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Texas · County tornado history

San Jacinto County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 21 tornadoes in San Jacinto County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.6 years. That ranks it 187 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on February 18, 2013.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
21
Since 2000
10
Strongest
F2, April 29, 2006
Most recent
EF1, February 18, 2013
Peak month
November (4)
Per 1,000 sq mi
34
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 San Jacinto County

November has brought the most, 4 of 21. About 76% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 29% 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
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 San Jacinto County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 29, 2006 F2 1 mi 30 yd 4
December 16, 2001 F2 3 mi 200 yd 2
October 23, 1975 F2 6.4 mi 100 yd
December 10, 1983 F1 3 mi 200 yd 1 3
July 15, 1972 F1 5.4 mi 20 yd
February 9, 1983 F1 0.5 mi 30 yd
May 7, 1995 F1 8 mi 50 yd
October 23, 1997 F1 20 mi 440 yd
February 18, 2013 EF1 0.6 mi 30 yd
May 21, 1984 F0 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 San Jacinto County was an F1 on December 10, 1983. It killed 1 person and injured 3 along its 3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 18, 2013 EF1 0.6 mi 30 yd
November 15, 2011 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
July 3, 2007 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 29, 2006 F2 1 mi 30 yd 4
November 23, 2004 F0 0.1 mi 20 yd
June 5, 2003 F0 0.2 mi 20 yd
December 23, 2002 F0 0.5 mi 30 yd
December 23, 2002 F0 0.5 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 San Jacinto County as relatively moderate, with a score of 90 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.45 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,926,282 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 San Jacinto County had?

21 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 10 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in San Jacinto County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on February 18, 2013. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in San Jacinto County?

An F2 on April 29, 2006, with a 1-mile path.

When is tornado season in San Jacinto County?

November 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.