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Texas · County tornado history

Lee County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 31 tornadoes in Lee County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.4 years. That ranks it 137 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 21, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
31
Since 2000
4
Strongest
F3, April 7, 1980
Most recent
EF1, March 21, 2022
Peak month
January (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
48
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively 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 Lee County

January has brought the most, 8 of 31. About 58% 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 39% 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) 9
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 12
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
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 Lee County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 7, 1980 F3 31.7 mi 100 yd 1 5
December 2, 1953 F3 3.3 mi 100 yd 4
March 20, 1957 F3 7.2 mi 10 yd 2
March 20, 1957 F3 16.9 mi 1,760 yd 2
November 15, 1987 F2 1.5 mi 200 yd 8
April 30, 1954 F2 15.8 mi 880 yd 2
September 4, 1956 F2 56.6 mi 250 yd
April 26, 1957 F2 40.5 mi 10 yd
February 23, 1962 F2 2 mi 50 yd
November 5, 1994 F2 2 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Lee County was an F3 on April 7, 1980. It killed 1 person and injured 5 along its 31.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 21, 2022 EF1 2.5 mi 50 yd
March 21, 2022 EF0 5.5 mi 50 yd
May 19, 2015 EF0 2.1 mi 100 yd 1
October 13, 2012 EF0 0.2 mi 20 yd
January 21, 1998 F0 0.2 mi 50 yd
January 21, 1998 F1 1 mi 400 yd
January 21, 1998 F0 0.2 mi 50 yd
January 21, 1998 F0 0.2 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 Lee County as relatively low, with a score of 57 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.35 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,450,282 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 Lee County had?

31 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 4 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Lee County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 21, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Lee County?

An F3 on April 7, 1980, with a 31.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Lee County?

January 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.