NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Aransas Pass, TX
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
42 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Aransas Pass, Texas since 1851, 22 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Harold in 2023. Since 1950, 115 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 22
- Tropical storms
- 20
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Aransas Pass
The strongest storm to pass near Aransas Pass was an unnamed storm in 1886, a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1936, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Aransas Pass begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Harold in 2023, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 5 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 42 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Aransas Pass has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on September 20, 1967, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 24, 2002, killed 1 person. Of the 115, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on June 19, 2024. Aransas Pass has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 58% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Aransas Pass.
Compare Aransas Pass's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Aransas Pass
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HaroldAug 22 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | NicholasSep 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | BetaSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | HannaJul 25 | 73 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 26 | 16 mi | Category 3 (129 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2015 | BillJun 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | DonJul 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | ClaudetteJul 15 | 46 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | FaySep 7 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | BretAug 23 | 72 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | FrancesSep 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | CharleyAug 22 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1993 | ArleneJun 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1978 | AmeliaJul 31 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | FernSep 11 | 7 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | CeliaAug 3 | 6 mi | Category 4 (135 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1968 | CandyJun 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | AbbyAug 8 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 11 | 53 mi | Category 4 (144 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | Unnamed 1960 stormJun 24 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | EllaSep 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 27 | 12 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 30 | 43 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 27 | 5 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJul 25 | 13 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormJun 28 | 50 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 14 | 49 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 18 | 62 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormJun 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormOct 17 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 14 | 72 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 26 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormSep 24 | 20 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormAug 20 | 24 mi | Category 4 (145 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 16 | 7 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormJul 4 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormAug 17 | 16 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 3 | 67 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormJul 15 | 47 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormJun 26 | 21 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Aransas Pass: 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 Aransas Pass
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s22
- 2000s13
- 1990s13
- 1980s8
- 1970s22
- 1960s27(2 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 1967 | F3 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 8, 1963 | F3 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 22, 1954 | F3 | 11 mi | 20.5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Oct 24, 2002 | F2 | 19 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Jun 2, 2010 | EF2 | 7 mi | 3.76 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1980 | F2 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 22, 1967 | F2 | 7 mi | 18.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1965 | F2 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1961 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 1961 | F2 | 8 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 16, 1960 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 16, 1960 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 11 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Aransas Pass
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Aransas Pass since 1957, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on November 1, 2025, the most recent report. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Aransas Pass
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Port Aransas, TX, 8 miles southeast of Aransas Pass at 12 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 80°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 50°F. September is the wettest at 6.5 inches of precipitation on average and December the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 35.5 inches over 44 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (21.4 of 35.5 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from June to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 1 nights a year. That 35.5 inches is more than at 159 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (51%). Portland, 10 miles west, has its own station (Corpus Christi NWS, TX): 31.2 inches a year, 4.3 less than here, and an August average high of 93°F against 89°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Port Aransas, TX, 7 miles southeast, averaged 87°F in August and 60°F in February over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to October. Sea level at the Rockport tide gauge, 10 miles from Aransas Pass, has risen 2.38 ± 0.09 inches per decade from 1937 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 23.8 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 132 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 50 | 2.1 | 4 | 61 |
| Feb | 65 | 54 | 1.9 | 3 | 60 |
| Mar | 70 | 60 | 2.4 | 3 | 67 |
| Apr | 76 | 67 | 2.0 | 3 | 75 |
| May | 81 | 73 | 4.0 | 3 | 82 |
| Jun | 87 | 78 | 3.7 | 4 | 85 |
| Jul | 88 | 80 | 2.6 | 3 | 85 |
| Aug | 89 | 80 | 1.8 | 3 | 87 |
| Sep | 87 | 77 | 6.5 | 7 | 86 |
| Oct | 81 | 71 | 3.9 | 5 | 80 |
| Nov | 72 | 61 | 2.9 | 4 | 72 |
| Dec | 65 | 53 | 1.7 | 3 | 65 |
| Year | 77 | 67 | 35.5 | 44 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Port Aransas, TX (12 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Port Aransas, TX, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Aransas Pass
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Aransas Pass: 48 flash floods, 40 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $8.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on January 9, 2011. May has had the most flash floods, 16 of 48. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 661 have had fewer than Aransas Pass.
March 15, 2009: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Aransas Pass — 1 killed.
April 16, 2012: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Aransas Pass — $5.0 million damage.
April 16, 2012: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Aransas Pass — $600,000 damage.
NWS: “County roads and fields flooded from more than 15 inches of total rainfall.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Aransas Pass's ZIP code 78336 have filed 816 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $11.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Harvey in 2017: 286 claims (35% of all) and $5.7 million, then Hurricane Allen in 1980 with 98 and Flooding in 1979 with 87. 64% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 433 Texas cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 357 have fewer than Aransas Pass.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Harvey2017 | 286 | $5.7 million |
| Hurricane Allen1980 | 98 | $374,000 |
| Flooding1979 | 87 | $449,000 |
| Heavy rains2002 | 26 | $458,000 |
San Patricio County, which includes Aransas Pass, has been named in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 18 hurricanes, 5 floods, 3 fires, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives San Patricio County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail, coastal flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $39.5 million a year, the 45th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.8 million (40%), is from hurricanes.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Aransas Pass in the notable storm records: Hurricane Harvey (2017)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.