NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elkhart, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Elkhart, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Elkhart
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Elkhart; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1891, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 57 miles away. The record near Elkhart begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Beryl in 2024, a tropical storm 21 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 5 systems. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Elkhart has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 66% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on April 13, 2019, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 15, 1987, killed 4 people. Of the 63, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on July 8, 2024. Of the 753 Texas cities, 81% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Elkhart. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1980, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Elkhart.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elkhart
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 2 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1986 | BonnieJun 26 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 9 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 23 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 6 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 10 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Elkhart: 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 Elkhart
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s7(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s15
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s10(2 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 18 mi | 33 mi | 4 / 81 |
| Apr 13, 2019 | EF3 | 21 mi | 41.13 mi | 2 / 20 |
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 9 mi | 10.5 mi | 1 / 59 |
| Oct 31, 1974 | F3 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 3, 1973 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 11 mi | 139.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 19.07 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 20.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 19, 2017 | EF2 | 22 mi | 3.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 2016 | EF2 | 25 mi | 7.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1999 | F2 | 16 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 11, 1984 | F2 | 12 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elkhart
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Elkhart since 1980, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 52 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 6, 2019. The most recent report is from April 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elkhart
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Palestine 2 NE, TX, 12 miles north of Elkhart at 465 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 35°F. June is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 46.9 inches over 63 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 46.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal August there has highs of 95°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 87 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 38 nights a year. That 46.9 inches is more than at 250 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (80%). Grapeland, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Crockett, TX): 47.3 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and the same July average high, 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 35 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 70 | 45 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 4.1 | 6 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 71 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 80 | 54 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 60 | 37 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 46.9 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Palestine 2 NE, TX (465 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 Elkhart
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 56 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elkhart: 46 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 3, 2009. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 9. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 176 have had fewer than Elkhart.
April 30, 2016: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Elkhart — 1 killed, $1.0 million damage.
May 3, 2009: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Elkhart — $200,000 damage.
May 22, 2024: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Elkhart — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency management reported numerous trees an power lines down along Highway 294 from Elkhart to Slocum. Some trees fell onto homes and vehicles.”
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
Anderson County, which includes Elkhart, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 fires, 5 floods, 4 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anderson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.2 million a year, the 82nd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.3 million (40%), 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 Elkhart
- Grapeland, TX9 mi
- Palestine, TX12 mi
- Tennessee Colony, TX14 mi
- Oakwood, TX19 mi
- Crockett, TX22 mi
- Rusk, TX24 mi
- Jacksonville, TX28 mi
- Alto, TX28 mi
- Frankston, TX31 mi
- Buffalo, TX32 mi
- Centerville, TX33 mi
- Fairfield, TX35 mi
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