Hurricane Hanna (2020)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

July 23, 2020 to July 26, 2020

Peak strength

Category 1, 80 kt (92 mph)

Lowest pressure

973 mb (28.73 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

3.6

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

100 nmi (185 km, 115 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

25 nmi (46 km, 29 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

20 nmi (37 km, 23 mi)

Overall size

150 nmi (278 km, 173 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

90 kt (104 mph)

Fastest the center moved

10 kt (12 mph)

Identifier

AL082020

Radar at KBRO as it neared land, Jul 25, 23:15 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

5 (0 direct, 5 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

$781 million

Crop damage

$180 million

Events recorded

77 in 6 reports from 2 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

24 tropical storm, 13 storm surge/tide, 12 marine tropical storm, 7 marine hurricane/typhoon, 6 flash flood, 6 hurricane (typhoon), 5 tornado, 4 flood.

5 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 4,465 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 15.49 inches (393 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

As Hurricane Hanna moved across the western Gulf of Mexico towards the South Texas coast, it brought a period of tropical storm-force winds to the Lower Texas coastal waters on July 25th. Buoy RLIT2, which is located in this coastal zone, reported sustained tropical storm-force winds and gusts from 12:42 CST to 23:06 CST. Buoys PCGT2 and BZST2 also reported tropical storm-force winds for at least 2 consecutive hours at some point in this time range, but were not as strong or long lasting at RLIT2 due to their more southern locations, which were located further away from the center of the storm.

Laguna Madre From Port of Brownsville To Arroyo Colorado, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Tropical Storm · Jul 25, 18:42 UTC

Hurricane Hanna moved across the western Gulf of Mexico and made landfall on the mid-Kenedy County coastline at around 5 PM Central Time Saturday, July 25th, carrying sustained 90 mph winds with gusts over 100 mph in a small portion of the inner eye wall. While there aren't many observations in Kenedy County during this event, Buoy RSJT2 is just off the coastline in the Laguna Madre that borders this county and can be used as a reasonable proxy. Peak winds reached 71 mph with a gust to 103 mph. With observations from RSJT2, along with radar analysis, it is reasonable to assume that Kenedy County experienced hurricane-force winds around 14:00 CST to 16:30 CST. At this time, sustained property and crop damage costs are unknown for this area.

Coastal Kenedy County, Texas · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Jul 25, 19:15 UTC

As Hurricane Hanna passed over the Lower Texas coastal waters on July 25th, buoy 42020 reported sustained winds and frequent gusts to hurricane strength for a period of a little more than 2 hours, with the max reported gust recorded at 73 knots. Tropical storm force winds preceded and followed this period of hurricane-force winds. The first onset of tropical storm force winds started at 4:50 CST on July 25th and then persisted for almost 6 hours, before a brief lull and then the onset of hurricane force winds. Following the hurricane-force winds, tropical storm-force persisted for almost 4 more hours, ending at 20:00 CST.

Waters From Baffin Bay To Pt Mansfield Tx Ext From 20 To 60nm, Gulf of Mexico · Marine Hurricane/Typhoon · Jul 25, 19:50 UTC

Trusted reports from Facebook indicated 1 to 2 feet of standing water in some neighborhood streets in Los Fresnos during a period of outer south to north moving feeder bands well east of the center of Tropical Storm Hanna which was moving into northern Mexico south of Starr County at around the same time. An estimated 3 to 5 inches additional rainfall fell during this period, with measured and estimated storm totals of 6 to 9 inches in southeastern Cameron County. No significant flooding was reported, and any property damage was unknown. Some of the cotton crop (lint, or bolls) and perhaps other crop was flattened by the torrential rains in fields between San Benito and Bayview. Exact dollar damage estimates for these fields was unknown; an estimated total is provided in the Flash Flood Entry for this episode in Cameron County.

Cameron, Texas · Flood · Jul 26, 10:00 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArthurNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm55 kt · 989 mb
• Tropical Storm BerthaNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm45 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm CristobalNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 6 deaths · $310 millionTropical Storm50 kt · 982 mb
• Tropical Storm DollyNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm40 kt · 1000 mb
• Tropical Storm EdouardNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm FayNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $220 millionTropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Tropical Storm GonzaloNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm55 kt · 997 mb
• Hurricane IsaiasNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 12 deaths · $5.0 billionCat 180 kt · 986 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm JosephineNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm40 kt · 1004 mb
• Tropical Storm KyleNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm45 kt · 1000 mb
• Hurricane LauraNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 47 deaths · $19 billionCat 4130 kt · 937 mb
• Hurricane MarcoNorth Atlantic · 2020Cat 165 kt · 991 mb
• Tropical Storm OmarNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm35 kt · 1003 mb
• Hurricane NanaNorth Atlantic · 2020Cat 165 kt · 994 mb
• Tropical Storm ReneNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm40 kt · 1001 mb
• Hurricane PauletteNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deathsCat 290 kt · 965 mb
• Hurricane SallyNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 4 deaths · $7.3 billionCat 295 kt · 965 mb
• Hurricane TeddyNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $20 millionCat 4120 kt · 945 mb
• Tropical Storm VickyNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm45 kt · 1001 mb
• Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm60 kt · 992 mb
• Tropical Storm WilfredNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm35 kt · 1006 mb
• Tropical Storm BetaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · $225 millionTropical Storm55 kt · 993 mb
• Hurricane GammaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 6 deathsCat 165 kt · 978 mb
• Hurricane DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $2.9 billionCat 4120 kt · 953 mb
• Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 1 deathCat 3100 kt · 952 mb
• Hurricane ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 5 deaths · $4.4 billionCat 3100 kt · 970 mb
• Hurricane EtaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 172 deaths · $1.5 billionCat 4130 kt · 922 mb
• Tropical Storm ThetaNorth Atlantic · 2020Tropical Storm60 kt · 987 mb
• Hurricane IotaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 67 deathsCat 4135 kt · 917 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Best track as KMZ, National Hurricane Center
• Best track as a shapefile, National Hurricane Center
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Hanna