Chambers County, Texas Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Chambers County, Texas as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1863, 49 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Chambers County, Texas — about one every 3.3 years. Of those, 18 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicholas (2021), which passed 4 miles away on 14 September 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.3

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 4 · 2Cat 3 · 1Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 11TS / TD · 30

The 49 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentNicholas (2021) — 4 mi away, 14 September 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1900) — 120 kt (138 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordNicholas (2021) — 3.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1915) — 43.0 miles
Passes within 25 miles23 of 49
Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (37% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1940s — 8 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1863–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Chambers County, Texas, September is the most active month, with 18 of the 49 recorded storms (37%). Activity concentrates in June, August and September, together 78% of all storms. The 1940s was the most active decade on record, with 8 storms. 3 of the 49 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	7	7	13	18	4	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 14 storms in 1950–1987 against 10 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	4	2	5	2	1	0	2	8	2	1	6	7	0	7	0	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicholas (2021)	14 Sep 2021	3.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Ike (2008)	13 Sep 2008	13.8 mi	Cat 2	91 kt
Edouard (2008)	5 Aug 2008	12.4 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Humberto (2007)	13 Sep 2007	21.1 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Ivan (2004)	24 Sep 2004	39.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Grace (2003)	31 Aug 2003	37.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Allison (2001)	6 Jun 2001	34.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (2000)	9 Sep 2000	45.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Jerry (1989)	16 Oct 1989	18.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Chantal (1989)	1 Aug 1989	6.8 mi	Cat 1	66 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	10 Aug 1987	10.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Bonnie (1986)	26 Jun 1986	25.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Alicia (1983)	18 Aug 1983	43.2 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Chris (1982)	11 Sep 1982	49.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Danielle (1980)	5 Sep 1980	20.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Claudette (1979)	24 Jul 1979	46.2 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	26 Aug 1974	44.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1974)	17 Jul 1974	17.0 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1973)	12 Sep 1973	25.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	8 Jul 1971	23.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Felice (1970)	16 Sep 1970	8.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Cindy (1963)	17 Sep 1963	12.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Debra (1959)	25 Jul 1959	25.9 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Bertha (1957)	10 Aug 1957	25.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	4 Oct 1949	39.4 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	25 Aug 1947	33.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	16 Jun 1946	22.3 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1943)	27 Jul 1943	10.7 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Unnamed Storm (1942)	21 Aug 1942	6.9 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	15 Sep 1941	9.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	24 Sep 1940	28.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	8 Aug 1940	22.8 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1938)	17 Oct 1938	28.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	27 Aug 1934	37.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	17 Aug 1915	43.0 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Unnamed Storm (1908)	29 Jul 1908	40.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	9 Sep 1900	47.8 mi	Cat 3	112 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	27 Jun 1899	46.6 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	28 Sep 1898	4.9 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	13 Sep 1897	18.8 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	7 Oct 1895	7.9 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	6 Jul 1891	35.0 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	14 Jun 1886	27.9 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	15 Sep 1882	44.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	23 Aug 1879	17.5 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	18 Sep 1875	45.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	9 Jun 1871	22.3 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	4 Jun 1871	45.2 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	29 Sep 1863	18.2 mi	TS / TD	53 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 2 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Beta (2020)	Post-tropical	23 Sep 2020	13.8 mi	25 kt
Allison (1989)	Post-tropical	29 Jun 1989	31.2 mi	25 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1863–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Chambers County, Texas compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Chambers County, Texas ranks #217 — more exposed than 90.2% of them. Within Texas it ranks #2 of 223, against a state average of 15.7 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1900) passed 48 miles away on 9 September 1900 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1915) passed 43 miles away on 17 August 1915 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Alicia (1983) passed 43 miles away on 18 August 1983 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Ike (2008) passed 14 miles away on 13 September 2008 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.

39 of the 49 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 49 storms spread over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025. 5 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 19 years, between 1915 and 1934. It has been 4 years since the last one; 10 of the 43 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Chambers County, Texas?

18 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Chambers County, Texas at hurricane strength since 1863. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 49.

When was the last hurricane in Chambers County, Texas?

Ike (2008), on 13 September 2008, passing 14 miles away — 18 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicholas (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Chambers County, Texas?

Unnamed Storm (1900), which reached 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 48 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Chambers County, Texas?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.3 years — 49 storms over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Chambers County, Texas borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Galveston County, Texas has 48 on record.

Galveston County, Texas48 storms within 50 mi Harris County, Texas48 storms within 50 mi Jefferson County, Texas46 storms within 50 mi Liberty County, Texas40 storms within 50 mi