NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waller, 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
36 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Waller, Texas since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 118 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 118
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Waller
The strongest storm to pass near Waller was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 2 hurricane with 99 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The record near Waller begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Beryl in 2024, a tropical storm 8 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 36 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Waller has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 73% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 118 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on February 5, 1986, came within 23 miles. Of the 118, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 37. The most recent tornado was on November 24, 2025. Waller has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 60% of the 753 Texas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1973, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waller.
Compare Waller's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waller
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | NicholasSep 14 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 46 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | EdouardAug 5 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | GraceAug 31 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | DeanJul 31 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | JerryOct 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | AllisonJun 27 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1980 | DanielleSep 6 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 12 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | DeliaSep 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | FeliceSep 16 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1963 | CindySep 18 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | DebraJul 25 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 40 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 25 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 28 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 21 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 23 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 17 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJul 21 | 61 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 10 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJun 17 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 9 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 4 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 20 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waller: 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 Waller
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s12
- 2000s14
- 1990s23
- 1980s27(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s10(3 EF3+)
- 1950s8(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 1986 | F3 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 1967 | F3 | 7 mi | 19.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 1967 | F3 | 7 mi | 19.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 22, 1965 | F3 | 16 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 14, 1957 | F3 | 6 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 1950 | F3 | 8 mi | 23.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Oct 18, 1998 | F2 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 20, 1983 | F2 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 20, 1983 | F2 | 21 mi | 7 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Nov 24, 2025 | EF2 | 22 mi | 3.83 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2016 | EF2 | 17 mi | 1.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F2 | 20 mi | 25 mi | 0 / 11 |
The strongest 12 of 118, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waller
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Waller since 1973, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 25, 1997. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waller
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bellville 6NNE, TX, 18 miles west of Waller at 280 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 41°F. May is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 44.1 inches over 57 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 44.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 36 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal September there has highs of 90°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 108 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 14 nights a year. That 44.1 inches is more than at 234 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (75%). Hockley, 7 miles east, has its own station (Houston Hooks Mem Airport, TX): 50.8 inches a year, 6.7 more than here, and the same August average high, 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 41 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Feb | 65 | 45 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Apr | 78 | 58 | 3.5 | 4 |
| May | 85 | 66 | 5.2 | 5 |
| Jun | 91 | 72 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Sep | 90 | 69 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 63 | 43 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Year | 79 | 58 | 44.1 | 57 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bellville 6NNE, TX (280 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 Waller
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 37 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waller: 24 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 7 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $55.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 16, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 227 have had fewer than Waller.
April 17, 2016: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Waller — 6 killed, $35.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused extensive flooding especially over western half of the county where 10 to 15 inches of rain fell in less than a 12 hour period. An estimated 40,000 vehicles and 10,000 homes were flooded.”
April 18, 2016: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Waller — 1 killed, $6.7 million damage.
April 2, 2000: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Waller — 2 injured, $800,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Waller's ZIP code 77484 have filed 198 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $5.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Spring severe storms in 2016: 43 claims (22% of all) and $1.8 million, then Flooding in 1998 with 39 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 with 28. 80% 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, 290 have fewer than Waller.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Spring severe storms2016 | 43 | $1.8 million |
| Flooding1998 | 39 | $1.1 million |
| Hurricane Harvey2017 | 28 | $1.3 million |
| Early summer severe storms2016 | 24 | $424,000 |
Harris County, which includes Waller, has been named in 41 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 30 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 floods, 12 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 3 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Harris County a Very High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively High for coastal flooding; Relatively Moderate for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $2.22 billion a year, the highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.12 billion (51%), 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.