NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Karnes City, 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
26 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Karnes City, Texas since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beta in 2020. Since 1950, 49 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 49
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Karnes City
The strongest storm to pass near Karnes City was an unnamed storm in 1886, a Category 2 hurricane with 102 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Karnes City begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Beta in 2020, a tropical storm 67 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1960s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 26 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Karnes City has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 75% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The strongest of the 49 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on April 25, 1966; its path came within 6 miles. Of the 49, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on October 30, 2015. Of the 753 Texas cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Karnes City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Karnes City.
Compare Karnes City's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Karnes City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | BetaSep 22 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 26 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2015 | BillJun 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | ClaudetteJul 15 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | FrancesSep 11 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | CharleyAug 22 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1978 | AmeliaJul 31 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | CeliaAug 4 | 49 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1968 | CandyJun 24 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | AbbyAug 8 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 57 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | Unnamed 1960 stormJun 24 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 30 | 13 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 28 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJul 25 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormJun 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormOct 17 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormSep 24 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormAug 20 | 2 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 17 | 37 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormJul 5 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormAug 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormJul 16 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormJun 26 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Karnes City: 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 Karnes City
By decade
- 2010s10
- 2000s10
- 1990s5
- 1980s4
- 1970s3
- 1960s13(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 1966 | F3 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 30, 2015 | EF2 | 22 mi | 5.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1967 | F2 | 8 mi | 8.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 1965 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 15, 1960 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2001 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2001 | F1 | 8 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 1991 | F1 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1988 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1980 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 1971 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 1969 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 49, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Karnes City
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Karnes City since 1967, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 7, 1984. The most recent report is from December 24, 2024. April has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Karnes City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Floresville, TX, 23 miles northwest of Karnes City at 400 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 98°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 65°F and 39°F. May is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 31.7 inches over 42 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (17.6 of 31.7 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 130 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 27 nights a year. That 31.7 inches is more than at 127 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (41%). Kenedy, 8 miles south, has its own station (Beeville 5 NE, TX): 32.1 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and an August average high of 96°F against 98°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 39 | 1.6 | 3 |
| Feb | 69 | 43 | 1.6 | 3 |
| Mar | 76 | 51 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Apr | 82 | 56 | 2.4 | 3 |
| May | 88 | 66 | 4.4 | 4 |
| Jun | 94 | 71 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Jul | 96 | 74 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Aug | 98 | 73 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Sep | 92 | 68 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 84 | 58 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Nov | 74 | 48 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Dec | 66 | 41 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Year | 82 | 57 | 31.7 | 42 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Floresville, TX (400 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 Karnes City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 32 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Karnes City: 15 flash floods, 12 thunderstorm wind reports and 5 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $372,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 22, 2022. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 15. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 332 have had fewer than Karnes City.
August 16, 2007: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Karnes City — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “The area of heaviest rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Erin in South Central Texas began in Karnes County. General rainfall over the county ranged from 3 to 5 inches with up to 7 inches near Helena.”
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
Karnes County, which includes Karnes City, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on February 19, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Karnes County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and hail; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.0 million a year, the 134th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 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 Karnes City
- Kenedy, TX8 mi
- Falls City, TX12 mi
- Stockdale, TX24 mi
- Yorktown, TX24 mi
- Floresville, TX24 mi
- Nixon, TX29 mi
- Three Rivers, TX32 mi
- Goliad, TX33 mi
- Beeville, TX34 mi
- La Vernia, TX34 mi
- Pleasanton, TX34 mi
- Adkins, TX36 mi
All Texas cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Karnes City with another place →