NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hico, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hico, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Hico
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hico; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Hico begins with an unnamed storm in 1897; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 27 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 4 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 67% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Hico. The highest rating among the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 9 times; the most recent, on April 19, 2025, came within 25 miles. Of the 67, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on April 19, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hico. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 92 times since 1966, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Hico has more hail reports within 10 miles than 57% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hico
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 60 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 Hico: 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 Hico
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s8
- 2000s8
- 1990s15
- 1980s16
- 1970s7
- 1960s5
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2025 | EF2 | 25 mi | 13.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1994 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 28, 1991 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 1979 | F2 | 4 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 30, 1978 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1976 | F2 | 13 mi | 11.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1971 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1966 | F2 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 1960 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2025 | EF1 | 8 mi | 6.77 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 8, 2016 | EF1 | 21 mi | 2.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 2015 | EF1 | 24 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hico
The Storm Prediction Center has 92 hail reports within 10 miles of Hico since 1966, made on 61 separate days. Of these, 62 were 1 inch across or larger, and 9 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 3, 2023. The most recent report is from May 1, 2025. April has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hico
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hico, TX, 3 miles north of Hico at 1,043 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 32°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and July and December the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 36.1 inches over 54 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 92 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 55 nights a year. That 36.1 inches is more than at 166 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (53%). Hamilton, 19 miles south, has its own station (Evant 1SSW, TX): 31.6 inches a year, 4.5 less than here, and a July average high of 95°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 32 | 2.4 | 5 |
| Feb | 62 | 35 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 77 | 51 | 3.1 | 4 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 71 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Sep | 88 | 63 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 42 | 2.2 | 5 |
| Dec | 59 | 33 | 2.1 | 4 |
| Year | 77 | 52 | 36.1 | 54 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hico, TX (1,043 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 Hico
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 22 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hico: 16 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on June 7, 1996. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 68 have had fewer than Hico.
May 2, 2007: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Hico — 1 injured, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees down across the county; two trailers were damaged with one person trapped inside.”
June 26, 2007: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Hico — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “High water was reported on FM 219 west of Highway 281, at FM 1602 three miles east of Highway 281, and on 5th Street in Hico. The water was several feet deep.”
July 8, 2007: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Hico — $600,000 damage.
NWS: “Water was reported over CR 219 near Carlton. Flooding was widespread in Hico, with FM 1602 washed out and Highway 281 north of town impassable.”
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
Hamilton County, which includes Hico, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 fires, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding, on July 6, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hamilton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $4.9 million a year, the 201st highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.8 million (38%), 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 Hico
- Hamilton, TX19 mi
- Meridian, TX20 mi
- Dublin, TX21 mi
- Stephenville, TX23 mi
- Glen Rose, TX25 mi
- Bluff Dale, TX26 mi
- Tolar, TX31 mi
- Clifton, TX31 mi
- De Leon, TX33 mi
- Comanche, TX34 mi
- Valley Mills, TX36 mi
- Granbury, TX37 mi
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