71
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
64
Direct injuries
$61.9M
Property damage
Tornado in Bexar County, Texas: 71 recorded events between 1953 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #155 nationally and #26 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Bexar County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Bexar County is the 2000s, when 16 of the county's 71 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Bexar County archive, tornado makes up 5.0% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #155 for this hazard and #26 within Texas, putting it in the 94.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for tornado in Bexar County with 13 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-28 | EF4 | 1.0 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 1953-04-28 | EF3 | 4.9 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-11-22 | EF3 | 1.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-02-19 | EF2 | 4.6 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-19 | EF2 | 5.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2002-03-19 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-09-17 | EF2 | 5.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-08-10 | EF2 | 12.2 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-09-13 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 17 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-04-18 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 67 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1953 | F4 | 2 | 15 | $0 | |
| Sep 17, 1988 | F1 | 1 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 20, 2002 | SOMERSET | F2 | 0 | 30 | $2.0M |
| Mar 20, 2012 | ATASCOSA | EF2 | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Sep 17, 1988 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $25.0M | |
| Sep 17, 1988 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $25.0M | |
| May 16, 1969 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2023 | SAN ANTONIO | EF0 | $0 |
| May 25, 2020 | HELOTES | EF1 | $500K |
| Feb 20, 2017 | WETMORE | EF1 | $0 |
| Feb 20, 2017 | KIRBY | EF0 | $0 |
| Feb 20, 2017 | ALAMO HGTS | EF2 | $0 |
| May 24, 2015 | BALCONES HGTS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 25, 2013 | CONVERSE | EF0 | $100K |
| Mar 20, 2012 | KIRBY | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 20, 2012 | LONGHORN | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 20, 2012 | ATASCOSA | EF2 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Bexar County
- Hail 606
- Flash Flood 399
- Thunderstorm Wind 300
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado number five, strongest of the six and rated as a minimal F2 tornado on the Fujita Scale, formed about 3.5 miles southwest of the intersection of Loop 1604 and I35. It struck near 720 pm along near Silver Street and Bravo Street and moved toward the north for 1.5 miles. It apparently weakened periodically, producing a hit-and-miss damage path. It completely destroyed four mobile homes and damaged several others.
A tornado touched down on the southwest side of San Antonio near the intersection of Loop 410 and Medina Base Road. The tornado moved toward the north-northwest and dissipated near the intersection of Allenhurst and Springvale Drives. The path of tornado was 1.9 miles long with a maximum width of 50 yards. The damage from the tornado was rated EF1 with maximum winds estimated at 90 to 100 mph. The tornado caused roof damage to a number of homes along its path including in the Ridgestone subdivision, along Parallel Drive, near the intersection of Cedarhurst and Gage Drives, and on north to its end. It also hit near the post office at 5510 SW Loop 410 where it destroyed 15 postal trucks and damaged 7 others. In addition, it damaged 2 office buildings on Valley Hi Drive and damaged the roof and a new building at the Sam Rayburn Middle School. In all, over 71 properties were impacted by the tornado with 3 homes receiving major damage. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Tornado number six, struck just east of Somerset on SH16, about one mile north of Loop 1604. It was rated F1 on the Fujita Scale, and tracked toward the southeast. It damaged a large barn and several outbuildings at a construction site as it moved approximately one-half mile. It was estimated at 60 yards wide.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Bexar County, Texas?
71 tornado events are recorded in Bexar County between 1953 and 2023, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Bexar County?
The strongest tornado on record in Bexar County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Bexar County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Bexar County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/bexar-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.