NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fairfield, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Fairfield, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 48 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 48
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Fairfield
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Fairfield; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 70 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Fairfield begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Beryl in 2024, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Fairfield has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 48 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 1990, came within 22 miles. Of the 48, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on December 24, 2024. Of the 753 Texas cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Fairfield. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1973, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Fairfield.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fairfield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 23 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 6 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | overhead | 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 Fairfield: 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 Fairfield
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s10
- 2000s7
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2(2 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1990 | F3 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 13, 1981 | F3 | 13 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 9, 1981 | F3 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1959 | F3 | 24 mi | 25.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 25 mi | 15.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 2007 | EF2 | 20 mi | 6.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 1976 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1967 | F2 | 14 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 1957 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 19, 1953 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2019 | EF1 | 22 mi | 11.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 8, 2016 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 48, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fairfield
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Fairfield since 1973, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on June 1, 1973. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fairfield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fairfield 3W, TX, 6 miles west of Fairfield at 432 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 36°F. May is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 43.6 inches over 59 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (20.5 of 43.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 91 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 32 nights a year. That 43.6 inches is more than at 231 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (74%). Oakwood, 20 miles southeast, has its own station (Palestine 6 WNW, TX): 43.9 inches a year, 0.3 more than here, and the same August average high, 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 36 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Feb | 61 | 40 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 69 | 47 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 3.3 | 4 |
| May | 82 | 64 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Sep | 88 | 66 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 45 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 60 | 38 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Year | 77 | 55 | 43.6 | 59 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fairfield 3W, TX (432 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 Fairfield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 28 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fairfield: 15 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $915,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on June 21, 2023. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 8. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 138 have had fewer than Fairfield.
June 21, 2023: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Fairfield — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Downburst and straight-line winds caused considerable damage along a line from south of Fairfield in Freestone County to Buffalo in Leon County. Notable, consistent tree damage was observed along Interstate 45 with large trees uprooted and at least one electrical tower partially bent.”
October 31, 2013: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Fairfield — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads were closed due to flash flooding that resulted from heavy thunderstorms that produced 4-8 of rain across the county in less than 8 hours. Portions of Highway 79 in Palestine were closed.”
April 9, 2024: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Fairfield — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency management reported several roads closed and county roads with culverts washed out.”
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
Freestone County, which includes Fairfield, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 fires, 3 floods, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Freestone County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.4 million a year, the 124th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.3 million (32%), 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 Fairfield
- Streetman, TX12 mi
- Teague, TX14 mi
- Oakwood, TX20 mi
- Buffalo, TX22 mi
- Mexia, TX23 mi
- Kerens, TX26 mi
- Tennessee Colony, TX26 mi
- Palestine, TX27 mi
- Trinidad, TX28 mi
- Corsicana, TX29 mi
- Jewett, TX29 mi
- Malakoff, TX29 mi
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