NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Laredo, 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
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Laredo, Texas since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Harold in 2023. Since 1950, 3 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 3
- 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 Laredo
The strongest storm to pass near Laredo was Celia in 1970, a Category 1 hurricane with 81 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Allen in 1980, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Laredo begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Harold in 2023, a tropical storm 74 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 19 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Laredo has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The strongest of the 3 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on April 5, 1961; its path came within 18 miles. The most recent tornado was on May 22, 1977. Of the 753 Texas cities, 100% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Laredo. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 78 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 50% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Laredo.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Laredo
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HaroldAug 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | DollyJul 24 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2003 | ClaudetteJul 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | BretAug 23 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1980 | AllenAug 10 | overhead | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | FernSep 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | CeliaAug 4 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1967 | BeulahSep 21 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1954 | AliceJun 26 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJul 26 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormSep 7 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 15 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 19 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormJun 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 15 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormAug 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormAug 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormJun 26 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Laredo: 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 Laredo
By decade
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 1961 | F2 | 18 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1977 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 1962 | F0 | 18 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 3 of 3, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Laredo
The Storm Prediction Center has 78 hail reports within 10 miles of Laredo since 1960, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 65 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 21, 2017. The most recent report is from May 17, 2024. May has the most reports, 35.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Laredo
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Laredo 2, TX, 3 miles northwest of Laredo at 430 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 101°F and low of 77°F; January is the coolest, at 68°F and 47°F. September is the wettest at 3.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 0.7 inches; the year adds up to 19.9 inches over 30 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (11.9 of 19.9 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 101°F and 1.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 178 days a year, almost all from February to November. Lows fall below freezing on about 5 nights a year. That 19.9 inches is more than at 37 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (12%).
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 47 | 0.8 | 2 |
| Feb | 74 | 52 | 0.7 | 2 |
| Mar | 81 | 58 | 1.3 | 2 |
| Apr | 88 | 65 | 1.3 | 2 |
| May | 94 | 72 | 2.8 | 3 |
| Jun | 99 | 76 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Jul | 100 | 77 | 1.9 | 3 |
| Aug | 101 | 77 | 1.6 | 3 |
| Sep | 94 | 73 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 87 | 66 | 1.7 | 2 |
| Nov | 77 | 56 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Dec | 69 | 48 | 1.1 | 2 |
| Year | 86 | 64 | 19.9 | 30 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Laredo 2, TX (430 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 Laredo
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Laredo: 68 flash floods, 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 heavy rain events, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $58.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on May 21, 2017. May has had the most flash floods, 15 of 68. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 711 have had fewer than Laredo.
June 17, 2007: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Laredo — 1 killed, $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “A widespread 4 to 6 inches of torrential rainfall fell across Laredo during the early morning hours with localized amounts possibly up to 8 inches. 29 was recorded by a television station on the north side of town.”
May 21, 2017: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Laredo — 1 killed.
NWS: “Fourteen year old boy was electrocuted after picking up a live power line that was downed in the storm.”
June 2, 2003: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Laredo — $33.0 million damage.
NWS: “A NWS storm survey team observed the most severe damage at the Laredo International Airport and homes and businesses surrounding the airport. $750,000 in damage was done to city owned buildings at the airport.”
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 Laredo's 6 ZIP codes have filed 265 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $6.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Thunderstorms in 2007: 38 claims (14% of all) and $611,000, then Flooding in 2002 with 21 and Early summer storms in 2015 with 14. 32% 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, 308 have fewer than Laredo.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorms2007 | 38 | $611,000 |
| Flooding2002 | 21 | $365,000 |
| Early summer storms2015 | 14 | $387,000 |
Webb County, which includes Laredo, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 3 fires, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Webb County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $46.5 million a year, the 36th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $25.4 million (55%), 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 Laredo
- Zapata, TX46 mi
- Hebbronville, TX52 mi
- Freer, TX62 mi
- Cotulla, TX64 mi
- San Diego, TX68 mi
- Carrizo Springs, TX72 mi
- Roma, TX78 mi
- Crystal City, TX82 mi
- Falfurrias, TX83 mi
- Dilley, TX84 mi
- Premont, TX84 mi
- Alice, TX86 mi
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