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Texas · County tornado history

Upshur County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 24 tornadoes in Upshur County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.1 years. That ranks it 174 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on March 21, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
24
Since 2000
9
Strongest
F3, April 1, 1988
Most recent
EF2, March 21, 2022
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
41
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Upshur County

April has brought the most, 7 of 24. About 62% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 17% 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) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 11
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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 Upshur County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 1, 1988 F3 13 mi 440 yd 9
September 22, 1965 F3 0.1 mi 100 yd
November 15, 1987 F2 7 mi 900 yd 9
March 21, 2022 EF2 40 mi 700 yd 8
May 6, 2003 F2 54.4 mi 880 yd 5
April 29, 2016 EF2 25.9 mi 3,221 yd 2
April 26, 1957 F2 11.9 mi 67 yd
June 3, 1973 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 12, 1976 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
December 16, 1977 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 21, 2022 EF2 40 mi 700 yd 8
May 11, 2017 EF1 2.7 mi 220 yd
May 11, 2017 EF1 1.3 mi 175 yd
April 29, 2016 EF2 25.9 mi 3,221 yd 2
December 27, 2015 EF1 8 mi 1,338 yd
April 24, 2015 EF1 1.9 mi 700 yd
October 13, 2014 EF1 5.8 mi 275 yd
April 30, 2011 EF0 2.2 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 Upshur County as relatively high, with a score of 92 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.51 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,023,579 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 Upshur County had?

24 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 9 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Upshur County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on March 21, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Upshur County?

An F3 on April 1, 1988, with a 13-mile path.

When is tornado season in Upshur 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.