NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Meridian, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Meridian, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alicia in 1983. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 70
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Meridian
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Meridian; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 13 miles away. The record near Meridian begins with an unnamed storm in 1897; the most recent system was Alicia in 1983, a tropical storm 65 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 63% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Meridian. The strongest of the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 6, 1973; its path came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 12, 2000, killed 2 people. Of the 70, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on April 19, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Meridian. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 72 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Meridian.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Meridian
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 51 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 Meridian: 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 Meridian
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s8
- 2000s13(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s6
- 1970s13(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1973 | F5 | 23 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 2000 | F3 | 19 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 23, 1971 | F3 | 22 mi | 7.1 mi | 1 / 49 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 21 mi | 3.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 15, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 12.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 29, 2006 | F2 | 21 mi | 7.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 29, 2006 | F2 | 13 mi | 7.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 2001 | F2 | 22 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1994 | F2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 12, 1991 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 1991 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 1991 | F2 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Meridian
The Storm Prediction Center has 72 hail reports within 10 miles of Meridian since 1957, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 53 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 28, 1971. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Meridian
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Whitney Dam, TX, 19 miles east of Meridian at 574 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 34°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 37.7 inches over 49 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 114 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 43 nights a year. That 37.7 inches is more than at 189 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (61%). Hico, 20 miles west, has its own station (Hico, TX): 36.1 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and the same August average high, 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 61 | 38 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Mar | 68 | 46 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 3.6 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Jul | 95 | 72 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.8 | 3 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 37.7 | 49 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Whitney Dam, TX (574 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 Meridian
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 30 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Meridian: 19 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $750,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 24, 2007. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 8. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 138 have had fewer than Meridian.
July 3, 2007: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Meridian — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Highway 22 near Meridian was flooded, and the Bosque River flooded the city park and forced the evacuation of a jail. Near Valley Mills, Highway 56 was flooded and a bridge on CR 3491 was damaged.”
August 17, 2022: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Meridian — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Downburst thunderstorm winds damaged several trees and dislodged a dock on the lake at Meridian State Park. Several large, healthy tree branches were broken and entire trees were knocked down.”
June 28, 2007: flood 2 miles from the centre of Meridian — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Officials reported loss of livestock and tens of thousands of dollars of fencing along the Bosque River washed away.”
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
Bosque County, which includes Meridian, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 fires, 6 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bosque County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.1 million a year, the 150th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (42%), 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 Meridian
- Clifton, TX13 mi
- Hico, TX20 mi
- Whitney, TX20 mi
- Valley Mills, TX21 mi
- Glen Rose, TX22 mi
- Rio Vista, TX27 mi
- China Spring, TX28 mi
- Crawford, TX30 mi
- Hamilton, TX31 mi
- Cleburne, TX34 mi
- Bluff Dale, TX34 mi
- Hillsboro, TX34 mi
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