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Texas · County tornado history

Walker County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 20 tornadoes in Walker County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.8 years. That ranks it 189 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 10, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
20
Since 2000
5
Strongest
F2, February 10, 1981
Most recent
EF0, May 10, 2021
Peak month
January (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
25
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 Walker County

January has brought the most, 6 of 20. About 65% 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 50% 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 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
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 Walker County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 10, 1981 F2 19.9 mi 100 yd 1 8
December 3, 1952 F2 13.3 mi 100 yd 4
March 31, 1957 F2 2 mi 100 yd 2
June 4, 1973 F2 26.4 mi 40 yd
January 1, 1999 F1 2.5 mi 0 yd 7
February 9, 1983 F1 2 mi 40 yd
October 23, 1997 F1 2 mi 50 yd
January 21, 1998 F1 3 mi 200 yd
January 1, 1999 F0 0.3 mi 0 yd 1
July 24, 1963 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 Walker County was an F2 on February 10, 1981. It killed 1 person and injured 8 along its 19.9-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 10, 2021 EF0 0.6 mi 50 yd
April 2, 2017 EF0 0.5 mi 30 yd
January 25, 2012 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
January 25, 2012 EF0 0.4 mi 50 yd
June 20, 2008 EF0 0 mi 20 yd
April 3, 1999 F0 0.3 mi 0 yd
January 1, 1999 F0 0.3 mi 0 yd
January 1, 1999 F0 0.3 mi 0 yd 1

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 Walker County as relatively high, with a score of 92 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.50 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $6,351,322 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 Walker County had?

20 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 5 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Walker County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 10, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Walker County?

An F2 on February 10, 1981, with a 19.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Walker County?

January 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.