Severe Weather in Texas: 1910s
Severe weather in Texas can be categorized by two factors: loss of life and the cost of damage estimating over $1 million. The following events were included because they caused an extensive amount of destruction and in some cases, fatalities were also a result of the severe weather.
Dec. 1–5, 1913: Rainstorm. This caused the second major Brazos River flood, and caused more deaths than the storm of 1899. It formed over Central Texas and spread both southwest and northeast with precipitation of 15 inches at San Marcos and 11 inches at Kaufman. Floods caused loss of 177 lives and $8.54 million damage.
April 20–26, 1915: Rainstorm. Originated over Central Texas and spread into North and East Texas with precipitation up to 17 inches, causing floods in Trinity, Brazos, Colorado and Guadalupe rivers. More than 40 lives lost and $2.33 million damage.
Aug. 16–19, 1915: Hurricane. Galveston. Peak wind gusts of 120 miles recorded at Galveston; tide ranged 9.5 to 14.3 feet above mean sea level in the city, and up to 16.1 feet near the causeway. Business section flooded with 5 to 6 feet of water. At least 275 lives lost, damage $56 million. A new seawall prevented a repetition of the 1900 disaster.
Aug. 18, 1916: Hurricane. Corpus Christi. Maximum wind speed 100 mph. 20 Lives lost; damage $1.6 million.
Jan. 10–12, 1918: Blizzard. This was the most severe since that of February, 1899; it was accompanied by zero degree temperature in North Texas and temperatures from 7° to 12° below freezing along the lower coast.
April 9, 1919: Tornado. Leonard, Ector and Ravenna in Fannin County; 20 killed, 45 injured; damage $125,000.
April 9, 1919: Tornado. Henderson, Van Zandt, Wood, Camp, and Red River counties, 42 killed, 150 injured; damage $450,000.
May 7, 1919: Windstorms. Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties. Violent thunderstorms with high winds, hail and rain occurred between Rio Grande City and the coast, killing 10 persons. Damage to property and crops was $500,000. Seven were killed at Mission.
Sept. 14, 1919: Hurricane. Near Corpus Christi. Center moved inland south of Corpus Christi; tides 16 feet above normal in that area and 8.8 feet above normal at Galveston. Extreme wind at Corpus Christi measured at 110 mph; 284 lives lost; damage $20.3 million.
