NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Big Spring, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Big Spring, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1942. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Big Spring
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Big Spring; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1942, a tropical storm with 43 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Big Spring begins with an unnamed storm in 1886; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1942. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 84% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Big Spring. The highest rating among the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 22, 2016, came within 8 miles. Of the 88, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 34. The most recent tornado was on May 17, 2021. Of the 753 Texas cities, 63% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Big Spring. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 233 times since 1955, with stones up to 5 inches. Big Spring has more hail reports within 10 miles than 89% of the 753 Texas cities.
Compare Big Spring's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Big Spring
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 31 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormAug 21 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Big Spring: 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 Big Spring
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s13(2 EF3+)
- 2000s13
- 1990s7
- 1980s32
- 1970s7
- 1960s8
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2016 | EF3 | 21 mi | 3.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 2016 | EF3 | 8 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 2021 | EF2 | 20 mi | 11.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 2016 | EF2 | 23 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 2016 | EF2 | 13 mi | 3.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2014 | EF2 | 11 mi | 1.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2009 | EF2 | 10 mi | 11.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2005 | F2 | 18 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2005 | F2 | 21 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1964 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2015 | EF1 | 17 mi | 8.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2009 | EF1 | 18 mi | 7.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Big Spring
The Storm Prediction Center has 233 hail reports within 10 miles of Big Spring since 1955, made on 142 separate days. Of these, 166 were 1 inch across or larger, and 28 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5 inches, fell on May 10, 1996. The most recent report is from June 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 94.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Big Spring
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Big Spring, TX, 2 miles north of Big Spring at 2,510 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 31°F. May and June are the wettest at 2.5 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 0.7 inches; the year adds up to 19.7 inches over 31 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 115 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 54 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.0 inches a year, most of it in February and December. That 19.7 inches is more than at 35 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (11%). Stanton, 23 miles west, has its own station (Midland 4 ENE, TX): 13.9 inches a year, 5.8 less than here, and a July average high of 95°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 31 | 0.7 | 2 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 63 | 35 | 0.8 | 2 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 71 | 42 | 1.2 | 2 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 79 | 50 | 1.6 | 2 | 0.0 |
| May | 87 | 60 | 2.5 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 94 | 68 | 2.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 96 | 72 | 1.6 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 2.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 2.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 1.8 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 1.4 | 2 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 58 | 33 | 0.8 | 2 | 0.7 |
| Year | 78 | 52 | 19.7 | 31 | 2.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Big Spring, TX (2,510 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 Big Spring
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 100 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Big Spring: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 39 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 8, 2025. May has had the most flash floods, 21 of 39. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 621 have had fewer than Big Spring.
July 3, 2005: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Big Spring — 7 injured.
NWS: “Damaging thunderstorm winds struck Sanderson, Texas during an Independence Day celebration. Winds blew down several large circus-style tents at the outdoor festival.”
June 8, 2025: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Big Spring — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous reports were received of wind-driven hail damage across Big Spring. West facing windows and walls of homes were damaged.”
September 28, 2012: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Big Spring — $600,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain moved over Howard County and produced flash flooding over Big Spring and portions of rural Howard County. Numerous vehicles were stranded in Big Spring.”
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 Big Spring's ZIP code 79720 have filed 27 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $418,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 4% 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, 109 have fewer than Big Spring.
Howard County, which includes Big Spring, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 fires, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on February 19, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Howard County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.8 million a year, the 121st highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 million (32%), 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 Big Spring
- Stanton, TX23 mi
- Colorado City, TX32 mi
- Midland, TX40 mi
- Lamesa, TX45 mi
- Snyder, TX48 mi
- Gardendale, TX54 mi
- Odessa, TX59 mi
- Big Lake, TX63 mi
- Sweetwater, TX64 mi
- Andrews, TX66 mi
- Tahoka, TX71 mi
- Post, TX71 mi
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