NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pearsall, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pearsall, Texas since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hermine in 2010. Since 1950, 29 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 29
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Pearsall
The strongest storm to pass near Pearsall was an unnamed storm in 1886, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Celia in 1970, whose centre came within 23 miles. The record near Pearsall begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Hermine in 2010, a tropical storm 38 miles away. The 1910s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Pearsall has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The strongest of the 29 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 15, 1973; its path came within 4 miles, and it killed 5 people. Of the 29, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2023. Of the 753 Texas cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Pearsall. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1959, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 67% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Pearsall.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pearsall
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | ClaudetteJul 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | CeliaAug 4 | 23 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 30 | 46 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJul 26 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormJun 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 19 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormJun 28 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormAug 20 | 55 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormAug 17 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormJun 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pearsall: 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 Pearsall
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s6
- 1990s3
- 1980s7
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 1973 | F4 | 4 mi | 23.3 mi | 5 / 12 |
| Apr 29, 1975 | F3 | 13 mi | 8.3 mi | 3 / 5 |
| Mar 19, 2012 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 7, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 1970 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 1970 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 1968 | F2 | 9 mi | 18.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 7, 2002 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 2001 | F1 | 14 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1999 | F1 | in town | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1983 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F1 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 29, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pearsall
The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Pearsall since 1959, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 18, 1959. The most recent report is from January 24, 2024. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pearsall
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dilley, TX, 15 miles south of Pearsall at 550 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 98°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 66°F and 42°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (14.0 of 25.1 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 98°F and 2.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 140 days a year, almost all from March to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 10 nights a year. That 25.1 inches is more than at 77 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (25%). Devine, 21 miles northeast, has its own station (Lytle 3W, TX): 29.7 inches a year, 4.6 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 | 66 | 42 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Feb | 70 | 46 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Mar | 77 | 53 | 2.0 | 4 |
| Apr | 84 | 59 | 1.5 | 2 |
| May | 90 | 67 | 4.0 | 4 |
| Jun | 96 | 72 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Jul | 97 | 74 | 2.2 | 3 |
| Aug | 98 | 74 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Sep | 92 | 70 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 85 | 61 | 2.2 | 4 |
| Nov | 73 | 51 | 1.4 | 3 |
| Dec | 66 | 43 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Year | 83 | 59 | 25.1 | 38 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dilley, TX (550 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 Pearsall
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 24 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pearsall: 11 flash floods, 11 thunderstorm wind reports and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $295,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 27, 2000. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 227 have had fewer than Pearsall.
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
Frio County, which includes Pearsall, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 hurricanes, 3 fires, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on September 1, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Frio County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.7 million a year, the 143rd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (32%), 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 Pearsall
- Dilley, TX14 mi
- Devine, TX21 mi
- Natalia, TX26 mi
- Lytle, TX29 mi
- Cotulla, TX32 mi
- Jourdanton, TX33 mi
- Poteet, TX33 mi
- Somerset, TX33 mi
- Lacoste, TX34 mi
- Hondo, TX34 mi
- Castroville, TX35 mi
- Atascosa, TX35 mi
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