Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Texas · County tornado history

Henderson County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 38 tornadoes in Henderson County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 110 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on June 3, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
38
Since 2000
12
Strongest
EF4, April 29, 2017
Most recent
EF-U, June 3, 2024
Peak month
May (12)
Per 1,000 sq mi
40
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Henderson County

May has brought the most, 12 of 38. About 45% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 16% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

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) 11
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

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 Henderson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 29, 2017 EF4 21.4 mi 1,760 yd 2 25
May 2, 1954 F3 0.1 mi 10 yd 4
November 4, 1959 F3 25.1 mi 67 yd 3
February 23, 1979 F3 10.3 mi 33 yd 1
May 9, 1981 F3 15 mi 100 yd
April 29, 2017 EF2 11.7 mi 100 yd 10
October 21, 1972 F2 1.3 mi 440 yd 1
April 23, 1966 F2 0.1 mi 880 yd
October 21, 1972 F2 1.3 mi 440 yd
April 11, 1979 F2 13.3 mi 150 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Henderson County was an EF4 on April 29, 2017. It killed 2 people and injured 25 along its 21.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 3, 2024 EF-U 0.5 mi 30 yd
May 23, 2024 EF1 4.3 mi 480 yd 6
November 4, 2022 EF2 15.1 mi 150 yd
May 16, 2020 EF0 1 mi 150 yd
April 29, 2017 EF2 11.7 mi 100 yd 10
April 29, 2017 EF4 21.4 mi 1,760 yd 2 25
March 8, 2016 EF0 5.3 mi 80 yd
December 26, 2015 EF0 0.9 mi 40 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 Henderson County as relatively high, with a score of 94 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.70 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $6,997,129 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 Henderson County had?

38 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Henderson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on June 3, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Henderson County?

An EF4 on April 29, 2017, with a 21.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Henderson 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.