NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Princeton, 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 Princeton, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Carla in 1961. Since 1950, 143 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 14 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 143
- EF3 or stronger
- 14
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
27 deaths in all
What the records show for Princeton
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Princeton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Princeton begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Princeton. The strongest of the 143 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on December 26, 2015; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 10 people. Of the 143, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 48 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on April 30, 2025. Princeton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 213 times since 1958, with stones up to 5.25 inches. Princeton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Princeton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Princeton: 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 Princeton
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s20(3 EF3+)
- 2000s16(1 EF3+)
- 1990s20
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s27(2 EF3+)
- 1960s19(2 EF3+)
- 1950s17(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF4 | 12 mi | 13.04 mi | 10 / 468 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | 20 mi | 17.2 mi | 10 / 200 |
| May 9, 2006 | F3 | 16 mi | 9.3 mi | 3 / 10 |
| May 25, 2024 | EF3 | 20 mi | 0.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 20, 2019 | EF3 | 17 mi | 15.76 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 2012 | EF3 | 21 mi | 3.34 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 13, 1984 | F3 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 28 |
| May 5, 1978 | F3 | 24 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F3 | 23 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 12, 1969 | F3 | in town | 45.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 21, 1967 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1959 | F3 | 5 mi | 27.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 143, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Princeton
The Storm Prediction Center has 213 hail reports within 10 miles of Princeton since 1958, made on 130 separate days. Of these, 150 were 1 inch across or larger, and 27 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5.25 inches, fell on April 11, 2016. The most recent report is from November 24, 2025. April has the most reports, 59.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Princeton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mckinney Municipal Airport, TX, 6 miles northwest of Princeton at 580 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 34°F. May is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 38.4 inches over 54 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 97 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 48 nights a year. That 38.4 inches is more than at 198 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (63%). Nevada, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Lavon Dam, TX): 39.8 inches a year, 1.4 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Feb | 60 | 38 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Mar | 68 | 46 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 75 | 53 | 3.6 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Sep | 88 | 66 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 54 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 44 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Year | 76 | 54 | 38.4 | 54 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mckinney Municipal Airport, TX (580 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 Princeton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 126 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Princeton: 94 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 4 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 5 people and injured 9, and the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on April 10, 2008. March has had the most flash floods, 5 of 23. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 481 have had fewer than Princeton.
November 20, 2009: heavy rain event 9 miles from the centre of Princeton — 3 killed, 3 injured.
August 26, 2003: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Princeton — 1 killed, 4 injured, $15,000 damage.
June 7, 2018: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Princeton — 1 killed, $40,000 damage.
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
Collin County, which includes Princeton, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 fires, 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 Collin 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; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $716.3 million a year, the 3rd highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $420.4 million (59%), 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 Princeton
- Nevada, TX8 mi
- Farmersville, TX9 mi
- Lavon, TX9 mi
- Wylie, TX10 mi
- Allen, TX10 mi
- Mckinney, TX10 mi
- Melissa, TX10 mi
- Murphy, TX12 mi
- Sachse, TX13 mi
- Blue Ridge, TX13 mi
- Anna, TX15 mi
- Caddo Mills, TX16 mi
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