NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ben Wheeler, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ben Wheeler, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 124 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 124
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Ben Wheeler
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ben Wheeler; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Ben Wheeler begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. The 1910s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 57% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ben Wheeler. The strongest of the 124 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 29, 2017; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 29, 2017, killed 2 people. Of the 124, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 52 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 41. The most recent tornado was on October 28, 2025. Ben Wheeler has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1981, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Of the 753 Texas cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ben Wheeler.
Compare Ben Wheeler's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ben Wheeler
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ben Wheeler: 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 Ben Wheeler
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s34(3 EF3+)
- 2000s9
- 1990s15
- 1980s17
- 1970s15(2 EF3+)
- 1960s16(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF4 | 17 mi | 21.42 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF3 | 12 mi | 39.71 mi | 2 / 24 |
| May 10, 2015 | EF3 | 3 mi | 10.22 mi | 2 / 43 |
| Feb 23, 1979 | F3 | 21 mi | 10.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 5, 1978 | F3 | 20 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1962 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 4, 1959 | F3 | 8 mi | 25.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 2, 1954 | F3 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 14 mi | 15.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF2 | 14 mi | 11.68 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 29, 2016 | EF2 | 18 mi | 25.94 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 124, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ben Wheeler
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Ben Wheeler since 1981, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on June 14, 2023. The most recent report is from March 23, 2025. June has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ben Wheeler
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tyler Pounds Field, TX, 16 miles east of Ben Wheeler at 544 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 37°F. June is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 42.2 inches over 58 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 98 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 29 nights a year. That 42.2 inches is more than at 226 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (72%). Murchison, 6 miles southwest, has its own station (Athens, TX): 44.7 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 37 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Feb | 62 | 41 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Mar | 70 | 48 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 55 | 3.5 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 64 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Jul | 94 | 74 | 2.1 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 74 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 79 | 57 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 47 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Year | 77 | 56 | 42.2 | 58 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tyler Pounds Field, TX (544 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. 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 Ben Wheeler
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 43 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ben Wheeler: 34 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $715,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 10, 2009. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 138 have had fewer than Ben Wheeler.
June 3, 2024: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Ben Wheeler — 1 killed, 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “A survey team confirmed a swath of straight-line wind damage likely associated with the rear flank downdraft of a previously tornadic supercell thunderstorm. A broad area of tree damage was observed between Ben Wheeler and Edom, and also east of Edom along FM 279.”
July 6, 2007: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Ben Wheeler — $150,000 damage.
April 24, 2010: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ben Wheeler — $100,000 damage.
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
Van Zandt County, which includes Ben Wheeler, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 3 fires, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Van Zandt County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.1 million a year, the 93rd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.2 million (36%), is from inland flooding.
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).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Ben Wheeler
- Murchison, TX6 mi
- Brownsboro, TX8 mi
- Van, TX9 mi
- Canton, TX15 mi
- Chandler, TX15 mi
- Lindale, TX16 mi
- Grand Saline, TX17 mi
- Athens, TX18 mi
- Larue, TX19 mi
- Flint, TX20 mi
- Eustace, TX21 mi
- Mineola, TX21 mi
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