NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ferris, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ferris, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alicia in 1983. Since 1950, 150 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 150
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
24 deaths in all
What the records show for Ferris
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ferris; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Ferris begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Alicia in 1983, a tropical storm 71 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 59% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ferris. The highest rating among the 150 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 26, 2015, came within 19 miles. Of the 150, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 43. The most recent tornado was on April 26, 2024. Ferris has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 128 times since 1955, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Ferris has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 753 Texas cities.
Compare Ferris's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ferris
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ferris: 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 Ferris
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s29(3 EF3+)
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s40(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s32
- 1960s12(3 EF3+)
- 1950s7(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF4 | 19 mi | 13.04 mi | 10 / 468 |
| Apr 25, 1994 | F4 | 7 mi | 6 mi | 3 / 48 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | 24 mi | 17.2 mi | 10 / 200 |
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF3 | 11 mi | 8.52 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Apr 3, 2012 | EF3 | 18 mi | 7.73 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 28, 2000 | F3 | 24 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 13, 1984 | F3 | 13 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Oct 12, 1969 | F3 | 14 mi | 45.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1961 | F3 | 20 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 4, 1959 | F3 | 17 mi | 27.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 12, 1957 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 150, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ferris
The Storm Prediction Center has 128 hail reports within 10 miles of Ferris since 1955, made on 92 separate days. Of these, 95 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 22, 1961. The most recent report is from March 29, 2025. April has the most reports, 42.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ferris
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ferris, TX, in Ferris at 470 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 97°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 36°F. October is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 41.0 inches over 52 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 106 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 40 nights a year. That 41.0 inches is more than at 221 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (71%). Red Oak, 10 miles west, has its own station (Waxahachie, TX): 40.8 inches a year, 0.2 less than here, and an August average high of 95°F against 97°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 36 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Feb | 62 | 39 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 3.9 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 4.0 | 4 |
| Jul | 96 | 74 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Aug | 97 | 73 | 2.8 | 3 |
| Sep | 90 | 66 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 4.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Year | 77 | 55 | 41.0 | 52 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ferris, TX (470 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 Ferris
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ferris: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 11, 2011. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 481 have had fewer than Ferris.
March 4, 2025: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Ferris — $600,000 damage.
September 11, 2006: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Ferris — $200,000 damage.
March 30, 2007: flash flood in Ferris — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads were closed across the county, including Interstate 45 near Ferris and Palmer. Across the county, several homes were flooded, and fifteen bridges were damaged by flood waters.”
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
Ellis County, which includes Ferris, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 fires, 6 severe storms, 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ellis County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $46.9 million a year, the 35th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.8 million (51%), 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 Ferris
- Wilmer, TX5 mi
- Palmer, TX8 mi
- Lancaster, TX8 mi
- Hutchins, TX8 mi
- Seagoville, TX10 mi
- Red Oak, TX10 mi
- Desoto, TX13 mi
- Balch Springs, TX13 mi
- Crandall, TX14 mi
- Ennis, TX14 mi
- Waxahachie, TX15 mi
- Scurry, TX16 mi
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