Galveston,Texas history with tropical systems
current weather
(br)=brush (ts)=Tropical Storm (bd)=Back Door,meaning coming from over land from opposite coast.Not all names are noted,also storms before 1950 were not named.Not every stat on every storm description is given(since 1871).
Galveston most likely to be hit by a hurricane between august 10th and august 16th
Years within or near core
1871-2ts,1877br,1879br,1880tsbr,1882tsbr,1886br,1886brm,1888br,1888ts,1891,1895ts,1897br,1898ts,1899ts,1900m,1909,1915m,1932m,1934,1938ts,1940ts,1940br,1941-2ts,1942,1942br,
1943,1945m,1947,1949m,1957,1959,(1961 Carla came ashore 125 miles to the south of here,not included in stats)1963ts(hurdat),1964ts,1970ts,1971br,1973ts,1979-2tsbr,1980ts,
1982tsbr,1983m,1986br,1987ts,1989br,1989,1995ts,2001ts,2005brm,2007br,2008ts,2008,2017tsbr,2017ts,2020tsbr,2020br,2021ts,(2024br not in stats)
58 times in 152 yrs end of 2023






Names from list above
Audrey,Debra,cindy,Felice,Delia,Claudette,Elena,Danielle,Alicia,Bonnie,Chantal,Jerry,Dean,Allison,Rita,Humberto,Edouard,Ike,Cindy,Harvey,Beta,Delta,Nicholas,Beryl,

Tropical Storm to Hurricane ratio
TS=28, 48.28% H=30, 51.72%
only 14.55% of all tropical systems affecting Galveston are major hurricanes this includes brushes

Longest gap between storms
16years 1916-1931

How often Galveston gets affected?
brushed or hit every 2.62 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(hurricane force winds for at least a few hours)
(16h)once every 9.5 years state stats

Average years between major hurricane hits.(5)
once every 30.4 years

Average MPH of hurricane hits. (based on advisories sustained winds, not gusts)
106mph

Statistically when Galveston should be affected next
impacted in 2024
This is just a statistical average & does not mean the area will be affected by that year

Last affected by
2024 Hurricane Beryl brushes 51 miles to the west at closest approach with 75mph winds while moving NNW.

Galveston's hurricane history
1891 July 6th 80mph from the south
1900 Sept 8th 145mph the great galveston hurricane kills 8,000 people with a 15ft storm surge even though it was low tide while hitting it traveled 6 to 10 miles inland from the ESE .The pressure at landfall was 27.55inches with winds of 110mph.Half of Galveston destroyed with 2,600 buildings destroyed & 10,000 people left homeless would have been much worse if not moving so quickly. It is said that a one inch steel hull of an ocean going freighter was pierced through with a piece of lumber.According to the hurricane research division winds were of Category 4 strength at landfall. Newspaper headline | max wind map | Monument | surge animation | Documentary | Interview with Julie Lake summer of the storm | surge info | Books on the 1900 Galveston hurricane
1909 july 21st a 10 ft strom surge with 110mph winds from the ESE 41 killed in texas.
1915 AUG 17th a cat 3 120mph kills 275 ,12' tides flooded Galveston 5' to 6' in the Business District. Winds at Galveston were 97 mph gusts to 130mph putting this in the cat 3/4 range.Press 940 mb,.Seawall prevented a repeat of the 1900 disaster.Causes 50 million in damage max wind field
1932 Aug 14th 145mph winds from the SE direct hit
1934 july 27th, a storm surge of 5.9ft with a cat 1,80mph that passes just east while moving south
1942 Aug 21st 80mph from the ESE
1943 July 27th a storm surge of 4 ft ,nineteen killed,86mph winds.
1945 Aug 27th 140mph from the south just west of here
1947 August 24th 80mph from the S.E
1949 oct 4th 130mph from the south
1957 June 27th 110mph(hurdat) Hurricane Audrey well east from the south. Newspaper article
1959 July 25th hurricane Debra hit with 85mph winds bar 29.07 14.42 inches of rain. NHC Wallet | NWS Graphic
1983 hurricane Alicia on aug 18th causes 2 bill damage as a cat 2/3 with 71 to 98mph winds in Galveston moving at a forward speed of 8mph. 21 killed 1.2 billion dollars in damage,a 10 to 12 ft storm surge at normal high tide.90% of Dwellings on Jamaica bch destroyed.Many highrise glass buildings sustained heavy damage. Pressure in Galveston was measured at 989mb 29.20 inches at 2:00AM. From NOAA GPST2 - GALVESTON PLEASURE PIER (PORTS) - TX 29.29 max gust 020/076kts Damage photo | #2 | max wind field | Dr Ted Fujita wind map | Newspaper headline | Newspaper headline #2
1989 Oct 15th Jerry 3 dead over 8 million in damage ,85mph winds.The latest a hurricane ever hit the upper Texas coast NHC Wallet
2001 June 5th T.S Allison hits with 60mph winds dumping extremely heavy rain especially inland in the Houston area. Over a 120 hr period houston recorded 36.99 inches of rain.Only 3 tropical systems have produced more rain in this area. T.S Amelia 46.00",T.S Claudette 45.00",unamed 1921 40.00". 41 deaths related to flooding & 5 billion in damage. Allison was finally retired in July of 2002 as the only T-storm to be retired. NHC Report
2008 Hurricane Ike hits Galveston on Sept 13th with 110mph winds causing extensive damage in entire area by 15 ft storm surge.From NOAA GALVESTON G GPST2 11.19 ft storm surge MAJOR 29.29 GALVESTON STATE PLEASURE PIER.A high gust for the Houston area was 92mph at Hobby airport.Gust at pleasure pier 86mph.Deaths reported in Texas at 22 with several missing. Hurricane Warning Show | Before & after aerial shot | Bolivar Peninsula just north | Richard Horodner Texas city | Ike model history | SAR Helicopter refueling over Galveston | Newspaper headline | Jim Edds fire video | Newspaper headline 2 days later | Neil Frank describing landfall video | Ike aftermath story video | surge animation | USGS surge info | Radar animation | NHC Final report
2017 Aug 29th tropical storm Harvey just offshore while moving north by 32 miles with 50mph winds. Galveston Scholes Field (KGLS) 22.87 inches of rain gust's to 59mph. Galveston Pier 2.7ft water inundation. Inland counties report upwards of 60inches of rain in some locations most rainfall ever for tropical system in U.S. radar animation(Brian McNoldy, Univ. of Miami, Rosenstiel School) NHC Final report



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Stat sources: NHC Track maps/hurdat2/cyclone reports Hurricane research division
Text Sources:(alp)....Divine Wind Kerry Emanuel.....Florida Hurricanes & Tropical Storms John M. Williams & Iver W.Duedall.....Florida's Hurricane History Jay Barnes.....Hurricane Almanac Bryan Norcross.....hurricanecity.com (calculations) Jim Williams.....Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States Rick Schwartz.....Hurricane Watch Dr. Bob Sheets & Jack Williams.....Inside the Hurricane Pete Davies..... Isaac's Storm Erik Larson..... Killer Cane Robert Mykle.....Lunatic Wind William Price Fox....Miami Herald newspaper(microfilm).....Path of destruction John McQuaid & Mark Schleifstein.....Sun sentinel newspaper(microfilm).....The Major Hurricanes to affect the Bahamas Wayne Neely.....The Ship & the Storm Jim Carrier.....plus many more.............
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