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

Limestone County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 31 tornadoes in Limestone County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.4 years. That ranks it 136 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 23, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
31
Since 2000
17
Strongest
F4, March 10, 1973
Most recent
EF0, May 23, 2024
Peak month
April (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
33
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 Limestone County

April has brought the most, 16 of 31. About 74% touched down between 1 pm and 7 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) 18
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Limestone County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 10, 1973 F4 23.3 mi 150 yd 6 77
April 27, 1990 F3 4 mi 100 yd
December 29, 2006 F2 20.4 mi 400 yd 1 20
April 27, 1990 F2 16 mi 880 yd 8
February 12, 1950 F2 3.4 mi 100 yd
June 3, 1973 F2 6.8 mi 100 yd
May 25, 1976 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
March 30, 2002 F2 7 mi 440 yd
April 19, 1986 F1 0.2 mi 10 yd 2
April 27, 1990 F1 0.2 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 Limestone County was an F4 on March 10, 1973. It killed 6 people and injured 77 along its 23.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 23, 2024 EF0 14.9 mi 300 yd
May 23, 2024 EF0 16 mi 300 yd
April 28, 2024 EF0 0.2 mi 30 yd
April 2, 2023 EF0 0.7 mi 33 yd
April 2, 2023 EF-U 1.2 mi 33 yd
April 2, 2023 EF0 0.4 mi 33 yd
March 21, 2022 EF0 11.8 mi 100 yd
April 12, 2020 EF0 0.2 mi 50 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 Limestone County as relatively low, with a score of 63 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.56 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,257,364 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 Limestone County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Limestone County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 23, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Limestone County?

An F4 on March 10, 1973, with a 23.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Limestone 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.