NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Canton, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Canton, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 95 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 95
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Canton
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Canton; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Canton begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 59% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Canton. The strongest of the 95 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 29, 2017; its path came within 3 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 29, 2017, killed 2 people. Of the 95, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 34. The most recent tornado was on April 4, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Canton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1973, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Canton.
Compare Canton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Canton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Canton: 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 Canton
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s30(3 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s17
- 1980s10
- 1970s12(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s7(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF4 | 3 mi | 21.42 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF3 | 3 mi | 39.71 mi | 2 / 24 |
| May 10, 2015 | EF3 | 15 mi | 10.22 mi | 2 / 43 |
| May 5, 1978 | F3 | 14 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 3, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 24, 1962 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 4, 1959 | F3 | 23 mi | 25.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 2, 1954 | F3 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 18, 1993 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 20 mi | 15.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF2 | 2 mi | 7.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 95, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Canton
The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Canton since 1973, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 10 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on January 18, 1995. The most recent report is from May 24, 2024. April has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Canton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wills Pt, TX, 14 miles northwest of Canton at 520 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 35°F. May is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 44.7 inches over 61 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 86 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 41 nights a year. That 44.7 inches is more than at 238 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (76%). Grand Saline, 13 miles northeast, has its own station (Mineola, TX): 46.6 inches a year, 1.9 more than here, and an August average high of 94°F against 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 35 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Feb | 60 | 38 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Apr | 75 | 53 | 3.7 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 45 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 58 | 37 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Year | 76 | 55 | 44.7 | 61 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wills Pt, TX (520 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 Canton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 56 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Canton: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 5 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 9, and the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 16, 2023. December has had the most flash floods, 2 of 8. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 138 have had fewer than Canton.
April 24, 2010: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Canton — 1 killed, 9 injured, $200,000 damage.
April 29, 2006: thunderstorm wind in Canton — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Significant structural damage to several buildings near the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 243. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that this damage was due to a downburst.”
April 26, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Canton — $800,000 damage.
NWS: “Nearly 100 homes and several outbuildings were damaged across mainly the southern half of Van Zandt County from two strong supercells. These homes were damaged by either a tornado in the same region, damaging downburst winds, and/or RFD winds.”
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 Canton, 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 Canton
- Edgewood, TX11 mi
- Grand Saline, TX13 mi
- Van, TX14 mi
- Ben Wheeler, TX15 mi
- Wills Point, TX15 mi
- Murchison, TX17 mi
- Eustace, TX17 mi
- Mabank, TX20 mi
- Gun Barrel City, TX22 mi
- Brownsboro, TX22 mi
- Kemp, TX23 mi
- Alba, TX23 mi
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