NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gatesville, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gatesville, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alicia in 1983. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 81
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Gatesville
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gatesville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The record near Gatesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1897; the most recent system was Alicia in 1983, a tropical storm 61 miles away. The 1900s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. None of the 9 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 51% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Gatesville. The strongest of the 81 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 6, 1973; its path came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 26, 1976, killed 2 people. Of the 81, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on April 28, 2023. Of the 753 Texas cities, 68% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gatesville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 65 times since 1956, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gatesville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gatesville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 29 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gatesville: 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 Gatesville
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8
- 2000s19
- 1990s14(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s19(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1973 | F5 | 21 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1952 | F4 | 18 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F3 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 7 |
| May 27, 1997 | F3 | 24 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1997 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2019 | EF2 | 23 mi | 1.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 15, 2017 | EF2 | 6 mi | 12.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 2001 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 17, 1998 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1997 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 15, 1977 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 81, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gatesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 65 hail reports within 10 miles of Gatesville since 1956, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 48 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 25, 2006. The most recent report is from June 3, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gatesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gatesville, TX, 2 miles east of Gatesville at 826 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 36°F. October is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 36.9 inches over 47 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 110 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 43 nights a year. That 36.9 inches is more than at 177 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (57%). Fort Hood, 20 miles south, has its own station (Killeen, TX): 34.8 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and an August average high of 97°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Feb | 64 | 39 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 71 | 47 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 3.2 | 4 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Jul | 95 | 72 | 3.0 | 2 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Sep | 90 | 65 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 4.2 | 4 |
| Nov | 70 | 45 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Year | 78 | 55 | 36.9 | 47 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gatesville, TX (826 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 Gatesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 47 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gatesville: 30 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 6 floods. They killed 4 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 28, 2023. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 227 have had fewer than Gatesville.
May 31, 2015: flood 10 miles from the centre of Gatesville — 3 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A minivan with three passengers was carried away by flood waters in the Leon River at Coryell County road 321 just after 10 AM on Sunday, May 31st. The Coryell Sheriff's Office says the believe the driver tried to cross a low water crossing when the current swept the car away.”
August 10, 2005: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Gatesville — 1 killed.
NWS: “A woman was swept into Greenbriar Creek while trying to cross on foot.”
June 28, 2007: flood in Gatesville — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous residents were evacuated, and at least 24 homes were affected by floodwaters from the Leon River.”
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 Gatesville's ZIP code 76528 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1991, and were paid $285,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 75% 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, 25 have fewer than Gatesville.
Coryell County, which includes Gatesville, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 fires, 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 3 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Coryell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and hail; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.9 million a year, the 83rd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.8 million (43%), 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 Gatesville
- Fort Hood, TX20 mi
- Mc Gregor, TX20 mi
- Crawford, TX21 mi
- Valley Mills, TX21 mi
- Moody, TX23 mi
- Copperas Cove, TX23 mi
- Killeen, TX24 mi
- Nolanville, TX25 mi
- Harker Heights, TX25 mi
- Kempner, TX28 mi
- Belton, TX29 mi
- Clifton, TX29 mi
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