NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Seminole, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Seminole, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1942. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Seminole
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Seminole; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1942, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 87% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Seminole. The strongest of the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on April 19, 1969; its path came within 4 miles. Of the 63, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on June 2, 2023. Of the 753 Texas cities, 81% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Seminole. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 100 times since 1963, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Seminole has more hail reports within 10 miles than 62% of the 753 Texas cities.
Compare Seminole's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Seminole
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 31 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Seminole: 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 Seminole
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s4
- 2000s6
- 1990s14
- 1980s19
- 1970s4
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1969 | F3 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 2015 | EF2 | 17 mi | 5.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 1997 | F2 | 18 mi | 2.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 20 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 20 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1982 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1982 | F2 | 3 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Jun 18, 1961 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 12, 2012 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1999 | F1 | 16 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Seminole
The Storm Prediction Center has 100 hail reports within 10 miles of Seminole since 1963, made on 69 separate days. Of these, 69 were 1 inch across or larger, and 18 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on June 17, 2008. The most recent report is from April 30, 2025. May has the most reports, 41.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Seminole
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Seminole, TX, 4 miles east of Seminole at 3,336 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 28°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 97 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 82 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 17.3 inches is more than at 16 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (5%). Seagraves, 17 miles northeast, has its own station (Denver City, TX): 19.1 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 28 | 0.7 | 2 | 1.7 |
| Feb | 61 | 31 | 0.7 | 2 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 69 | 38 | 1.0 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 78 | 45 | 1.1 | 2 | 0.1 |
| May | 86 | 55 | 2.2 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 93 | 64 | 1.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 94 | 67 | 2.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 66 | 1.8 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 59 | 2.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 48 | 1.3 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 36 | 1.0 | 2 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 57 | 29 | 0.7 | 2 | 0.8 |
| Year | 76 | 47 | 17.3 | 32 | 4.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Seminole, TX (3,336 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 Seminole
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Seminole: 63 thunderstorm wind reports and 18 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $6.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 21, 2016. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 18. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 394 have had fewer than Seminole.
June 26, 2007: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Seminole — 4 injured, $5.0 million damage.
NWS: “A damage survey was conducted by NWS personnel the morning following the winds. 5 mph at the West Texas Mesonet site two miles north northeast of Seminole, however, there is visual indication that wind speeds in some locations around Seminole, were at times even stronger ��� estimated in the range of 100-120 mph.”
April 4, 2004: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Seminole — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Eight to twelve inches of rainfall resulted in the failure of a protective levee near Toyah. With the failure of this dike, three to four feet of water inundated the town of Toyah and prompted the evacuation of the town's residents.”
May 25, 1996: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Seminole — $120,000 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
Gaines County, which includes Seminole, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1992, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 fires, 3 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on February 19, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gaines County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail; Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.9 million a year, the 130th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.3 million (18%), 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 Seminole
- Seagraves, TX17 mi
- Denver City, TX19 mi
- Hobbs, NM25 mi
- Andrews, TX28 mi
- Eunice, NM35 mi
- Brownfield, TX39 mi
- Lovington, NM43 mi
- Lamesa, TX46 mi
- Jal, NM48 mi
- Gardendale, TX53 mi
- Tahoka, TX63 mi
- Odessa, TX63 mi
All Texas cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Seminole with another place →