Sabine County, Texas Hurricane History
Since 1865, 26 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Sabine County, Texas — about one every 6.2 years. Of those, 6 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Laura (2020), which passed 34 miles away on 27 August 2020.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentLaura (2020) — 34 mi away, 27 August 2020
- Strongest stormLaura (2020) — 92 kt (106 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordCindy (2017) — 5.9 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles11 of 26
- Peak monthAugust — 11 storms (42% of all)
- Most active year1865 — 1 storms
- Most active decade1980s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1865–2020
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laura (2020) | 27 Aug 2020 | 34.1 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Barry (2019) | 14 Jul 2019 | 26.1 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Cindy (2017) | 22 Jun 2017 | 5.9 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Gustav (2008) | 2 Sep 2008 | 41.6 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Rita (2005) | 24 Sep 2005 | 15.5 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Jerry (1989) | 16 Oct 1989 | 46.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Beryl (1988) | 10 Aug 1988 | 45.6 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 10 Aug 1987 | 9.0 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Chris (1982) | 11 Sep 1982 | 32.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Debra (1978) | 29 Aug 1978 | 41.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Carmen (1974) | 9 Sep 1974 | 35.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Gerda (1958) | 21 Sep 1958 | 10.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Audrey (1957) | 27 Jun 1957 | 39.5 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 2 Aug 1955 | 30.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 20 Sep 1947 | 19.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 9 Aug 1940 | 38.3 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1938) | 15 Aug 1938 | 18.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 27 Aug 1926 | 25.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1918) | 7 Aug 1918 | 17.7 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 13 Aug 1911 | 49.1 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 28 Sep 1898 | 44.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1895) | 7 Oct 1895 | 24.7 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1891) | 6 Jul 1891 | 40.8 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 13 Oct 1886 | 11.3 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 23 Aug 1879 | 13.0 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1865) | 14 Sep 1865 | 21.1 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 1 system 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allison (1989) | Post-tropical | 28 Jun 1989 | 17.1 mi | 30 kt |
How Sabine County, Texas compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Sabine County, Texas ranks #628 — more exposed than 71.6% of them. Within Texas it ranks #55 of 223, against a state average of 15.7 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Laura (2020) passed 34 miles away on 27 August 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 92 kt (106 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Audrey (1957) passed 40 miles away on 27 June 1957 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 13 miles away on 23 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1886) passed 11 miles away on 13 October 1886 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
22 of the 26 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 6.2 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 26 storms spread over the 161 years from 1865 to 2025. 0 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 1958 and 1974. It has been 5 years since the last one; 11 of the 25 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Sabine County, Texas?
6 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Sabine County, Texas at hurricane strength since 1865. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 26.
When was the last hurricane in Sabine County, Texas?
Laura (2020), on 27 August 2020, passing 34 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Laura (2020) in 2020.
What was the strongest storm to affect Sabine County, Texas?
Laura (2020), which reached 92 kt (106 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 34 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Sabine County, Texas?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.2 years — 26 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
Sabine County, Texas borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Newton County, Texas has 30 on record.