NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Donna, 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
36 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Donna, Texas since 1851, 13 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Harold in 2023. Since 1950, 64 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 13
- Tropical storms
- 23
- Tornadoes
- 64
- 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 Donna
The strongest storm to pass near Donna was an unnamed storm in 1916, a Category 3 hurricane with 124 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1880, whose centre came within 9 miles. The record near Donna begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Harold in 2023, a tropical storm 72 miles away. The 1910s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 36 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Donna has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 86% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 64 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 15, 1983, came within 18 miles. Of the 64, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on March 27, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Donna. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1963, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Donna.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Donna
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HaroldAug 22 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | HannaJul 26 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | DollyJul 24 | 28 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2003 | ErikaAug 16 | 72 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | BretAug 23 | 58 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1983 | BarryAug 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1980 | AllenAug 10 | 28 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1978 | AmeliaJul 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1975 | CarolineSep 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | FernSep 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | BeulahSep 20 | 27 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1960 | Unnamed 1960 stormJun 24 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | GerdaSep 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | AlmaJun 15 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | AliceJun 25 | 27 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 2 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 22 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 13 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 5 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJun 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormSep 7 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 18 | 70 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormOct 16 | 68 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 31 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 30 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 26 | 67 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormSep 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormSep 23 | 46 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 13 | 9 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 5 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 2 | 62 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 30 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormJun 26 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Donna: 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 Donna
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s2
- 2000s21
- 1990s7
- 1980s14(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 1983 | F3 | 18 mi | 6.1 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 12, 1969 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1970 | F2 | 16 mi | 25.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 26, 1967 | F2 | 10 mi | 40.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2011 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 16, 2007 | EF1 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 2003 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 11 |
| May 21, 2001 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1988 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 1981 | F1 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F1 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 64, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Donna
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Donna since 1963, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 29, 1991. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Donna
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Weslaco, TX, 5 miles east of Donna at 75 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 97°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 71°F and 50°F. September is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 1.0 inches; the year adds up to 25.8 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 66% of the year's precipitation (16.9 of 25.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 36 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (13); a normal September there has highs of 92°F and 5.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 160 days a year, almost all from February to November. Lows fall below freezing on about 1 nights a year. That 25.8 inches is more than at 85 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (27%). Alamo, 4 miles west, has its own station (Mcallen, TX): 18.8 inches a year, 7.0 less than here, and an August average high of 99°F against 97°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 50 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 75 | 54 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 81 | 60 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 86 | 65 | 1.5 |
| May | 90 | 72 | 2.6 |
| Jun | 95 | 76 | 2.8 |
| Jul | 96 | 77 | 2.2 |
| Aug | 97 | 76 | 1.9 |
| Sep | 92 | 73 | 5.6 |
| Oct | 87 | 66 | 2.8 |
| Nov | 80 | 58 | 1.6 |
| Dec | 72 | 52 | 1.3 |
| Year | 85 | 65 | 25.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Weslaco, TX (75 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 Donna
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Donna: 47 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 15 floods, 9 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 4 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $157.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on June 12, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 19. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 414 have had fewer than Donna.
March 27, 2025: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Donna — 3 killed.
August 1, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Donna — 1 killed.
October 24, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Donna — $50.0 million 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Donna's ZIP code 78537 have filed 112 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Hanna in 2020: 23 claims (21% of all) and $493,000, then Hurricane Dolly in 2008 with 11. 32% 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, 235 have fewer than Donna.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Hanna2020 | 23 | $493,000 |
| Hurricane Dolly2008 | 11 | $31,000 |
Hidalgo County, which includes Donna, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 5 floods, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hidalgo County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and hail; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $309.8 million a year, the 9th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $126.7 million (41%), is from hurricanes.
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 Donna
- Alamo, TX4 mi
- San Juan, TX6 mi
- Progreso, TX7 mi
- Weslaco, TX8 mi
- Pharr, TX8 mi
- Mercedes, TX9 mi
- Elsa, TX10 mi
- Mcallen, TX12 mi
- La Villa, TX12 mi
- Hidalgo, TX13 mi
- Edinburg, TX13 mi
- Edcouch, TX13 mi
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