NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Red Oak, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Red Oak, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alicia in 1983. Since 1950, 181 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 181
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
23 deaths in all
What the records show for Red Oak
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Red Oak; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Red Oak begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Alicia in 1983, a tropical storm 71 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 59% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Red Oak. The highest rating among the 181 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 26, 2015, came within 23 miles. Of the 181, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 71 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 55. The most recent tornado was on March 4, 2025. Red Oak has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 311 times since 1955, with stones up to 3.75 inches. Red Oak has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 753 Texas cities.
Compare Red Oak's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Red Oak
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Red Oak: 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 Red Oak
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s32(3 EF3+)
- 2000s25(1 EF3+)
- 1990s41(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s38
- 1960s11(2 EF3+)
- 1950s9(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF4 | 23 mi | 13.04 mi | 10 / 468 |
| Apr 25, 1994 | F4 | 7 mi | 6 mi | 3 / 48 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F3 | 22 mi | 17.2 mi | 10 / 200 |
| Oct 20, 2019 | EF3 | 24 mi | 15.76 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF3 | 2 mi | 8.52 mi | 0 / 46 |
| Mar 28, 2000 | F3 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 13, 1984 | F3 | 18 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Oct 12, 1969 | F3 | 10 mi | 45.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 26, 1961 | F3 | 20 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 4, 1959 | F3 | 22 mi | 27.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 12, 1957 | F3 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.43 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 181, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Red Oak
The Storm Prediction Center has 311 hail reports within 10 miles of Red Oak since 1955, made on 163 separate days. Of these, 221 were 1 inch across or larger, and 27 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.75 inches, fell on June 14, 2023. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 104.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Red Oak
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waxahachie, TX, 7 miles south of Red Oak at 626 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 34°F. October is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 40.8 inches over 55 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 96 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 33 nights a year. That 40.8 inches is more than at 218 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (70%). Desoto, 5 miles north, has its own station (Dallas Redbird Airport, TX): 37.8 inches a year, 3.0 less than here, and an August average high of 96°F against 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 60 | 38 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 75 | 53 | 3.5 | 5 |
| May | 82 | 63 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 74 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Sep | 88 | 67 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 55 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Year | 76 | 54 | 40.8 | 55 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waxahachie, TX (626 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 Red Oak
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 155 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Red Oak: 114 thunderstorm wind reports, 34 flash floods, 6 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on December 26, 2015. March has had the most flash floods, 8 of 34. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 592 have had fewer than Red Oak.
May 24, 2015: heavy rain event 4 miles from the centre of Red Oak — 1 killed.
December 27, 2008: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Red Oak — 1 injured, $3,000 damage.
April 11, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Red Oak — $600,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Red Oak's ZIP code 75154 have filed 76 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $4.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Dallas Flash Floods in 2022: 12 claims (16% of all) and $551,000. The year with the most claims was 2018, with 22. 29% 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, 211 have fewer than Red Oak.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Flash Floods2022 | 12 | $551,000 |
Ellis County, which includes Red Oak, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 fires, 6 severe storms, 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 Ellis County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $46.9 million a year, the 35th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.8 million (51%), 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.