NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pilot Point, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pilot Point, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 148 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 148
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
20 deaths in all
What the records show for Pilot Point
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pilot Point; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Pilot Point begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 17 miles away. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Pilot Point. The highest rating among the 148 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 12 times; the most recent, on May 25, 2024, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 2, 1957, killed 10 people. Of the 148, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 44. The most recent tornado was on August 28, 2025. Pilot Point has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 78% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 90 times since 1955, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Pilot Point has more hail reports within 10 miles than 55% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pilot Point
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pilot Point: 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 Pilot Point
By decade
- 2020s11(2 EF3+)
- 2010s18
- 2000s22(1 EF3+)
- 1990s21
- 1980s7
- 1970s27(4 EF3+)
- 1960s22(1 EF3+)
- 1950s20(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | 21 mi | 17.2 mi | 10 / 200 |
| May 25, 2024 | EF3 | 3 mi | 47.27 mi | 7 / 80 |
| May 9, 2006 | F3 | 25 mi | 9.3 mi | 3 / 10 |
| May 25, 2024 | EF3 | 12 mi | 0.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 14, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1971 | F3 | 22 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1971 | F3 | 22 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1971 | F3 | 7 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1966 | F3 | 4 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1959 | F3 | 22 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | 20 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 6, 1955 | F3 | 17 mi | 15.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 148, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pilot Point
The Storm Prediction Center has 90 hail reports within 10 miles of Pilot Point since 1955, made on 62 separate days. Of these, 56 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 6, 2018. The most recent report is from September 5, 2025. April has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pilot Point
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Denton 2 SE, TX, 16 miles southwest of Pilot Point at 630 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 34°F. May is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 38.5 inches over 52 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 95 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 38 nights a year. That 38.5 inches is more than at 200 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (64%). Collinsville, 11 miles north, has its own station (Gainesville 5 ENE, TX): 42.7 inches a year, 4.2 more than here, and a July average high of 94°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 2.2 | 4 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 3.7 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Jul | 96 | 75 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Year | 76 | 55 | 38.5 | 52 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Denton 2 SE, TX (630 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 Pilot Point
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 65 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pilot Point: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods and 7 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on February 9, 2009. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 17. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 375 have had fewer than Pilot Point.
September 8, 2010: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Pilot Point — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads throughout the county were closed due to high water, especially in the southwestern portions of the county. Water rescues were conducted in the cities of Sherman and Gunter.”
July 17, 2014: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Pilot Point — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Very heavy rainfall resulted in significant flash flooding across the northern half of Denton County. Up to 11 inches of rain fell in the area.”
June 28, 2007: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Pilot Point — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Streets and yards were flooded by several feet of water. A few roads were washed out and bridges were damaged.”
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
Denton County, which includes Pilot Point, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 5 fires, 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Denton County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes and hail; Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $354.7 million a year, the 7th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $145.3 million (41%), is from tornadoes.
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 Pilot Point
- Aubrey, TX8 mi
- Collinsville, TX11 mi
- Celina, TX12 mi
- Valley View, TX12 mi
- Prosper, TX13 mi
- Gunter, TX13 mi
- Sanger, TX14 mi
- Little Elm, TX15 mi
- Denton, TX16 mi
- Hickory Creek, TX18 mi
- Krum, TX19 mi
- Frisco, TX19 mi
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