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Texas · County tornado history

Jefferson County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 111 tornadoes in Jefferson County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.5 a year. That ranks it 5 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on December 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
111
Since 2000
17
Strongest
EF3, December 28, 2024
Most recent
EF3, December 28, 2024
Peak month
July (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
112
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 Jefferson County

July has brought the most, 16 of 111. About 50% touched down between 10 am and 4 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) 47
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 34
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 22
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 8
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Jefferson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 7, 1957 F3 3.6 mi 200 yd 2 59
October 28, 1974 F3 9.6 mi 67 yd 1
October 11, 1970 F3 4.3 mi 100 yd 19
January 1, 1999 F3 5.5 mi 400 yd 5
December 28, 2024 EF3 67.9 mi 880 yd 2
November 7, 1957 F3 1.5 mi 10 yd 1
March 23, 1969 F3 0.5 mi 67 yd 1
January 31, 1983 F3 1 mi 40 yd 1
May 20, 1983 F2 3 mi 167 yd 1 9
August 5, 1964 F2 0.2 mi 33 yd 6

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Jefferson County was an F3 on November 7, 1957. It killed 2 people and injured 59 along its 3.6-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 28, 2024 EF3 67.9 mi 880 yd 2
April 10, 2024 EF2 2.7 mi 300 yd
January 24, 2023 EF1 5.5 mi 75 yd
July 22, 2022 EF0 1.7 mi 10 yd
May 25, 2022 EF1 1 mi 50 yd
October 27, 2021 EF0 0.3 mi 100 yd
November 7, 2018 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
August 7, 2018 EF0 0.1 mi 10 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 Jefferson County as relatively high, with a score of 99 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.76 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $21,035,506 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 Jefferson County had?

111 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 17 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Jefferson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on December 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Jefferson County?

An EF3 on December 28, 2024, with a 67.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Jefferson County?

July 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.