NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rice, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rice, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 94 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 94
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Rice
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rice; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Rice begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 57% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rice. The highest rating among the 94 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on October 13, 1981, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 17, 1998, killed 1 person. Of the 94, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on April 26, 2024. Of the 753 Texas cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rice. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1961, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rice.
Compare Rice's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rice
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rice: 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 Rice
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s19
- 2000s9
- 1990s14
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17(1 EF3+)
- 1960s11(2 EF3+)
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1981 | F3 | 24 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 1973 | F3 | 10 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 16, 1965 | F3 | 19 mi | 11.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 26, 1961 | F3 | 16 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 17, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 3.5 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF2 | 21 mi | 5.43 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 24, 2010 | EF2 | in town | 6.51 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Sep 5, 2007 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 13, 1985 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Nov 22, 1983 | F2 | 12 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Aug 18, 1983 | F2 | 9 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 94, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rice
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Rice since 1961, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 9 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 14, 2023. The most recent report is from April 5, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rice
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Corsicana, TX, 7 miles south of Rice at 449 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 35°F. October is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 42.2 inches over 56 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 100 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 37 nights a year. That 42.2 inches is more than at 227 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (73%). Ennis, 11 miles northwest, has its own station (Bardwell Dam, TX): 40.4 inches a year, 1.8 less than here, and an August average high of 95°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 35 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Feb | 61 | 38 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 68 | 46 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 73 | 2.5 | 3 |
| Sep | 90 | 66 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Year | 77 | 55 | 42.2 | 56 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Corsicana, TX (449 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 Rice
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 93 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rice: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods and 7 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $21.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on April 24, 2010. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 32. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 580 have had fewer than Rice.
May 11, 2015: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Rice — 1 killed, $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Nearly ten inches of rainfall fell in the city of Corsicana during the evening and overnight hours of May 10th and 11th. During the early morning hours, there were several high water rescues, in and near Corsicana.”
March 29, 2007: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Rice — $19.0 million damage.
April 28, 2009: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Rice — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous county roads and bridges were damaged across the county. CR 2230 along Richland Chambers Reservoir between Ladd's Harbor and Arrowhead subdivisions collapsed.”
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
Navarro County, which includes Rice, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 5 hurricanes, 4 fires, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Navarro County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $26.5 million a year, the 71st highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.4 million (35%), 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 Rice
- Ennis, TX11 mi
- Corsicana, TX11 mi
- Kerens, TX17 mi
- Scurry, TX18 mi
- Kemp, TX18 mi
- Palmer, TX18 mi
- Frost, TX22 mi
- Gun Barrel City, TX22 mi
- Trinidad, TX22 mi
- Mabank, TX22 mi
- Ferris, TX24 mi
- Italy, TX24 mi
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