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Texas · County tornado history

Armstrong County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 49 tornadoes in Armstrong County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 77 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on June 21, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
49
Since 2000
24
Strongest
F4, April 18, 1970
Most recent
EF-U, June 21, 2023
Peak month
May (18)
Per 1,000 sq mi
54
FEMA tornado risk
Very Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Armstrong County

May has brought the most, 18 of 49. About 82% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 32
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 9
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Armstrong County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 18, 1970 F4 65 mi 880 yd 16 42
April 17, 1970 F4 130 mi 880 yd 1 13
July 1, 1987 F2 9 mi 150 yd 2
April 13, 1973 F2 90.1 mi 150 yd
May 25, 1987 F2 6 mi 150 yd
April 21, 2007 EF2 12.9 mi 440 yd
May 17, 1977 F1 6.4 mi 20 yd
May 17, 1977 F1 1 mi 20 yd
June 10, 1984 F1 0.1 mi 20 yd
June 10, 1984 F1 0.1 mi 20 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Armstrong County was an F4 on April 18, 1970. It killed 16 people and injured 42 along its 65-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 21, 2023 EF-U 0.9 mi 100 yd
March 13, 2021 EF-U 3.1 mi 800 yd
March 13, 2021 EF0 13 mi 1,000 yd
March 13, 2021 EF1 8.2 mi 800 yd
June 22, 2019 EF0 2.1 mi 200 yd
June 22, 2019 EF0 2.5 mi 50 yd
May 23, 2019 EF0 0.7 mi 50 yd
May 7, 2019 EF0 11.5 mi 100 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Armstrong County as very low, with a score of 24 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.89 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $296,071 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Armstrong County had?

49 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 24 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Armstrong County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on June 21, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Armstrong County?

An F4 on April 18, 1970, with a 65-mile path.

When is tornado season in Armstrong County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.