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Texas · County tornado history

Johnson County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 107 tornadoes in Johnson County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.4 a year. That ranks it 7 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on April 4, 2022.

Tornadoes since 1950
107
Since 2000
39
Strongest
F4, May 26, 1976
Most recent
EF0, April 4, 2022
Peak month
April (44)
Per 1,000 sq mi
145
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 Johnson County

April has brought the most, 44 of 107. About 54% touched down between 2 pm and 8 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) 43
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 36
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 22
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Johnson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 26, 1976 F4 18.8 mi 300 yd
May 15, 2013 EF3 7.8 mi 1,733 yd 7
April 23, 1973 F3 2.5 mi 333 yd 3
March 26, 1961 F3 1 mi 50 yd
November 24, 1973 F3 0.1 mi 33 yd
May 26, 1976 F3 3.8 mi 100 yd
December 29, 2006 F2 14.7 mi 587 yd 12
March 26, 1961 F2 0.3 mi 17 yd 1
September 7, 1962 F2 2 mi 167 yd 1
April 7, 1975 F2 0.2 mi 27 yd 1

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

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 4, 2022 EF0 2.8 mi 50 yd
April 4, 2022 EF0 4.9 mi 200 yd
April 4, 2022 EF0 1.7 mi 75 yd
April 4, 2022 EF2 9.7 mi 150 yd 1
May 3, 2021 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
January 10, 2020 EF1 1.1 mi 250 yd
January 15, 2017 EF0 3.1 mi 40 yd
April 26, 2015 EF0 5.5 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 Johnson County as relatively high, with a score of 98 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.68 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $28,034,453 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 Johnson County had?

107 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 39 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Johnson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on April 4, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Johnson County?

An F4 on May 26, 1976, with a 18.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Johnson County?

April 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.