NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Palestine, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Palestine, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Palestine
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Palestine; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1891, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Palestine begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Beryl in 2024, a tropical storm 31 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 5 systems. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Palestine has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 65% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 8 times; the most recent, on November 15, 1987, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 15, 1987, killed 4 people. Of the 61, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Palestine. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 96 times since 1979, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Palestine has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 753 Texas cities.
Compare Palestine's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Palestine
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 2 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 9 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 23 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 6 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 10 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Palestine: 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 Palestine
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s4
- 2000s8
- 1990s15
- 1980s13(3 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 19 mi | 33 mi | 4 / 81 |
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 2 mi | 10.5 mi | 1 / 59 |
| May 9, 1981 | F3 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 1974 | F3 | 11 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Sep 11, 1961 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 4, 1959 | F3 | 22 mi | 25.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 12, 1955 | F3 | 21 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 23 mi | 139.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jan 20, 2010 | EF2 | 21 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1999 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1991 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 11, 1984 | F2 | 2 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Palestine
The Storm Prediction Center has 96 hail reports within 10 miles of Palestine since 1979, made on 70 separate days. Of these, 63 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 4, 2025, the most recent report. April has the most reports, 34.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Palestine
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Palestine 2 NE, TX, 3 miles east of Palestine at 465 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 35°F. June is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 46.9 inches over 63 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 46.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal August there has highs of 95°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 87 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 38 nights a year. That 46.9 inches is more than at 250 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (80%). Oakwood, 18 miles southwest, has its own station (Palestine 6 WNW, TX): 43.9 inches a year, 3.0 less than here, and the same July average high, 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 35 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 70 | 45 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 4.1 | 6 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 71 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 80 | 54 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 60 | 37 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 46.9 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Palestine 2 NE, TX (465 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 Palestine
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Palestine: 84 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 7 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 10, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 14. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 298 have had fewer than Palestine.
April 29, 2016: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Palestine — 5 killed, $800,000 damage.
NWS: “5 of water fell in one hour. A family of 5 died in this location while drying to escape the flood waters.”
April 30, 2016: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Palestine — 1 killed, $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “5 of rain fell over Palestine in about one hour causing flooding across the city. Cars were flooded in downtown Palestine.”
April 29, 2016: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Palestine — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 30 year old male died in flood waters on Anderson County Road 370.”
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 Palestine's 2 ZIP codes have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1995, and were paid $140,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 15% 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, 31 have fewer than Palestine.
Anderson County, which includes Palestine, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 fires, 5 floods, 4 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anderson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.2 million a year, the 82nd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.3 million (40%), 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 Palestine
- Tennessee Colony, TX2 mi
- Elkhart, TX12 mi
- Oakwood, TX18 mi
- Grapeland, TX21 mi
- Frankston, TX23 mi
- Larue, TX25 mi
- Jacksonville, TX26 mi
- Fairfield, TX27 mi
- Rusk, TX28 mi
- Bullard, TX30 mi
- Athens, TX31 mi
- Buffalo, TX32 mi
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