NHC AL111971 · Atlantic basin
Hurricane Fern (1971)
September 3, 1971 – September 13, 1971
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
Hurricane Fern peaked at Category 1 with 86 mph sustained winds and passed within 75 miles of 80 US cities, 39 of them while still at hurricane strength.
Fern in the record
HURDAT2 tracks Fern from September 3, 1971 to September 13, 1971; its peak was 86 mph (Category 1). HURDAT2 marks 2 landfalls within 50 miles of a US city on this site, the first on September 11 at 86 mph (Category 1), 7 miles from Port Aransas, TX. Its centre passed within 75 miles of 80 US cities, all in Texas. The strongest pass was 86 mph (Category 1) 2 miles from Port Aransas, TX.
- Peak strength
- Category 1
- Cities within 75 mi
- 80
- At hurricane strength
- 39
- States
- 1
86 mph
when closest
Cities Fern passed near, strongest first
Texas (80)
- Port AransasCategory 1 · 2 mi
- InglesideCategory 1 · 6 mi
- Aransas PassCategory 1 · 7 mi
- RockportCategory 1 · 10 mi
- PortlandCategory 1 · 11 mi
- GregoryCategory 1 · 12 mi
- SeadriftCategory 1 · 16 mi
- TaftCategory 1 · 18 mi
- Port LavacaCategory 1 · 27 mi
- SintonCategory 1 · 27 mi
- PalaciosCategory 1 · 28 mi
- RefugioCategory 1 · 32 mi
- Bay CityCategory 1 · 38 mi
- Van VleckCategory 1 · 44 mi
- SkidmoreCategory 1 · 44 mi
- VictoriaCategory 1 · 49 mi
- InezCategory 1 · 49 mi
- EdnaCategory 1 · 51 mi
- GanadoCategory 1 · 53 mi
- BeevilleCategory 1 · 56 mi
- GoliadCategory 1 · 57 mi
- BolingCategory 1 · 59 mi
- El CampoCategory 1 · 59 mi
- WhartonCategory 1 · 64 mi
- NeedvilleCategory 1 · 69 mi
- CueroCategory 1 · 75 mi
- BeasleyCategory 1 · 75 mi
- SweenyCategory 1 · 47 mi
- West ColumbiaCategory 1 · 54 mi
- OdemCategory 1 · 25 mi
- Corpus ChristiCategory 1 · 5 mi
- BrazoriaCategory 1 · 45 mi
- RosharonCategory 1 · 75 mi
- AngletonCategory 1 · 57 mi
- MathisCategory 1 · 42 mi
- Lake JacksonCategory 1 · 48 mi
- CluteCategory 1 · 49 mi
- DanburyCategory 1 · 62 mi
- FreeportCategory 1 · 45 mi
- RobstownTropical storm · 19 mi
- SandiaTropical storm · 43 mi
- GalvestonTropical storm · 73 mi
- HitchcockTropical storm · 74 mi
- George WestTropical storm · 62 mi
- Orange GroveTropical storm · 43 mi
- BishopTropical storm · 13 mi
- AliceTropical storm · 33 mi
- KingsvilleTropical storm · 12 mi
- Rio HondoTropical storm · 73 mi
- PremontTropical storm · 11 mi
- LyfordTropical storm · 61 mi
- RaymondvilleTropical storm · 52 mi
- Santa RosaTropical storm · 66 mi
- HarlingenTropical storm · 73 mi
- FalfurriasTropical storm · 2 mi
- San DiegoTropical storm · 37 mi
- La VillaTropical storm · 63 mi
- La FeriaTropical storm · 74 mi
- EdcouchTropical storm · 59 mi
- ElsaTropical storm · 62 mi
and 20 more
Other storms of the 1971 season
- Unnamed (AL071971)Tropical storm · 66 cities
- DoriaTropical storm · 2,064 cities
- EdithCategory 4 · 280 cities
- GingerCategory 3 · 145 cities
- HeidiTropical storm · 103 cities
About this record
The track is the National Hurricane Center's best-track record, revised after the season with every observation available. Strength at a city is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, not the wind that city measured.