Hurricane Alicia (1983)
Hurricane Alicia was a Category 3 hurricane at its peak, with 115 mph winds and a lowest pressure of 962 mb, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Modeled winds reached tropical-storm force (39 mph) at 9 of the cities we track; the strongest was League City, TX, with a modeled peak gust of 113 mph.
- Peak strength115 mph winds (1-minute)
- Category 3
- Cities with tropical-storm-force windsModeled, of the cities we track
- 9
- LandfallsFirst August 18, 1983
- 1
- Lowest pressure
- 962 mb
Track, wind field and cities
Select a piece of the track or a city for details.
- Depression or weaker
- Tropical storm
- Hurricane, Category 1 or 2
- Major hurricane, Category 3 to 5
- Landfall
- City (larger ring, stronger modeled gust)
- Modeled wind field, 39 to 111 mph sustained (darker, stronger; orange 111 mph+)
The shaded areas are where our model puts Hurricane Alicia’s sustained winds over open land at 39 mph or more (tropical-storm force), 58, 74 (hurricane force) and 111 mph (major hurricane force) at some point along its track. Modeled, not measured. How we model hurricane winds
Landfalls
- August 18, 1983, Category 3 at 115 mph, about 27 miles from League City, TX
Modeled winds at cities (9)
Estimated peak winds for open, flat ground at each city’s center. Not measurements. How we model hurricane winds
| City | Peak gust | Sustained | Closest pass | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League City, TX | 113 mph | 92 mph | 13 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 12:45 AM CDT |
| Pearland, TX | 108 mph | 88 mph | 4 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 4:30 AM CDT |
| Pasadena, TX | 101 mph | 82 mph | 17 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 12:45 AM CDT |
| Houston, TX | 99 mph | 81 mph | 9 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 6:15 AM CDT |
| Sugar Land, TX | 92 mph | 75 mph | 11 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 12:45 AM CDT |
| Conroe, TX | 87 mph | 71 mph | 22 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 7:00 AM CDT |
| Beaumont, TX | 69 mph | 56 mph | 84 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 12:45 AM CDT |
| College Station, TX | 61 mph | 50 mph | 12 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 7:30 AM CDT |
| Lake Charles, LA | 49 mph | 40 mph | 136 miles | Aug 18, 1983, 12:45 AM CDT |
What happened
Alicia formed in the north-central Gulf of Mexico on August 15, 1983, and came ashore on the west end of Galveston Island, Texas, on August 18 as a Category 3 hurricane.1 NHC's best track puts landfall at 0700 UTC (2 a.m. CDT) with 100-knot (115 mph) winds and a 962 mb central pressure.2
A Coast Guard cutter at Galveston measured sustained winds of 96 mph with gusts to 125 mph, and Houston's Hobby Airport measured 94 mph sustained with gusts to 107 mph.1 In downtown Houston, gravel blown off nearby rooftops broke hundreds of skyscraper window panes and left piles of glass in the streets.1,3 Twenty-three tornadoes were reported: 14 between Galveston and Houston at landfall and 9 the next day between Houston and Tyler.3
The highest storm surge was 12 feet at Seabrook on Galveston Bay.3 Tides reached 7.5 feet on the Gulf side of Galveston Island, and a 10.7-foot tide at Baytown put water on rooftops in the Brownwood subdivision.3 NWS Houston counts 2,297 dwellings destroyed and 3,008 with major damage.3 NHC lists 21 deaths and $2 billion in damage in the United States.1
Sources
- 1. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Hurricane History: Alicia 1983
- 2. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025
- 3. NWS Houston/Galveston: Hurricanes in Southeast Texas: 1980s
Best track (25 positions)
| Time | Status | Wind | Pressure | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 12:00 UTC | Tropical depression | 35 mph | 1009 mb | 27.3°N, 90.5°W |
| Aug 15, 18:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 46 mph | 1006 mb | 27.2°N, 91.0°W |
| Aug 16, 00:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 52 mph | 1005 mb | 27.1°N, 91.5°W |
| Aug 16, 06:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 58 mph | 1004 mb | 27.0°N, 92.0°W |
| Aug 16, 12:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 63 mph | 1002 mb | 27.1°N, 92.4°W |
| Aug 16, 18:00 UTC | Tropical storm | 69 mph | 998 mb | 27.3°N, 92.8°W |
| Aug 17, 00:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 75 mph | 991 mb | 27.4°N, 93.3°W |
| Aug 17, 06:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 81 mph | 987 mb | 27.7°N, 93.7°W |
| Aug 17, 12:00 UTC | Category 1 hurricane | 86 mph | 983 mb | 27.9°N, 94.2°W |
| Aug 17, 18:00 UTC | Category 2 hurricane | 104 mph | 974 mb | 28.1°N, 94.5°W |
| Aug 18, 00:00 UTC | Category 2 hurricane | 109 mph | 969 mb | 28.4°N, 94.8°W |
| Aug 18, 06:00 UTC | Category 3 hurricane | 115 mph | 963 mb | 28.9°N, 95.0°W |