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

Orange County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 32 tornadoes in Orange County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.3 years. That ranks it 134 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on January 24, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
32
Since 2000
6
Strongest
F4, November 7, 1957
Most recent
EF2, January 24, 2023
Peak month
October (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
84
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 Orange County

October has brought the most, 6 of 32. About 47% touched down between 11 am and 5 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 19% 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) 10
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 17
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
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 Orange County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 7, 1957 F4 12.9 mi 200 yd 1 81
January 24, 2023 EF2 25.2 mi 500 yd 2
October 27, 2021 EF2 6.9 mi 100 yd 1
February 1, 1952 F2 1 mi 67 yd
October 27, 2021 EF2 2.1 mi 50 yd
April 3, 1957 F1 0.1 mi 33 yd
April 30, 1957 F1 2.5 mi 100 yd
February 10, 1966 F1 2 mi 50 yd
September 2, 1966 F1 1 mi 27 yd
September 21, 1967 F1 1 mi 33 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Orange County was an F4 on November 7, 1957. It killed 1 person and injured 81 along its 12.9-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 24, 2023 EF2 25.2 mi 500 yd 2
January 24, 2023 EF1 2.2 mi 75 yd
October 27, 2021 EF2 6.9 mi 100 yd 1
October 27, 2021 EF2 2.1 mi 50 yd
May 16, 2020 EF1 4.5 mi 25 yd
October 31, 2013 EF1 5.9 mi 200 yd
October 18, 1998 F0 1 mi 30 yd
October 18, 1998 F0 1 mi 30 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 Orange County as relatively moderate, with a score of 89 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.26 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $6,214,222 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 Orange County had?

32 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 6 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Orange County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on January 24, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Orange County?

An F4 on November 7, 1957, with a 12.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Orange County?

October 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.