231
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$53.3M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Galveston County, Texas: 231 recorded events between 1964 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #804 nationally and #39 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Galveston County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Galveston County is the 1990s, when 66 of the county's 231 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Galveston County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 33.9% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #804 for this hazard and #39 within Texas, putting it in the 74.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Galveston County with 55 recorded events, while Sep is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 1987 | 89 | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| May 30, 2005 | FRIENDSWOOD | 54 | 0 | 1 | $90K |
| May 9, 2005 | GALVESTON | 61 | 0 | 1 | $175K |
| May 2, 2000 | LEAGUE CITY | 0 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2026 | GILCHRIST | 51 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2026 | TEXAS CITY | 60 | $0 |
| May 30, 2025 | HIGHLAND BAYOU | 52 | $0 |
| May 27, 2025 | LEAGUE CITY S S ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 24, 2025 | SAN LEON | 64 | $0 |
| Dec 28, 2024 | DICKINSON | 57 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | (GLS)SCHOLES FLD GAL | 51 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2024 | (GLS)SCHOLES FLD GAL | 55 | $0 |
| May 28, 2024 | (GLS)SCHOLES FLD GAL | 54 | $0 |
| May 28, 2024 | LEAGUE CITY | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Galveston County
- Tornado 126
- Hail 121
- Flash Flood 107
- Funnel Cloud 55
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees were knocked down, roofs were damaged, and power line were blown or knocked down county-wide. The National Weather Service Office in downtown Galveston reported a wind gust to 68 mph while at Scholes Filed a peak gust of 98 mph was recorded at 0402 CST. At Scholes Field three hangers were destroyed and two private aircraft were damaged. Two shrimp boats were blown onto the north jetty at the entrance to Galveston Bay. One shrimp boat capsized in the West Bay. The United States Coast Guard reported numerous fishing boats and barges broke away from their mooring. Galveston City Manager reported 64 businesses damaged, twelve apartment complexes and several large stores had roofs stripped of shingles and windows blown in. A mobil home in Texas City was destroyed. Near 10,000 homes were without power. Many vehicles were damaged from flying debris.
Several small airplanes overturned with severe damage to NOAA P-3 research aircraft.A strong storm system produced widespread severe thunderstorms over southeast Texas from late evening on May 1st through early morning on May 2nd. Widespread wind damage impacted Harris, Ft. Bend, Wharton, Brazoria, and Galveston counties. Storm surveys revealed most of the wind damage to be due to downburst winds, with only one F0 tornado reported in Rosharon. Severe damage occurred at Clover Field in Pearland where several planes were overturned and two airplane hangars were destroyed, and at Scholes Field in Galveston where several small planes were overturned and the NOAA P-3 research aircraft was damaged. A massive hailstorm with golfball to baseball sized hail struck the Conroe area producing over $10 million in damage to automobiles, carports, and several businesses. Wind and hail caused destruction of crops in Burleson County and in southern Austin and Ft. Bend counties. Total damage for the event in southeast Texas was estimated to be near $25 million.
Building damage along the Port of Galveston, vehicle blown off the road and trees down. One house shifted about ten feet into another house next door dislodging it from its piers (both homes were Galveston 1900 Storm survivors).
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Galveston County, Texas?
231 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Galveston County between 1964 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Galveston County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Galveston County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Galveston County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Galveston County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/galveston-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.