TEXAS STRONG

In a recent blog entry I talked about the strongest hurricanes there are, the CATEGORY FIVE. Since our emphasis here at Texas Tropics is, of course, tropical systems affecting Texas, I thought I'd talk about the strongest systems to ever make Texas landfall.

There has never been a hurricane at category 5 strength make landfall in Texas. At least in recorded history (since 1851), that is. There have been a couple that have come close though. There have been 5 hurricanes that have made Texas landfall with winds of at least 140 mph. There's been just 6 hurricanes to make Texas landfall with pressure lower than 940 millibars. I'll save the strongest, most powerful Texas landfalls for last.


5th on the list for lowest pressure, and one of the 5 to make landfall with at least 140 mph winds was the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. To this day the 1900 storm is the deadliest U.S. natural disaster ever, killing an estimated 8,000-12,000 people. This death toll could have been much, much lower if not for the director of the Weather Bureau Office in Galveston, Isaac Cline. After a devastating hurricane struck Texas in 1886 (which we'll talk about later), Galveston residents were calling for better protection and proposed the idea of a seawall. In 1891, Cline wrote an article in the Galveston Daily News stating that he believe it was impossible for a powerful hurricane to strike Galveston because he believed the shallow water offshore wouldn't allow for that type of strength and storm surge. So the seawall idea was shot down.

Of course, 9 years later the 1900 storm strikes with winds of 140 mph, a pressure of 936 millibars, and a storm surge that put the entire island under the sea. It also didn't help that the Weather Bureau in 1900 believed that the system was heading to the Florida panhandle.

The 4th most powerful storm to landfall in Texas, with regards to pressure which was 935 millibars, was the 1932 Freeport Hurricane. This hurricane is tied for the strongest winds at landfall in Texas, striking Freeport with 150 mph winds.

The 1916 Baffin Bay Hurricane is the 3rd most intense landfalling hurricane, with a pressure of 932 millibars, but made landfall as a low end cat 4 with 130 mph winds.

In 1970 Hurricane Celia made landfall in Corpus Christi, tied for the 3rd strongest winds at Texas landfall with the 1900 Storm (140 mph). Celia's pressure only got down to 944 millibars though, making it 8th for Texas landfalls. Celia was the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas until Hurricane Harvey struck Rockport in 2017, with 130 mph winds (tied for 4th strongest), and a pressure of 937 millibars (6th).

The 2nd most powerful hurricane to ever make Texas landfall in both wind speed and pressure, was Hurricane Carla in 1961. Carla made landfall 7 miles south of Port O'Connor with winds of 145 mph and a pressure of 931 millibars. According to the Hurricane Severity Index, which rates the strength and destructive capability of a storm, Carla ranks #1 in Texas. Carla produced a wind gust of 175 mph in Port Lavaca, and 150 mph as far inland as Victoria. Victoria aslo experienced 110 mph sustained winds, borderline cat 3. Carla dumped over 17" of rain in Bay City and nearly 15" in Galveston. Carla aslo spawned several tornadoes at F3 strength or higher, including an F4 tornado a football field wide moving across Galveston Island, killing 8 people.


And that brings us to number 1. THE most powerful hurricane on record to ever make Texas landfall happened 136 years ago. It was the Indianola Hurricane of 1886. Indianola, now pretty much a ghost town, located on the western side of Matagorda Bay near Port Lavaca, was a major Texas port, 2nd only to Galveston, back in the mid 1800's. Indianola was devastated by a category 3 hurricane in 1875. Still recovering 11 years later, the big one struck, destroying the town. The 1886 storm landed with 150 mph winds, still tied for the highest ever in Texas, and had a pressure of 925 millbars, still the lowest ever in Texas. At the time (1886), this hurricane was the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. To this day it's the 7th most powerful hurricane to ever make U.S. landfall.


So those are the big ones affecting Texas.

Top Texas Wind Speed:
  1. 1886 Indianola - 150 mph
  2. 1932 Freeport - 150 mph
  3. 1961 Carla - 145 mph
  4. 1900 Galveston - 140 mph
  5. 1970 Celia - 140 mph
Most Intense (pressure) in Texas:
  1. 1886 Indianola - 925 millibars
  2. 1961 Carla - 931 millibars
  3. 1916 Baffin Bay - 932 millibars
  4. 1932 Freeport - 935 millibars
  5. 1900 Galveston - 936 millibars
Most Powerful Texas Landfall since 2000:
  • 2017 Hurricane Harvey - 130 mph, 937 millibars

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