NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rio Vista, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rio Vista, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Alicia in 1983. Since 1950, 164 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 164
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Rio Vista
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rio Vista; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Rio Vista begins with an unnamed storm in 1897; the most recent system was Alicia in 1983, a tropical storm 64 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 63% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rio Vista. The highest rating among the 164 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 15, 2013, came within 25 miles. Of the 164, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 64 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 62. The most recent tornado was on April 4, 2022. Rio Vista has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 148 times since 1958, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Rio Vista has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rio Vista
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | AliciaAug 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rio Vista: 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 Rio Vista
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s28(2 EF3+)
- 2000s26(1 EF3+)
- 1990s23
- 1980s13
- 1970s36(7 EF3+)
- 1960s19(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2013 | EF4 | 25 mi | 2.5 mi | 6 / 54 |
| Mar 31, 1959 | F4 | 23 mi | 10.4 mi | 6 / 31 |
| May 26, 1976 | F4 | 7 mi | 18.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 2000 | F3 | 22 mi | 7 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 23, 1971 | F3 | 20 mi | 7.1 mi | 1 / 49 |
| May 15, 2013 | EF3 | 6 mi | 7.79 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 11, 1978 | F3 | 22 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F3 | 9 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F3 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1973 | F3 | 10 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 26, 1961 | F3 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 164, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rio Vista
The Storm Prediction Center has 148 hail reports within 10 miles of Rio Vista since 1958, made on 98 separate days. Of these, 106 were 1 inch across or larger, and 15 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 9, 2024. The most recent report is from June 1, 2025. April has the most reports, 58.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rio Vista
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cleburne, TX, 7 miles north of Rio Vista at 783 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 33°F. October is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 37.6 inches over 49 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 105 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 41 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.8 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 37.6 inches is more than at 187 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (60%). Itasca, 15 miles east, has its own station (Hillsboro, TX): 38.9 inches a year, 1.3 more than here, and an August average high of 97°F against 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 33 | 2.6 | 4 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 2.5 | 4 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 3.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 95 | 73 | 2.1 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 2.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 78 | 54 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 2.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 2.5 | 4 | 0.2 |
| Year | 76 | 54 | 37.6 | 49 | 0.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cleburne, TX (783 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 Rio Vista
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rio Vista: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 6 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 26, 2015. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 22. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 466 have had fewer than Rio Vista.
March 13, 2019: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rio Vista — 1 injured.
September 8, 2010: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Rio Vista — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Several county roads and Farm-to-Market roads were impassible or closed due to high water. Swift water rescues were conducted in Whitney after two apartment complexes were flooded.”
April 11, 2011: thunderstorm wind in Rio Vista — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The American Red Cross reported that 16 homes in Rio Vista were damaged by severe thunderstorm winds. Two of these homes were destroyed and three others sustained major 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
Johnson County, which includes Rio Vista, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 fires, 4 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on February 19, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Johnson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $70.7 million a year, the 24th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $28.0 million (40%), 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 Rio Vista
- Cleburne, TX9 mi
- Grandview, TX12 mi
- Keene, TX12 mi
- Itasca, TX15 mi
- Joshua, TX17 mi
- Alvarado, TX17 mi
- Whitney, TX17 mi
- Godley, TX17 mi
- Hillsboro, TX21 mi
- Maypearl, TX22 mi
- Glen Rose, TX22 mi
- Burleson, TX22 mi
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