TEXAS TORNADO FACTS

Texas records more tornadoes than any other state, largely due to its size. In the period between 1951 and 2011, 8,007 funnel clouds developed into tornadoes upon reaching the ground.With an average of 132 tornadoes touching Texas soil each year, the annual total varies considerably, affecting certain areas more frequently.

The Red River Valley of North Texas experiences the highest frequency of tornadoes. Tornadoes can occur in any month and at any hour, but they are most likely to strike during the late spring and early summer months, particularly between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. From 1951 to 2011, April, May, and June witnessed nearly 62.7 percent of all Texas tornadoes, with May alone accounting for almost one-third of the total.

Texas ranks 11th among the 50 states in terms of tornado density, averaging 5.7 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles each year. The most significant tornado outbreak in Texas occurred during Hurricane Beulah in September 1967, with 115 known tornadoes spawning within a five-day period. Of these, September 20 set a Texas record with 67 tornadoes in a single day. In the same month, a total of 124 tornadoes were recorded, marking a Texas record for a single month.

The highest number of tornadoes in a single year is 232, which also occurred in 1967, followed closely by 1995 with 223 tornadoes. May 1982 stands out as the worst outbreak of spring tornadoes in Texas history, with 123 tornadoes forming during the month. On average, May has the highest number of tornadoes per month, with January experiencing the lowest average. Additionally, a rare winter tornado outbreak took place on December 29, 2006, with 27 tornadoes recorded, the highest monthly total for December.