NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Robstown, 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
38 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Robstown, Texas since 1851, 14 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Harold in 2023. Since 1950, 168 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 14
- Tropical storms
- 24
- Tornadoes
- 168
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Robstown
The strongest storm to pass near Robstown was an unnamed storm in 1886, a Category 4 hurricane with 135 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1886, whose centre came within 11 miles. The record near Robstown begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Harold in 2023, a tropical storm 41 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 38 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Robstown has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 87% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 168 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on June 24, 1970, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 24, 2002, killed 1 person. Of the 168, 15 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 35. The most recent tornado was on August 22, 2023. Robstown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 85% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Robstown.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Robstown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | HaroldAug 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | HannaJul 25 | 72 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 26 | 46 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2015 | BillJun 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | DonJul 30 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2010 | HermineSep 7 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | ClaudetteJul 15 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | BretAug 23 | 50 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | FrancesSep 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | CharleyAug 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1993 | ArleneJun 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1980 | AllenAug 10 | 75 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1978 | AmeliaJul 31 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | FernSep 11 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | CeliaAug 3 | 17 mi | Category 3 (119 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1968 | CandyJun 23 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1967 | BeulahSep 21 | 55 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1960 | Unnamed 1960 stormJun 24 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | EllaSep 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 27 | 42 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 30 | 72 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormSep 13 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJun 27 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJul 25 | 25 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJun 28 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1919 | Unnamed 1919 stormSep 14 | 31 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormAug 19 | 37 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormJun 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormOct 17 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormSep 15 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 26 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormSep 23 | 11 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormAug 20 | 52 mi | Category 4 (135 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 16 | 27 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormAug 17 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormJul 15 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormJun 26 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Robstown: 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 Robstown
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s22
- 2000s18
- 1990s27
- 1980s12
- 1970s28(1 EF3+)
- 1960s43(1 EF3+)
- 1950s11(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 1970 | F3 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| May 16, 1969 | F3 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 22, 1954 | F3 | 23 mi | 20.5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Oct 24, 2002 | F2 | 5 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F2 | 16 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1980 | F2 | 16 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 9, 1980 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1976 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 7, 1976 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1976 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1969 | F2 | 6 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 168, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Robstown
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Robstown since 1956, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 24, 2016. The most recent report is from August 18, 2020. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Robstown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Robstown, TX, 2 miles east of Robstown at 85 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 68°F and 47°F. September is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 31.1 inches over 42 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 62% of the year's precipitation (19.2 of 31.1 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 38 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal August there has highs of 96°F and 3.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 124 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 4 nights a year. That 31.1 inches is more than at 121 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (39%). Odem, 13 miles northeast, has its own station (Sinton, TX): 33.1 inches a year, 2.0 more than here, and an August average high of 95°F against 96°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Viola Turning Basin, TX, 11 miles northeast, averaged 88°F in August and 62°F in February over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to October. Sea level at the Packery Channel tide gauge, 29 miles from Robstown, has risen 2.41 ± 0.21 inches per decade from 1988 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 24.1 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 134 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 47 | 1.5 | 3 | 62 |
| Feb | 72 | 51 | 1.5 | 3 | 62 |
| Mar | 77 | 57 | 2.2 | 3 | 68 |
| Apr | 83 | 64 | 1.7 | 3 | 75 |
| May | 88 | 70 | 3.3 | 3 | 81 |
| Jun | 93 | 75 | 3.0 | 4 | 87 |
| Jul | 95 | 76 | 2.8 | 3 | 88 |
| Aug | 96 | 76 | 3.0 | 4 | 88 |
| Sep | 92 | 72 | 5.0 | 6 | 87 |
| Oct | 86 | 65 | 3.3 | 4 | 82 |
| Nov | 77 | 56 | 2.1 | 3 | 74 |
| Dec | 70 | 49 | 1.7 | 3 | 67 |
| Year | 83 | 63 | 31.1 | 42 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Robstown, TX (85 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Viola Turning Basin, TX, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Robstown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 122 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Robstown: 64 thunderstorm wind reports, 44 flash floods, 10 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $14.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on May 8, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 10 of 44. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 650 have had fewer than Robstown.
May 8, 2025: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Robstown — $6.0 million damage.
NWS: “There were 80 transmission lines blown down upon survey. Time estimated from radar.”
April 22, 2015: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Robstown — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “NWS storm survey indicated straight-line winds caused damage along Farm to Market Road 665 around the intersection with Farm to Market Road 43. Wind speeds were estimated to be around 70 mph.”
July 23, 2008: heavy rain event 10 miles from the centre of Robstown — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Between 3 and 7 inches of rain fell across the southern Coastal Bend of South Texas over a two period. This rainfall was associated with rain bands from Hurricane Dolly.”
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 Robstown's ZIP code 78380 have filed 599 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $3.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 2002: 94 claims (16% of all) and $618,000, then Hurricane Allen in 1980 with 93 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 with 49. 52% 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, 343 have fewer than Robstown.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding2002 | 94 | $618,000 |
| Hurricane Allen1980 | 93 | $307,000 |
| Hurricane Harvey2017 | 49 | $90,000 |
| Torrential rain2002 | 26 | $106,000 |
| Thunderstorms2007 | 16 | $148,000 |
| Heavy rains2002 | 15 | $56,000 |
Nueces County, which includes Robstown, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 5 floods, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Nueces County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $186.1 million a year, the 13th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $83.4 million (45%), is from hurricanes.
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 Robstown
- Odem, TX13 mi
- Bishop, TX14 mi
- Corpus Christi, TX18 mi
- Sinton, TX22 mi
- Kingsville, TX23 mi
- Portland, TX23 mi
- Taft, TX24 mi
- Mathis, TX24 mi
- Sandia, TX25 mi
- Alice, TX25 mi
- Gregory, TX26 mi
- Orange Grove, TX27 mi
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