Texas’s Ultimate Windstorms: Records That Still Blow Minds

Texans can easily tire of the wind, but they've had worse.

Texas Wind

I am writing this on what would be a fairly average windy day for West Texas. Winds are currently 20-20 miles an hour. The average West Texan would tell you, "That ain't nuthin'". Because no, it does not even stack up. It is, in fact, both hard for us to believe that it's such a big deal to anyone and that anywhere else experiences wind the way we do. I personally like to think that the wind is always whistling here because we're so good looking.

Eliminating Hurricanes

Let's set up some parameters here. Of course, Texas is subject to hurricanes. Those winds will win a contest anytime, so let's get them out of the way.  During Hurricane Celia in 1970, winds were clocked at 180 miles per hour. This figure was clocked in both Aransas Pass and Robstown, Texas.   As far as sustained winds go, the winner goes to Matagorda, and Port Lavaca,  Texas with 145 miles an hour in 1961 during Hurricane Carla.

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The Wind Winner

Our winner appears to be a microburst of 114 miles per hour in Memphis, Texas. That speed was clocked by an official weather station. As far as unofficial goes, there's one claim of 122 miles per hour wind being recorded in Freeport. Also, the South Plains experienced wind gusts of 75-80 miles per hour (I'm including all because I've found there's many ways to slice this pie).

The Worldwide Winner

We've had it bad here. I don't even know if you can properly compile all the death and destruction that has happened in Texas. In the grand scheme of things, we don't even really rate. The real record for wind speeds goes to Barrow Island, Australia, which hit a record 253 miles per hour in 1996 during Tropical Cyclone Olivia.