals are the storm's. | 3 | 64 | $8.6B | |
| 2005-09-23 | Hurricane Rita · Hurricane (Typhoon)Liberty County · forecast zone Liberty One named storm filed by several offices: 18 records in 3 episodes, 2005-09-23 to 2005-09-24; the totals are the storm's. | 5 | 3 | $3.4B | |
| 2020-08-26 | Hurricane Laura · Hurricane (Typhoon)Jefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson One storm episode: 8 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. | 5 | 18 | $1.8B | |
| 2008-07-23 | Hurricane Dolly · Tropical StormCameron County · forecast zone Cameron One storm episode: 7 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 4 | $1.4B | |
| 2020-07-25 | Hurricane Hanna · Tropical StormHidalgo County · forecast zone Southern Hidalgo County One named storm filed by several offices: 11 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. | 5 | 0 | $932M | |
| 1998-09-07 | Hurricane Georges · Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston One named storm filed by several offices: 6 records in 2 episodes, 1998-09-07 to 1998-09-09; the totals are the storm's. | 3 | 0 | $427M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are hurricane and tropical storm records becoming more frequent in Texas?
Texas's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Texas | United States | Texas's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 36 | 1,123 | 3.2% |
| 2000s | 222 | 4,928 | 4.5% |
| 2010s | 119 | 2,761 | 4.3% |
| 2020-26 | 199 | 2,697 | 7.4% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent hurricane and tropical storm records in Texas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Coastal Galveston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-17 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Bolivar Peninsula | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-17 | Tropical StormGalveston County · forecast zone Galveston Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-06-19 | Storm Surge/TideCameron County · forecast zone Cameron Island | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormTyler County · forecast zone Tyler | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormJasper County · forecast zone Northern Jasper | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormJasper County · forecast zone Southern Jasper | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormNewton County · forecast zone Northern Newton | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormNewton County · forecast zone Southern Newton | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormHardin County · forecast zone Hardin | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Orange County · forecast zone Orange | 0 | 0 | $34M | |
| 2020-10-09 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Jefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | $57M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for hurricane and tropical storm records in Texas
FEMA has declared 33 disasters in Texas for hurricane and tropical storm, counting its incident type and declarations that name hurricane or tropical storm or typhoon in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 25 were major disasters, the latest on July 9, 2024.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | DR-4798 | Hurricane Beryl | 67 |
| 2020-12-09 | DR-4572 | Hurricane Laura | 5 |
| 2020-08-24 | EM-3540 | Tropical Storms Marco and Laura | 62 |
| 2020-07-26 | EM-3530 | Hurricane Hanna | 32 |
| 2019-10-04 | DR-4466 | Tropical Storm Imelda | 7 |
| 2017-08-25 | DR-4332 | Hurricane Harvey | 53 |
| 2010-08-03 | DR-1931 | Hurricane Alex | 21 |
| 2010-06-29 | EM-3313 | Tropical Storm Alex | 25 |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1791 | Hurricane Ike | 51 |
| 2008-09-10 | EM-3294 | Hurricane Ike | 88 |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3290 | Hurricane Gustav | 61 |
| 2008-07-24 | DR-1780 | Hurricane Dolly | 16 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
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