Newton County, Texas Hurricane History

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

Since 1865, 30 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Newton County, Texas — about one every 5.4 years. Of those, 10 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicholas (2021), which passed 40 miles away on 15 September 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

5.4

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 · 1Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 6TS / TD · 21

The 30 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 4.

Key facts

Most recentNicholas (2021) — 40 mi away, 15 September 2021
Strongest stormLaura (2020) — 115 kt (132 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordCarmen (1974) — 2.1 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Laura (2020) — 26.3 miles
Passes within 25 miles14 of 30
Peak monthAugust and September — 11 storms (37% of all)
Most active year1886 — 2 storms
Most active decade1950s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1865–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Newton County, Texas, August and September are tied as the most active months, with 11 of the 30 recorded storms (37%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 83% of all activity. The 1950s was the most active decade on record, with 4 storms. 1 of the 30 storms was major hurricane (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	3	3	11	11	2	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: 9 storms in 1950–1987 against 7 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	2	3	2	1	1	1	1	2	4	0	3	2	0	2	3	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Nicholas (2021)	15 Sep 2021	39.5 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Laura (2020)	27 Aug 2020	26.3 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Barry (2019)	14 Jul 2019	35.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Harvey (2017)	30 Aug 2017	39.7 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Cindy (2017)	22 Jun 2017	6.6 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Humberto (2007)	13 Sep 2007	28.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Rita (2005)	24 Sep 2005	22.1 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	10 Aug 1987	33.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Chris (1982)	11 Sep 1982	19.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Claudette (1979)	25 Jul 1979	35.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Debra (1978)	29 Aug 1978	26.8 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Carmen (1974)	9 Sep 1974	2.1 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Gerda (1958)	21 Sep 1958	28.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Audrey (1957)	27 Jun 1957	19.2 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1955)	28 Aug 1955	18.8 mi	TS / TD	29 kt
Barbara (1954)	29 Jul 1954	24.2 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	20 Sep 1947	49.5 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	8 Aug 1940	45.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1938)	15 Aug 1938	10.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	27 Aug 1926	12.9 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1918)	6 Aug 1918	7.6 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1908)	1 Aug 1908	38.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1898)	28 Sep 1898	40.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	7 Oct 1895	5.2 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	13 Oct 1886	4.5 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	14 Jun 1886	37.8 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	15 Sep 1882	49.5 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	23 Aug 1879	27.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	18 Sep 1875	16.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1865)	14 Sep 1865	14.2 mi	TS / TD	63 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	29.7 mi	25 kt
Allison (1989)	Post-tropical	28 Jun 1989	1.1 mi	28 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1865–2025. 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 Newton County, Texas compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Newton County, Texas ranks #532 — more exposed than 75.9% of them. Within Texas it ranks #40 of 223, against a state average of 15.7 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 4 Laura (2020) passed 26 miles away on 27 August 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Audrey (1957) passed 19 miles away on 27 June 1957 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1918) passed 8 miles away on 6 August 1918 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Rita (2005) passed 22 miles away on 24 September 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 82 kt (94 mph) while within 50 miles.

26 of the 30 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 5.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 30 storms spread over the 161 years from 1865 to 2025. 2 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 18 years, between 1987 and 2005. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 27 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Newton County, Texas?

10 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Newton County, Texas at hurricane strength since 1865. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 30.

When was the last hurricane in Newton County, Texas?

Laura (2020), on 27 August 2020, passing 26 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicholas (2021) in 2021.

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

Laura (2020), which reached 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 26 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Newton County, Texas?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.4 years — 30 storms over the 161 years from 1865 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Newton County, Texas borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Orange County, Texas has 41 on record.

Orange County, Texas41 storms within 50 mi Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana38 storms within 50 mi Beauregard Parish, Louisiana31 storms within 50 mi Vernon Parish, Louisiana31 storms within 50 mi Jasper County, Texas30 storms within 50 mi Sabine County, Texas26 storms within 50 mi Sabine Parish, Louisiana23 storms within 50 mi