Texas tornado season is here: 10 deadliest twisters ever to hit the Lone Star State
One of the last major tornadoes in Fort Worth was in March 2000. The F2 tornado killed two people in Fort Worth and caused $400 million in damage, making it the 21st costliest storm in Texas.
Here is a list of 10 of the deadliest tornadoes in Texas since 1900, according to the National Weather Service.
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10. The Jarrell Tornado, May 27, 1997
This is the last known confirmed F5 tornado in Texas. Twenty-seven people died and 12 people were injured in the storm along with hundreds of cattle. Over 40 homes were destroyed.
9. The Saragosa Tornado, May 22, 1987
According to the National Weather Service, this F4 tornado destroyed over 80% of the community of Saragosa in Reeves County. The storm killed 30 people and injured 121; 22 of the people who died were inside Guadalupe Hall, where a group had gathered for a children’s graduation ceremony.
8. The Zephyr Tornado, May 30, 1909
Forming around midnight, the F4 tornado killed 34 people and injured 70. The National Weather Service said it damaged nearly 50 homes, six businesses, two churches and a high school.
7. The Karnes-Dewitt Tornado, May 6, 1930
This F4 tornado touched down three miles northwest of Kenedy in Karnes County and killed 36 people and injured 60. The National Weather Service said the high death toll from this tornado was due to poorly constructed structures along the tornado’s path.
6. The Frost Tornado, May 6, 1930
On the same day as the Karnes-Dewitt tornado, this F4 tornado touched down in Hill County and crossed into Navarro County and Ellis County. In total, 41 people died and 200 were injured.
5. The Wichita Falls Tornado, April 10, 1979
The National Weather Service records this F4 tornado being, at times, as large as a mile and a 1/2 wide. It touched down on what is known as Terrible Tuesday about 3 miles northeast from the city of Holliday, southwest of Wichita Falls. The tornado crossed into Wichita Falls, where it severely damaged Memorial Stadium, McNeil Junior High and residences in the city. Forty-two in Wichita Falls died and more than 1,700 total were injured. According to the National Weather Service, over 3,000 homes were destroyed and 20,000 people were left without homes.
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4. The Glazier-Higgins-Woodward Tornadoes, April 9, 1947
One of a group of tornadoes hit five miles northwest of Pampa, destroyed the city of Glazier and most of the town of Higgins and crossed into western Oklahoma before dissipating near St. Leo, Kansas. The National Weather Service said the funnel was reported at times to be between one and two miles wide. Final totals across three states reported 181 people killed and 970 injured.
3. The Rocksprings Tornado, April 12, 1927
This F5 tornado touched down in Edwards County and moved southeast. The tornado is recorded as being nearly a mile wide. Seventy-four people died and 205 were injured in the storm, a third of the population of the town of Rocksprings. Out of the 247 buildings in the town, 235 are recorded to have been destroyed.
2. The Goliad Tornado, May 18, 1902
This F4 tornado killed 114 people and injured 250. Measuring about 1/8 of a mile wide, it crossed the San Antonio River southwest of Goliad before moving into the city, destroying hundreds of buildings.
1. The Waco Tornado, May 11, 1953
The deadliest tornado recorded since 1900 was this 1/3 mile wide F5 tornado, which crossed Waco killing 114 people and injuring 597. According to the National Weather Service, some of the survivors had to wait up to 14 hours for rescue.
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 1:17 PM.
