NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Copperas Cove, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Copperas Cove, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alicia in 1983. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Copperas Cove
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Copperas Cove; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The record near Copperas Cove begins with an unnamed storm in 1897; the most recent system was Alicia in 1983, a tropical storm 74 miles away. The 1900s and the 1960s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. None of the 9 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 51% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Copperas Cove. The highest rating among the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 12, 2022, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 26, 1976, killed 2 people. Of the 76, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 39. The most recent tornado was on May 1, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 72% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Copperas Cove. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 116 times since 1957, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Copperas Cove has more hail reports within 10 miles than 69% of the 753 Texas cities.
Compare Copperas Cove's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Copperas Cove
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1973 | DeliaSep 6 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | CandyJun 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Copperas Cove: 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 Copperas Cove
By decade
- 2020s5(1 EF3+)
- 2010s10
- 2000s17
- 1990s11(2 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s14(1 EF3+)
- 1960s8
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 1976 | F3 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 7 |
| Apr 12, 2022 | EF3 | 18 mi | 16.55 mi | 0 / 23 |
| May 27, 1997 | F3 | 23 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 1990 | F3 | 25 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2019 | EF2 | 1 mi | 1.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 2014 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 15, 1977 | F2 | in town | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1977 | F2 | 22 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 1976 | F2 | in town | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Copperas Cove
The Storm Prediction Center has 116 hail reports within 10 miles of Copperas Cove since 1957, made on 62 separate days. Of these, 89 were 1 inch across or larger, and 12 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 1, 2025. The most recent report is from May 1, 2025. May has the most reports, 48.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Copperas Cove
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Killeen, TX, 14 miles east of Copperas Cove at 815 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 97°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 36°F. May is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 34.8 inches over 49 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 105 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 31 nights a year. That 34.8 inches is more than at 150 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (48%). Kempner, 5 miles southwest, has its own station (Lampasas, TX): 32.2 inches a year, 2.6 less than here, and the same August average high, 97°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 2.2 | 4 |
| Mar | 70 | 47 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Apr | 77 | 54 | 2.2 | 4 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Jun | 92 | 70 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Jul | 96 | 72 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Aug | 97 | 73 | 1.6 | 3 |
| Sep | 90 | 67 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Oct | 80 | 56 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 46 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Dec | 60 | 38 | 2.4 | 5 |
| Year | 78 | 55 | 34.8 | 49 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Killeen, TX (815 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 Copperas Cove
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 74 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Copperas Cove: 48 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 flash floods, 4 floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on May 1, 2025. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 18. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 394 have had fewer than Copperas Cove.
May 24, 2007: flash flood in Copperas Cove — 2 killed, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “High water closed Highway 190 near Clear Creek. A minivan was washed off FM 3046 about one-half mile south of Highway 116.”
September 7, 2010: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Copperas Cove — 1 killed, $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Significant flooding occurred in Bell County from the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine. In Killeen, Highway 190 was closed due to flood waters.”
February 25, 1998: thunderstorm wind in Copperas Cove — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A mobile home was overturned by strong winds. The roof of a church was damaged and trees were uprooted.”
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 Copperas Cove's ZIP code 76522 have filed 57 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $642,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2007, with 17. 33% 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, 179 have fewer than Copperas Cove.
Coryell County, which includes Copperas Cove, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 fires, 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 3 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Coryell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and hail; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.9 million a year, the 83rd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.8 million (43%), 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.