NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Decatur, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Decatur, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 119 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 119
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Decatur
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Decatur; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 13 miles away. The record near Decatur begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 15 miles away. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Decatur. The highest rating among the 119 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 25, 2024, came within 17 miles. Of the 119, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 44 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 43. The most recent tornado was on April 19, 2025. Decatur has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 61% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 135 times since 1964, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Decatur has more hail reports within 10 miles than 75% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Decatur
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Decatur: 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 Decatur
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s18
- 2000s14
- 1990s25(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s24
- 1960s11
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2024 | EF3 | 17 mi | 47.27 mi | 7 / 80 |
| May 7, 1995 | F3 | 18 mi | 26 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | EF2 | 4 mi | 9.71 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 2001 | F2 | in town | 9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 12, 2001 | F2 | 8 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 13, 1996 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1994 | F2 | 25 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Apr 25, 1990 | F2 | 4 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1990 | F2 | 14 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1982 | F2 | 24 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 119, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Decatur
The Storm Prediction Center has 135 hail reports within 10 miles of Decatur since 1964, made on 85 separate days. Of these, 93 were 1 inch across or larger, and 16 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 29, 2002. The most recent report is from November 24, 2025. April has the most reports, 45.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Decatur
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Decatur, TX, 4 miles southwest of Decatur at 970 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 33°F. May is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 38.9 inches over 56 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 91 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.9 inches is more than at 202 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (65%). Alvord, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Alvord 3 N, TX): 35.3 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 33 | 2.1 | 4 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 2.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 2.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 2.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 67 | 43 | 2.7 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 2.6 | 4 | 0.1 |
| Year | 76 | 54 | 38.9 | 56 | 0.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Decatur, TX (970 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 Decatur
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Decatur: 66 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes, 3 heavy rain events and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $932,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 7, 2015. May has had the most flash floods, 7 of 16. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 363 have had fewer than Decatur.
June 21, 2011: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Decatur — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “Sections of the roof of the Sunset Inn in Decatur were blown off by thunderstorm winds. One person was injured by falling debris and was transported to the hospital.”
March 16, 2024: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Decatur — 1 injured.
June 24, 2010: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Decatur — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “An aircraft hanger was blown over, three aircraft were damaged and one was destroyed due to high winds. The report was relayed by the FAA.”
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 Decatur's ZIP code 76234 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1994, and were paid $164,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 55% 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, 13 have fewer than Decatur.
Wise County, which includes Decatur, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1981, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 fires, 5 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on February 19, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wise County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.3 million a year, the 92nd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.9 million (44%), 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 Decatur
- Alvord, TX10 mi
- Paradise, TX13 mi
- Boyd, TX14 mi
- Rhome, TX14 mi
- Bridgeport, TX15 mi
- Ponder, TX16 mi
- Chico, TX18 mi
- Sunset, TX18 mi
- Krum, TX18 mi
- Newark, TX18 mi
- Justin, TX19 mi
- Springtown, TX22 mi
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