NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hemphill, 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
28 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hemphill, Texas since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 26
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Hemphill
The strongest storm to pass near Hemphill was Laura in 2020, a Category 2 hurricane with 97 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Hemphill begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 4 systems. Of the 28 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Hemphill has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 30, 2002, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on February 12, 1950, killed 5 people. Of the 68, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on March 4, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hemphill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1975, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hemphill.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hemphill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 28 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1987 | Unnamed 1987 stormAug 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | BonnieJun 26 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1982 | ChrisSep 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ClaudetteJul 25 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 27 | 34 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1954 | BarbaraJul 29 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 9 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 15 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 27 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hemphill: 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 Hemphill
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s13
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s9
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 1950 | F3 | 21 mi | 74.5 mi | 5 / 25 |
| Mar 20, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 85.2 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Mar 30, 2002 | F3 | 23 mi | 49 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 19, 1983 | F3 | 23 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1974 | F3 | 14 mi | 44.7 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F2 | 15 mi | 16.7 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Apr 24, 2019 | EF2 | 22 mi | 8.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 17.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2003 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 19, 1991 | F2 | 24 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 30, 1976 | F2 | 24 mi | 42.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 30, 1976 | F2 | 21 mi | 35.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hemphill
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Hemphill since 1975, made on 14 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 9, 2020, the most recent report. March has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hemphill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Toledo Bend Dam, TX, 16 miles southeast of Hemphill at 190 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 37°F. December is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 55.7 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (26.0 of 55.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 93 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 39 nights a year. That 55.7 inches is more than at 296 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (95%). Bronson, 16 miles west, has its own station (San Augustine, TX): 55.7 inches a year, the same as here, and the same July average high, 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 37 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 40 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 70 | 47 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 4.7 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 94 | 71 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 94 | 71 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 69 | 45 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 5.8 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 54 | 55.7 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Toledo Bend Dam, TX (190 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 Hemphill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 82 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hemphill: 67 thunderstorm wind reports and 15 flash floods. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 27, 2016. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 15. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 332 have had fewer than Hemphill.
May 27, 2015: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Hemphill — 1 killed, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree fell on the home of an elderly woman in Hemphill Texas. The tree killed the woman inside her home.”
May 3, 2009: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Hemphill — 1 injured, $40,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree fell on a trailer at Alpine Marina on Hwy. 21.”
March 30, 2008: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Hemphill — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Highway 87 was flooded north of Hemphill, Texas. Many roads across the northern part of the county were flooded.”
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
Sabine County, which includes Hemphill, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 5 fires, 3 floods, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sabine County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.7 million a year, the 192nd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.8 million (49%), 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 Hemphill
- Bronson, TX16 mi
- Many, LA17 mi
- Florien, LA19 mi
- Zwolle, LA19 mi
- Brookeland, TX21 mi
- Anacoco, LA21 mi
- San Augustine, TX27 mi
- Shelbyville, TX29 mi
- Jasper, TX32 mi
- New Llano, LA32 mi
- Leesville, LA34 mi
- Newton, TX35 mi
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