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Texas · County tornado history

Swisher County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 78 tornadoes in Swisher County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.0 a year. That ranks it 20 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 28, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
78
Since 2000
24
Strongest
F4, April 18, 1970
Most recent
EF-U, May 28, 2023
Peak month
June (23)
Per 1,000 sq mi
86
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 Swisher County

June has brought the most, 23 of 78. About 82% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 40
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 17
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 12
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 4

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 Swisher County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 18, 1970 F4 65 mi 880 yd 16 42
April 17, 1970 F4 96.6 mi 880 yd 5 51
May 15, 1957 F3 1 mi 10 yd
May 28, 1980 F3 6.1 mi 2,333 yd
May 28, 1980 F3 2 mi 833 yd
May 5, 2002 F2 5 mi 150 yd 2 4
June 11, 1964 F2 1 mi 27 yd 4
April 21, 2007 EF2 3 mi 200 yd 3
April 21, 2007 EF2 28.8 mi 1,230 yd 1
June 10, 1966 F2 36.9 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 Swisher County was an F4 on April 18, 1970. It killed 16 people and injured 42 along its 65-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 28, 2023 EF-U 0.4 mi 30 yd
March 13, 2021 EF0 3.2 mi 50 yd
March 13, 2021 EF2 21.2 mi 1,000 yd
May 7, 2019 EF-U 5.3 mi 150 yd
May 7, 2019 EF-U 1.5 mi 600 yd
April 14, 2017 EF-U 0.9 mi 50 yd
April 16, 2009 EF0 1 mi 75 yd
September 7, 2007 EF0 1.2 mi 75 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 Swisher County as relatively low, with a score of 61 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.83 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,419,097 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 Swisher County had?

78 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 24 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Swisher County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 28, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Swisher County?

An F4 on April 18, 1970, with a 65-mile path.

When is tornado season in Swisher County?

June 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.