Jefferson County, Texas Hurricane History
Since 1863, 46 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Jefferson County, Texas — about one every 3.5 years. Of those, 18 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicholas (2021), which passed 11 miles away on 15 September 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentNicholas (2021) — 11 mi away, 15 September 2021
- Strongest stormAudrey (1957) — 110 kt (127 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1971) — 1.4 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Rita (2005) — 21.2 miles
- Passes within 25 miles26 of 46
- Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (41% of all)
- Most active year1886 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1940s, 1980s and 2000s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi4
- Record span1863–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas (2021) | 15 Sep 2021 | 10.5 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Harvey (2017) | 30 Aug 2017 | 39.1 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Cindy (2017) | 22 Jun 2017 | 26.4 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Ike (2008) | 13 Sep 2008 | 46.1 mi | Cat 2 | 93 kt |
| Edouard (2008) | 5 Aug 2008 | 15.8 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Humberto (2007) | 13 Sep 2007 | 7.9 mi | Cat 1 | 77 kt |
| Rita (2005) | 24 Sep 2005 | 21.2 mi | Cat 2 | 91 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 24 Sep 2004 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (2000) | 9 Sep 2000 | 13.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Jerry (1989) | 16 Oct 1989 | 48.0 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Chantal (1989) | 1 Aug 1989 | 23.1 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 10 Aug 1987 | 21.1 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Bonnie (1986) | 26 Jun 1986 | 9.4 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Chris (1982) | 11 Sep 1982 | 21.3 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Danielle (1980) | 5 Sep 1980 | 31.4 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Claudette (1979) | 24 Jul 1979 | 15.0 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Debra (1978) | 29 Aug 1978 | 36.3 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1974) | 17 Jul 1974 | 32.3 mi | TD | — |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 8 Jul 1971 | 1.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Felice (1970) | 16 Sep 1970 | 31.9 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Cindy (1963) | 17 Sep 1963 | 18.4 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Bertha (1957) | 10 Aug 1957 | 1.7 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Audrey (1957) | 27 Jun 1957 | 27.2 mi | Cat 3 | 110 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1955) | 28 Aug 1955 | 49.5 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Barbara (1954) | 29 Jul 1954 | 44.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1946) | 16 Jun 1946 | 1.7 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1943) | 27 Jul 1943 | 34.8 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1942) | 21 Aug 1942 | 36.5 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1941) | 15 Sep 1941 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 24 Sep 1940 | 20.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 7 Aug 1940 | 7.9 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1938) | 15 Aug 1938 | 44.4 mi | TS / TD | 59 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 27 Aug 1934 | 45.2 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1918) | 6 Aug 1918 | 47.3 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 19 Sep 1914 | 28.7 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 29 Jul 1908 | 19.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 28 Sep 1898 | 23.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 13 Sep 1897 | 4.8 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1895) | 7 Oct 1895 | 15.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 12 Oct 1886 | 36.5 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 14 Jun 1886 | 7.8 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 15 Sep 1882 | 16.2 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 23 Aug 1879 | 12.4 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 41.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1865) | 13 Sep 1865 | 44.0 mi | Cat 2 | 83 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | 29 Sep 1863 | 13.3 mi | TS / TD | 50 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 | 20.2 mi | 25 kt |
| Allison (1989) | Post-tropical | 29 Jun 1989 | 40.2 mi | 25 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Jefferson County, Texas more than once.
- Cindy — 2 passes (1963, 2017)
How Jefferson County, Texas compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Jefferson County, Texas ranks #247 — more exposed than 88.8% of them. Within Texas it ranks #5 of 223, against a state average of 15.7 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 3 Audrey (1957) passed 27 miles away on 27 June 1957 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1886) passed 36 miles away on 12 October 1886 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Rita (2005) passed 21 miles away on 24 September 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1918) passed 47 miles away on 6 August 1918 as a hurricane, reaching 97 kt (112 mph) while within 50 miles.
37 of the 46 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 46 storms spread over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025. 6 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 16 years, between 1918 and 1934. It has been 4 years since the last one; 10 of the 39 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Jefferson County, Texas?
18 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Jefferson County, Texas at hurricane strength since 1863. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 46.
When was the last hurricane in Jefferson County, Texas?
Ike (2008), on 13 September 2008, passing 46 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 Jefferson County, Texas?
Audrey (1957), which reached 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 27 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Jefferson County, Texas?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.5 years — 46 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
Jefferson County, Texas borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Chambers County, Texas has 49 on record.