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Texas · County tornado history

Kaufman County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 39 tornadoes in Kaufman County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 109 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 16, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
39
Since 2000
13
Strongest
EF3, April 3, 2012
Most recent
EF0, May 16, 2020
Peak month
April (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
48
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Kaufman County

April has brought the most, 16 of 39. About 59% 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) 19
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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 Kaufman County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 2012 EF3 7.7 mi 150 yd 7
March 11, 1963 F3 2 mi 33 yd
April 25, 1970 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
May 29, 2019 EF2 4 mi 215 yd 1
March 26, 1961 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
March 24, 1972 F2 2 mi 200 yd
April 21, 1974 F2 1 mi 200 yd
May 29, 1972 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 2
September 8, 1969 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 24, 1976 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Kaufman County was an F2 on April 25, 1970. It killed 1 person and injured 0 along its 0.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 16, 2020 EF0 2.2 mi 250 yd
October 20, 2019 EF1 0.5 mi 500 yd
October 20, 2019 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
May 29, 2019 EF2 4 mi 215 yd 1
May 10, 2015 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
May 10, 2015 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
April 3, 2012 EF3 7.7 mi 150 yd 7
May 24, 2011 EF0 0 mi 20 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 Kaufman County as relatively moderate, with a score of 85 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.74 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $6,163,482 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 Kaufman County had?

39 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 13 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Kaufman County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 16, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Kaufman County?

An EF3 on April 3, 2012, with a 7.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Kaufman 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.