NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tenaha, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Tenaha, Texas since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 116 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 116
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
27 deaths in all
What the records show for Tenaha
The strongest storm to pass near Tenaha was Laura in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Tenaha begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 4 systems. Of the 15 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Tenaha has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The strongest of the 116 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on February 12, 1950; its path came within 14 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 116, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 52 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on March 28, 2025. Tenaha has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 58% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1957, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tenaha.
Compare Tenaha's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tenaha
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 65 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 5 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 9 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 10 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Tenaha: 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 Tenaha
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s24
- 2000s7
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s20(4 EF3+)
- 1970s10
- 1960s11(3 EF3+)
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 1950 | F4 | 14 mi | 82.6 mi | 18 / 77 |
| Feb 12, 1950 | F3 | 10 mi | 1.9 mi | 3 / 15 |
| Mar 27, 1961 | F3 | 16 mi | 13.8 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 6 mi | 48 mi | 1 / 116 |
| Apr 3, 1999 | F3 | 13 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 7, 1989 | F3 | 9 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 11, 1965 | F3 | 21 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 11, 1965 | F3 | 4 mi | 42.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.46 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | EF2 | 11 mi | 15.84 mi | 1 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 116, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Tenaha
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Tenaha since 1957, made on 56 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 6, 2018. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Tenaha
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Center, TX, 11 miles southeast of Tenaha at 325 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 36°F. December is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 56.8 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (26.4 of 56.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 97 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 42 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 56.8 inches is more than at 299 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (96%). Gary, 9 miles northwest, has its own station (Carthage, TX): 52.1 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 63 | 39 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 5.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95 | 71 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 80 | 53 | 5.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 68 | 43 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 60 | 37 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 77 | 54 | 56.8 | 70 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Center, TX (325 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 Tenaha
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 53 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tenaha: 43 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $8.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 8, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 2 of 7. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 115 have had fewer than Tenaha.
May 18, 2015: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Tenaha — 1 injured.
February 10, 1998: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Tenaha — $8.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous reports of downed trees and power lines throughout the area. Every customer in the area lost power for several days.”
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
Shelby County, which includes Tenaha, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 4 fires, 4 floods, 3 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Shelby County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.9 million a year, the 128th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.0 million (31%), 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 Tenaha
- Gary, TX9 mi
- Timpson, TX10 mi
- Joaquin, TX11 mi
- Center, TX12 mi
- Carthage, TX15 mi
- Logansport, LA16 mi
- Garrison, TX18 mi
- De Berry, TX24 mi
- Beckville, TX24 mi
- Shelbyville, TX24 mi
- Mount Enterprise, TX26 mi
- Grand Cane, LA29 mi
All Texas cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Tenaha with another place →