NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lexington, 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 Lexington, Texas since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 1989. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 77
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Lexington
The strongest storm to pass near Lexington was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Lexington begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Chantal in 1989, a tropical storm 62 miles away. The 1900s and the 1940s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. None of the 19 systems has come since 2000. Lexington has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on March 10, 2000, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on November 15, 1987, killed 2 people. Of the 77, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on March 21, 2022. Of the 753 Texas cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lexington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1985, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lexington.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lexington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | ChantalAug 2 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1973 | DeliaSep 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | CandyJun 24 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 25 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 17 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJul 22 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 30 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJun 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 17 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 4 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 20 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lexington: 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 Lexington
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s7
- 2000s5(1 EF3+)
- 1990s20
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s11
- 1960s4
- 1950s14(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 12 mi | 31.7 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 10, 2000 | F3 | 21 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 24, 1957 | F3 | 11 mi | 14.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 20, 1957 | F3 | 10 mi | 16.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 20, 1957 | F3 | 16 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 13 mi | 139.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Dec 2, 1953 | F3 | 7 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 15, 1987 | F2 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Mar 21, 2022 | EF2 | 17 mi | 11.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 20, 2017 | EF2 | 18 mi | 4.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 20, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 17, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lexington
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Lexington since 1985, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on December 23, 2002. The most recent report is from December 24, 2024. April and May have the most reports, 8 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lexington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lexington, TX, 2 miles east of Lexington at 423 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 39°F. May is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 37.6 inches over 50 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (18.9 of 37.6 inches). Highs reach 90°F on about 111 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 27 nights a year. That 37.6 inches is more than at 187 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (60%). Mc Dade, 15 miles southwest, has its own station (Elgin 1 N, TX): 36.3 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and the same August average high, 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Feb | 65 | 43 | 2.2 | 4 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Apr | 79 | 56 | 2.6 | 4 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 2.6 | 3 |
| Sep | 90 | 68 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 82 | 58 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 71 | 48 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Year | 79 | 57 | 37.6 | 50 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lexington, TX (423 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 Lexington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 29 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lexington: 14 flash floods, 14 thunderstorm wind reports and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $531,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on August 11, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 298 have had fewer than Lexington.
March 20, 2012: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Lexington — 1 killed.
August 26, 2017: flood 7 miles from the centre of Lexington — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The largest impact across Lee County with Harvey was the rainfall where as much as 20 inches fell near Giddings. The southern half of the county experienced the worst flooding with 25 homes being impacted, many of those having experienced major damage.”
May 12, 2000: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Lexington — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Severe thunderstorm winds blew down trees in the Lexington area. The winds also severely damaged 2 barns just outside Lexington.”
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
Lee County, which includes Lexington, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1987, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 fires, 5 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lee County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.7 million a year, the 137th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.4 million (20%), 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 Lexington
- Mc Dade, TX15 mi
- Paige, TX15 mi
- Rockdale, TX16 mi
- Thorndale, TX16 mi
- Giddings, TX17 mi
- Elgin, TX20 mi
- Caldwell, TX23 mi
- Taylor, TX25 mi
- Bastrop, TX26 mi
- Smithville, TX29 mi
- Burton, TX30 mi
- Cameron, TX31 mi
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