NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Willis, 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
41 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Willis, Texas since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Beryl in 2024. Since 1950, 83 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 38
- Tornadoes
- 83
- 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 Willis
The strongest storm to pass near Willis was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Ike in 2008, whose centre came within 17 miles. The record near Willis begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Beryl in 2024, a tropical storm 10 miles away. The 1940s and the 1980s were the busiest decades, with 7 systems each. Of the 41 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Willis has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 753 Texas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 83 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 28, 2024, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an EF0 on April 27, 2016, killed 1 person. Of the 83, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on October 25, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Willis. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 57% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Willis.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Willis
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | BerylJul 8 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | NicholasSep 14 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 17 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | EdouardAug 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | GraceAug 31 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | JerryOct 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | ChantalAug 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1989 | AllisonJun 27 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1987 | Unnamed 1987 stormAug 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | BonnieJun 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1983 | AliciaAug 18 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1980 | DanielleSep 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ClaudetteJul 25 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 12 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1973 | DeliaSep 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | FeliceSep 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1963 | CindySep 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | DebraJul 25 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1957 | BerthaAug 10 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormOct 4 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 25 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormAug 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormJul 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 21 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormAug 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1921 | Unnamed 1921 stormJun 23 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 17 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 9 | 45 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJul 6 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormJun 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 73 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 17 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 10 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 4 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Willis: 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 Willis
By decade
- 2020s6(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s18
- 1990s25
- 1980s14
- 1970s5
- 1960s3(2 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 2024 | EF3 | 21 mi | 10.34 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Dec 12, 1968 | F3 | 9 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 22, 1965 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 12, 2015 | EF2 | 1 mi | 2.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 2006 | F2 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 1, 1999 | F2 | 24 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 1997 | F2 | 13 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 9, 1981 | F2 | 14 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 18, 1979 | F2 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 4, 1973 | F2 | 23 mi | 26.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 1957 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 19, 1954 | F2 | 5 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 83, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Willis
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Willis since 1973, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently February 13, 2005. The most recent report is from May 30, 2024. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Willis
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Conroe, TX, 7 miles south of Willis at 245 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 63°F and 42°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February and July the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.1 inches over 61 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (26.9 of 51.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 41 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 90°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 105 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 17 nights a year. That 51.1 inches is more than at 284 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (91%). New Waverly, 8 miles north, has its own station (Huntsville, TX): 51.5 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and an August average high of 93°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 42 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Feb | 67 | 46 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 74 | 52 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 80 | 59 | 3.4 | 5 |
| May | 87 | 67 | 5.5 | 5 |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 5.4 | 5 |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 44 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Year | 80 | 59 | 51.1 | 61 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Conroe, TX (245 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 Willis
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 88 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Willis: 76 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $601.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 78 mph, on May 26, 2025. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 176 have had fewer than Willis.
August 26, 2017: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Willis — 1 killed, $600.0 million damage.
June 16, 2026: heavy rain event 2 miles from the centre of Willis — 1 killed.
NWS: “A local news station published an online news story, indicating that a 75 year old man was killed after their pickup hydroplaned in heavy rainfall along I-45 southbound between Shepherd Hill Road and Calvary Road.”
August 28, 2009: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Willis — 2 injured, $7,000 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 Willis's 2 ZIP codes have filed 211 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $8.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Harvey in 2017: 80 claims (38% of all) and $5.7 million, then Early summer severe storms in 2016 with 25 and Texas Spring Flooding in 2024 with 19. 78% 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, 296 have fewer than Willis.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Harvey2017 | 80 | $5.7 million |
| Early summer severe storms2016 | 25 | $532,000 |
| Texas Spring Flooding2024 | 19 | $1.2 million |
| Flooding1994 | 17 | $280,000 |
Montgomery County, which includes Willis, has been named in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 9 fires, 8 floods, 5 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Beryl, on July 9, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Montgomery County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively High for hurricanes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $221.9 million a year, the 10th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $94.4 million (43%), 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 Willis
- New Waverly, TX8 mi
- Conroe, TX9 mi
- Montgomery, TX10 mi
- The Woodlands, TX17 mi
- Shenandoah, TX18 mi
- Magnolia, TX21 mi
- Huntsville, TX21 mi
- Pinehurst, TX22 mi
- Plantersville, TX24 mi
- Splendora, TX25 mi
- Coldspring, TX25 mi
- Spring, TX25 mi
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