NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit West Columbia, 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
61 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of West Columbia, Texas since 1851, 23 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 98 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 23
- Tropical storms
- 38
- Tornadoes
- 98
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for West Columbia
The strongest storm to pass near West Columbia was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 3 hurricane with 124 mph winds when its centre passed 22 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1932, whose centre came within 4 miles. The record near West Columbia begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Beryl in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 20 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 7 systems, 4 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 61 systems, 12 have come since 2000. West Columbia has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 98 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 8, 1976, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on December 28, 2024, killed 1 person. Of the 98, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than West Columbia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1986, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than West Columbia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near West Columbia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 20 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | NicholasSep 14 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | BetaSep 22 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | ImeldaSep 17 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 28 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2015 | BillJun 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 57 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | GraceAug 31 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | ClaudetteJul 15 | 59 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | FaySep 7 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 5 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | DeanJul 31 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | JerryOct 16 | 40 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | AllisonJun 26 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1987 | Unnamed 1987 stormAug 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 28 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1980 | DanielleSep 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ElenaSep 1 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 12 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | DeliaSep 6 | overhead | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | FernSep 10 | 54 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | FeliceSep 16 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | AbbyAug 7 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 11 | 69 mi | Category 3 (122 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | DebraJul 25 | 28 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 5 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 25 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 28 | 23 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 28 | 49 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 21 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 4 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 23 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormOct 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormAug 28 | 38 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormJul 23 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 4 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormJun 28 | 74 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 17 | 20 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormJul 21 | 7 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 10 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 22 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormJun 27 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 28 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormOct 7 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 5 | 15 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 5 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJun 17 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 14 | 60 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormJun 24 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormJul 4 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 4 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 3 | 70 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormJul 15 | 47 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 19 | 8 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in West Columbia: 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 West Columbia
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s21
- 2000s16
- 1990s23
- 1980s13
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 1976 | F3 | 21 mi | 12.7 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Apr 11, 1969 | F3 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Apr 18, 1966 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 28, 2024 | EF2 | 23 mi | 8.9 mi | 1 / 5 |
| May 9, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 1970 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 1970 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 1967 | F2 | 14 mi | 13.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 11, 1961 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 2, 1953 | F2 | 22 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 2017 | EF1 | 25 mi | 1.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 2017 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 98, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in West Columbia
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of West Columbia since 1986, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 12, 2007. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. April has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in West Columbia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Angleton 2 W, TX, 12 miles east of West Columbia at 27 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 76°F; January is the coolest, at 64°F and 47°F. September is the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (30.8 of 53.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 61 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (21); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 6.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 83 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 6 nights a year. That 53.5 inches is more than at 292 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (94%). Sweeny, 7 miles southwest, has its own station (Angleton Brazoria Airport, TX): 45.8 inches a year, 7.7 less than here, and an August average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 47 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 68 | 51 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Mar | 72 | 56 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Apr | 77 | 62 | 3.7 | 4 |
| May | 84 | 70 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 75 | 5.4 | 6 |
| Jul | 91 | 76 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Aug | 92 | 76 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 88 | 73 | 6.8 | 7 |
| Oct | 82 | 64 | 4.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 73 | 55 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Dec | 67 | 50 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Year | 79 | 63 | 53.5 | 65 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Angleton 2 W, TX (27 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 West Columbia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 29 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of West Columbia: 22 thunderstorm wind reports and 7 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 17, 2015. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 115 have had fewer than West Columbia.
July 1, 2010: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of West Columbia — $1.3 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall caused flooding of 40 to 45 homes and businesses in the town of West Columbia.”
October 16, 2006: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of West Columbia — $500,000 damage.
July 1, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of West Columbia — $500,000 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 West Columbia's ZIP code 77486 have filed 394 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $8.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1998: 177 claims (45% of all) and $2.1 million, then Hurricane Harvey in 2017 with 86 and Tropical Storm Claudette in 1979 with 15. 75% 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, 327 have fewer than West Columbia.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1998 | 177 | $2.1 million |
| Hurricane Harvey2017 | 86 | $5.3 million |
| Tropical Storm Claudette1979 | 15 | $129,000 |
Brazoria County, which includes West Columbia, has been named in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 hurricanes, 7 floods, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Brazoria County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for coastal flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $161.5 million a year, the 15th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $78.2 million (48%), 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).
West Columbia in the notable storm records: Tropical Storm Allison (2001)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near West Columbia
- Sweeny, TX7 mi
- Brazoria, TX11 mi
- Angleton, TX13 mi
- Lake Jackson, TX16 mi
- Van Vleck, TX16 mi
- Boling, TX17 mi
- Clute, TX18 mi
- Needville, TX20 mi
- Danbury, TX20 mi
- Bay City, TX22 mi
- Freeport, TX23 mi
- Rosharon, TX23 mi
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