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Texas · County tornado history

Van Zandt County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 41 tornadoes in Van Zandt County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.8 years. That ranks it 103 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 16, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
41
Since 2000
22
Strongest
EF4, April 29, 2017
Most recent
EF0, May 16, 2020
Peak month
May (19)
Per 1,000 sq mi
48
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 Van Zandt County

May has brought the most, 19 of 41. About 66% 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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 12
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
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 Van Zandt County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 29, 2017 EF4 21.4 mi 1,760 yd 2 25
May 10, 2015 EF3 10.2 mi 700 yd 2 43
April 29, 2017 EF3 39.7 mi 1,760 yd 2 24
May 5, 1978 F3 29.9 mi 10 yd
April 29, 2017 EF2 11.7 mi 100 yd 10
May 9, 1965 F2 2.5 mi 10 yd
April 13, 1967 F2 6.1 mi 100 yd
April 11, 1979 F2 13.3 mi 150 yd
May 13, 1981 F2 5.4 mi 200 yd
January 20, 2010 EF2 15.2 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 Van Zandt County was an EF4 on April 29, 2017. It killed 2 people and injured 25 along its 21.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 16, 2020 EF0 2.2 mi 250 yd
October 20, 2019 EF0 0.6 mi 200 yd
May 29, 2019 EF1 3.8 mi 250 yd
May 29, 2019 EF1 2.3 mi 140 yd
May 29, 2019 EF2 7.2 mi 700 yd
May 29, 2019 EF-U 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 29, 2019 EF0 3 mi 100 yd
May 11, 2017 EF0 2.1 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 Van Zandt County as relatively moderate, with a score of 78 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.69 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,510,316 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 Van Zandt County had?

41 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 22 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Van Zandt County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 16, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Van Zandt County?

An EF4 on April 29, 2017, with a 21.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Van Zandt County?

May 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.