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Texas · County tornado history

Wise County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 62 tornadoes in Wise County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.2 years. That ranks it 42 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 24, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
62
Since 2000
22
Strongest
F3, April 2, 1957
Most recent
EF1, March 24, 2023
Peak month
May (22)
Per 1,000 sq mi
67
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 Wise County

May has brought the most, 22 of 62. About 65% touched down between 4 pm and 10 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) 28
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 23
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 10
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Wise County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 2, 1957 F3 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
December 13, 2022 EF2 9.7 mi 370 yd 2
October 12, 2001 F2 2.5 mi 440 yd 1
October 12, 2001 F2 9 mi 590 yd 1
May 12, 1965 F2 0.1 mi 17 yd
November 24, 1973 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 29, 1975 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
October 30, 1979 F2 2 mi 50 yd
April 25, 1990 F2 5 mi 100 yd
April 25, 1990 F2 0.2 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 Wise County was an F1 on December 2, 1999. It killed 2 people and injured 3 along its 5.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 24, 2023 EF1 5.5 mi 100 yd 3
December 13, 2022 EF2 9.7 mi 370 yd 2
March 21, 2022 EF0 6.1 mi 150 yd
March 18, 2020 EF0 0.8 mi 100 yd
March 18, 2020 EF0 4 mi 575 yd
January 10, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 75 yd
May 19, 2015 EF1 1.9 mi 90 yd
May 19, 2015 EF1 2.5 mi 110 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 Wise County as relatively moderate, with a score of 76 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.86 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,188,749 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 Wise County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Wise County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 24, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Wise County?

An F3 on April 2, 1957, with a 0.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Wise 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.