Tornado History

Houston Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Houston, Texas. The records below identify 31 tornadoes from 1951 through 2022, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $8.2M, with 3 deaths and 24 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes31
Total Deaths3
Total Injuries24
Property Damage$8.2M
Avg Length2.9 mi
Avg Width105 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Houston, Texas

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.6/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 11 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Houston, Texas with 1 deaths
2019 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (10 events)
Longest tornado: 19.07 miles in Houston, Texas
Widest tornado: 850.0 yards in Houston, Texas
Most tornadoes in one day: 4 on Apr 13, 2019

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Houston, Texas, May is the most active month with 11 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

4320

Summary: 2019 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
EF3
Unknown

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 7 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$5.0M$500K$50K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2022 with at least $5.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

EF3 April 13, 20192019EF3 December 25, 20122012F3 May 16, 19531953EF2 March 21, 20222022F2 March 26, 19611961EF2 April 13, 20192019EF1 April 13, 20192019F1 June 6, 20052005EF1 April 13, 20142014EF1 June 10, 20102010EF1 April 25, 20112011F1 April 4, 19971997F1 April 4, 19971997F1 August 22, 19801980F1 March 28, 1951F1 April 12, 1955F1 May 3, 1991F0 March 28, 1989F0 April 4, 1997EF0 June 10, 2010F0 May 13, 1994F0 May 13, 1994F0 May 14, 1994F0 May 31, 2004F0 May 28, 2005EF0 December 25, 2012EF0 April 13, 2019EF0 May 11, 2021Unknown May 12, 1978Unknown May 12, 1978Unknown May 12, 1978© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Houston, Texas.
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
April 13, 2019EF3Houston, Texas12.16 mi800 yd10$1.0M
December 25, 2012EF3Houston, Texas9.72 mi300 yd00$700K
May 16, 1953F3Houston, Texas5.2 mi33 yd18N/A
March 21, 2022EF2Houston, Texas19.07 mi200 yd110$5.0M
March 26, 1961F2Houston, Texas1.5 mi100 yd01$250K
April 13, 2019EF2Houston, Texas6.03 mi100 yd00$250K
April 13, 2019EF1Houston, Texas8.9 mi200 yd04$300K
June 6, 2005F1Houston, Texas6 mi850 yd00$275K
April 13, 2014EF1Houston, Texas0.79 mi20 yd01$120K
June 10, 2010EF1Houston, Texas2.81 mi75 yd00$75K
April 25, 2011EF1Houston, Texas0.2 mi30 yd00$50K
April 4, 1997F1Houston, Texas0.3 mi50 yd00$40K
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Related Location Pages

Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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