Franklin County, Texas severe weather history spans 252 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 44.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,090 nationally and #180 in Texas.
252
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$3.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Franklin County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Franklin County, Texas severe weather history averages 3.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 69 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 30 events fall before 1990 and 222 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $2.4M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Franklin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 113 | 0 | $1.4M | 90 | 1980–2026 |
| Hail | 96 | 0 | $500 | 2.75 | 1979–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 17 | 0 | $2.4M | F3 | 1961–2025 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2025 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2012–2012 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Franklin County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-05-04 | EF3 | 1 | 22 | 71.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-04-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-04 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 18.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-07-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-10-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1986-02-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-02-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Franklin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2015 | Tornado | CYPRESS | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| Mar 27, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A NWS Storm Survey team concluded that the damage in Franklin County, Texas west of Purley community was consistent with that of tornado damage. The EF-2 tornado first touched down near County Road 3250 and traveled in a northerly direction, crossing County Road 2376 before lifting after crossing County Road 3055. The worst of the damage was noted near the intersection of County Road 3170 and County Road 2376. Numerous trees were snapped and/or uprooted along the path of this tornado. Around 20 structures suffered damage including 4 mobile homes that were completely destroyed. Four of the 20 homes suffered major damage. Two people were injured in one of the mobile homes.
Downburst winds left a damage path approximately nine miles long from one mile east of Greenwood to one mile northwest of Winnfield. There was damage to two dairy barns, with two milk cows killed. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, and trees were blown onto houses. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
A severe squall line moved east into Franklin County, Texas during the early morning hours of October 13th. This line of storms produced a 70-80mph wind gust across the south side of Mount Vernon, Texas. A storm National Weather Service Storm Survey crew determined that the damage was consistent with that of a downburst. Damage consisted of significant loss of a roof of a poorly constructed small business and a partial collapse of the exterior walls. A nearby bank also experienced minor roof damage. Two 18 wheelers were overturned and there was damage to a Cefco Gas Station at the intersection of Hwy. 37 and Interstate 30.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
10,632
Population (ACS)
$226K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Aug 24, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORMS MARCO AND LAURA | EM |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Mt Vernon 133
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Franklin County, Texas?
252 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $3.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Franklin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 113 recorded events — 44.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Franklin County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Franklin County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Franklin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Franklin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Franklin County as very low risk, placing it in the 25 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Franklin County, Texas severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Fort Bend County 448
- Freestone County 237
- Foard County 290
- Frio County 221
- Floyd County 462
- Gaines County 480
Cite this page
“Franklin County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/franklin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.