McLennan County, Texas severe weather history spans 1,082 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 45.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #112 nationally and #14 in Texas.
1,082
Recorded events
119
Direct deaths
638
Direct injuries
$73.2M
Property damage
The record
What the McLennan County, Texas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, McLennan County, Texas severe weather history averages 14.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 283 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 229 events fall before 1990 and 853 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the McLennan County, Texas record is tornado, responsible for 114 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $57.4M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in McLennan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 497 | 0 | $8.2M | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 380 | 0 | $5.9M | 77 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 105 | 4 | $980K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 68 | 114 | $57.4M | F5 | 1952–2025 |
| Lightning | 15 | 1 | $251K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $197K | 0 | 2007–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $190K | 0 | 1996–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
McLennan County, Texas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
72 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 65 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-05-11 | EF5 | 114 | 597 | 20.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-06 | EF5 | 0 | 0 | 10.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-03-10 | EF4 | 6 | 77 | 23.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-04-21 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-05-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-10-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in McLennan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 1953 | Tornado | 114 | 597 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 27, 2015 | Flash Flood | BEVERLY HILLS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 13, 2014 | Flash Flood | HEWITT | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| May 2, 2007 | Lightning | HALLSBURG | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 16, 2001 | Flash Flood | CRAWFORD | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 18, 1996 | Flash Flood | WACO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 5, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 7 | $0 | |
| Feb 1, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flat Creek near the intersection of Hewitt Drive and Mars Drive, behind Midway High School, flooded over the roadway. The creek also overflowed near the intersection of Panther Way and Panther Run. It was reported that the creek overflowed by at least half a mile, was up to 2 feet over at least one road, and the water was swiftly flowing over the road; like a river. Several cars were stuck in the water. An 18-year-old male died when his car was swept off the road in the dark and swept down the creek. The car was found about 2 miles down the creek, and his body was found the next day near the creek. Part of the asphalt of Panther Way was destroyed in chunks and had to be replaced.
A CoCoRaHS Observer located southeast of Valley Mills reported an average hailstone size of 1.25 inches, but the largest measured hail stone was 4 inches in diameter. Large amounts of hail fell for roughly 20 minutes and shredded leaves, damaged roof shingles, dented cars, and broke house windows. The school district had to cancel school due to damage sustained from the large hail.
The second McLennan county tornado touched down just southwest of Tokio then moved east northeast and dissipated 1.3 miles east of West. Homes, a church, and several businesses were damaged in Tokio. After moving through Tokio, the tornado moved along FM 1858, causing heavy damage to wood-frame structures, mobile homes, storage buildings, and minor damage to several brick homes. As the tornado moved across the extreme southern edge of West, several homes and storage buildings were damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
266,067
Population (ACS)
$244K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| May 29, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 2, 2013 | Other | EXPLOSION | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Waco 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in McLennan County, Texas?
1,082 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 119 direct deaths and $73.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in McLennan County?
Hail, with 497 recorded events — 45.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed McLennan County?
72 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 65 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover McLennan County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include McLennan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is McLennan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McLennan County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 91 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the McLennan 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
- McCulloch County 496
- McMullen County 87
- Lynn County 456
- Madison County 193
- Lubbock County 1,321
- Marion County 282
Cite this page
“McLennan County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/mclennan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.