NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elsa, 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
37 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Elsa, Texas since 1851, 13 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Harold in 2023. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 13
- Tropical storms
- 24
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Elsa
The strongest storm to pass near Elsa was an unnamed storm in 1916, a Category 3 hurricane with 123 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1880, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Elsa begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Harold in 2023, a tropical storm 63 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 6 systems, 4 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 37 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Elsa has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 86% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The strongest of the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 12, 1969; its path came within 20 miles. Of the 74, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on March 27, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Elsa. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1960, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Elsa.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elsa
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HaroldAug 22 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | HannaJul 26 | 21 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | DollyJul 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1999 | BretAug 23 | 49 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1993 | ArleneJun 20 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1983 | BarryAug 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1980 | AllenAug 10 | 18 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1978 | AmeliaJul 31 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1975 | CarolineSep 1 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | FernSep 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | BeulahSep 20 | 18 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1960 | Unnamed 1960 stormJun 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | GerdaSep 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | AlmaJun 15 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | AliceJun 25 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 2 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormSep 13 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 5 | 21 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJun 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormSep 7 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 14 | 72 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 18 | 60 mi | Category 3 (123 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormJun 28 | 66 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormOct 16 | 60 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 15 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJun 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 26 | 62 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormSep 22 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormSep 23 | 39 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 13 | 1 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 5 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 2 | 61 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 30 | overhead | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormJun 26 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Elsa: 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 Elsa
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s6
- 2000s21
- 1990s11
- 1980s12
- 1970s6
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 1969 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1970 | F2 | 13 mi | 25.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 26, 1967 | F2 | 3 mi | 40.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1962 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 30, 2015 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2011 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 16, 2007 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1988 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 1981 | F1 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1977 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elsa
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Elsa since 1960, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 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, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elsa
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Santa Rosa 3 WNW, TX, 8 miles east of Elsa at 50 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 97°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 71°F and 49°F. September is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.0 inches; the year adds up to 24.7 inches over 36 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 66% of the year's precipitation (16.2 of 24.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 37 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 93°F and 5.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 166 days a year, almost all from February to November. Lows fall below freezing on about 2 nights a year. That 24.7 inches is more than at 74 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (24%). Weslaco, 7 miles west, has its own station (Weslaco, TX): 25.8 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and the same August average high, 97°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 49 | 1.1 | 2 |
| Feb | 76 | 53 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Mar | 81 | 58 | 1.4 | 3 |
| Apr | 86 | 64 | 1.4 | 2 |
| May | 91 | 71 | 2.5 | 3 |
| Jun | 95 | 75 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Jul | 96 | 76 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Aug | 97 | 75 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Sep | 93 | 72 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Oct | 88 | 65 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Nov | 80 | 57 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Dec | 73 | 50 | 1.1 | 3 |
| Year | 86 | 64 | 24.7 | 36 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Santa Rosa 3 WNW, TX (50 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 Elsa
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 73 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elsa: 37 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 11 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $278.4 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, 6 of 20. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 438 have had fewer than Elsa.
July 24, 2008: flood 4 miles from the centre of Elsa — $100.0 million damage.
March 27, 2025: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Elsa — $52.0 million damage.
July 25, 2020: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Elsa — $40.4 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 Elsa's ZIP code 78543 have filed 39 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $730,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Dolly in 2008: 13 claims (33% of all) and $161,000. 64% 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, 138 have fewer than Elsa.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Dolly2008 | 13 | $161,000 |
Hidalgo County, which includes Elsa, 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 Elsa
- Edcouch, TX4 mi
- La Villa, TX4 mi
- Weslaco, TX7 mi
- Edinburg, TX9 mi
- Donna, TX10 mi
- Mercedes, TX10 mi
- Santa Rosa, TX10 mi
- Alamo, TX12 mi
- San Juan, TX12 mi
- Pharr, TX14 mi
- La Feria, TX15 mi
- Progreso, TX15 mi
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