Walker County, Texas Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1854, 37 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Walker County, Texas — about one every 4.6 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Beryl (2024), which passed 3 miles away on 8 July 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

4.6

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 2 · 1TS / TD · 36

The 37 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentBeryl (2024) — 3 mi away, 8 July 2024
Strongest stormIke (2008) — 85 kt (98 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1888) — 3.2 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles14 of 37
Peak monthSeptember — 11 storms (30% of all)
Most active year1871 — 2 storms
Most active decade1940s, 1950s and 1980s — 5 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1854–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Walker County, Texas, September is the most active month, with 11 of the 37 recorded storms (30%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 78% of all activity. The 1940s, 1950s and 1980s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 5 storms. 0 of the 37 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	6	10	8	11	2	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 13 storms in 1950–1987 against 8 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	0	3	2	3	0	0	1	1	5	5	1	4	5	0	4	1	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Beryl (2024)	8 Jul 2024	3.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Imelda (2019)	18 Sep 2019	23.3 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Ike (2008)	13 Sep 2008	20.1 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Edouard (2008)	6 Aug 2008	12.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Grace (2003)	31 Aug 2003	30.6 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Allison (2001)	8 Jun 2001	10.9 mi	TS / TD	16 kt
Jerry (1989)	16 Oct 1989	44.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Chantal (1989)	1 Aug 1989	16.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Alicia (1983)	18 Aug 1983	30.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1981)	5 Jun 1981	34.6 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1980)	21 Jul 1980	36.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Claudette (1979)	26 Jul 1979	9.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Carmen (1974)	9 Sep 1974	23.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	8 Jul 1971	24.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Felice (1970)	16 Sep 1970	40.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Cindy (1963)	18 Sep 1963	49.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Debra (1959)	26 Jul 1959	26.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Gerda (1958)	21 Sep 1958	3.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Bertha (1957)	10 Aug 1957	28.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1955)	28 Aug 1955	46.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Barbara (1954)	30 Jul 1954	16.4 mi	TS / TD	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	4 Oct 1949	30.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	28 Aug 1945	46.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1943)	28 Jul 1943	45.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1942)	22 Aug 1942	8.3 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1941)	24 Sep 1941	20.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Jul 1933	29.8 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1921)	23 Jun 1921	30.8 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	27 Jun 1899	48.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	13 Sep 1897	31.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1891)	6 Jul 1891	37.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	6 Jul 1888	3.2 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	15 Sep 1882	35.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	17 Sep 1875	38.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	10 Jun 1871	28.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1871)	4 Jun 1871	28.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	20 Sep 1854	39.9 mi	TS / TD	40 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	30 Jun 1989	1.9 mi	20 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1854–2025. 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 Walker County, Texas compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Walker County, Texas ranks #387 — more exposed than 82.5% of them. Within Texas it ranks #17 of 223, against a state average of 15.7 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Ike (2008) passed 20 miles away on 13 September 2008 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1891) passed 37 miles away on 6 July 1891 as a tropical storm, reaching 61 kt (70 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Alicia (1983) passed 31 miles away on 18 August 1983 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1941) passed 20 miles away on 24 September 1941 as a hurricane, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.

32 of the 37 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 4.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 37 storms spread over the 172 years from 1854 to 2025. 3 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 22 years, between 1899 and 1921. It has been 1 year since the last one; 25 of the 33 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Walker County, Texas?

2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Walker County, Texas at hurricane strength since 1854. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 37.

When was the last hurricane in Walker County, Texas?

Ike (2008), on 13 September 2008, passing 20 miles away — 18 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Beryl (2024) in 2024.

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

Ike (2008), which reached 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 20 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Walker County, Texas?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.6 years — 37 storms over the 172 years from 1854 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Walker County, Texas borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Montgomery County, Texas has 43 on record.

Montgomery County, Texas43 storms within 50 mi San Jacinto County, Texas38 storms within 50 mi Grimes County, Texas36 storms within 50 mi Madison County, Texas34 storms within 50 mi Trinity County, Texas26 storms within 50 mi Houston County, Texas25 storms within 50 mi