63
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
106
Direct injuries
$31.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Ellis County, Texas: 63 recorded events between 1956 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #215 nationally and #40 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Ellis County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Ellis County is the 1970s, when 14 of the county's 63 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 Ellis County archive, tornado makes up 6.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #215 for this hazard and #40 within Texas, putting it in the 92.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Ellis County with 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-05-26 | EF4 | 18.8 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2015-12-26 | EF3 | 8.5 mi | 125 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-26 | EF3 | 9.1 mi | 280 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-03 | EF2 | 5.4 mi | 659 yd | Touched down here |
| 2012-04-03 | EF2 | 13.7 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1985-05-13 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 77 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-11-22 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-10-24 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-04-28 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-04-28 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 2015 | SARDIS | EF3 | 0 | 46 | $8.4M |
| Apr 29, 1971 | F2 | 0 | 20 | $250K | |
| Apr 21, 1958 | F2 | 0 | 18 | $250K | |
| May 4, 2021 | FIVE PTS | EF2 | 0 | 8 | $1.5M |
| Nov 23, 1983 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 27, 1961 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 23, 1957 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| May 16, 2013 | ENNIS | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $650K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 2024 | FORRESTON | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 5, 2022 | WARD | EF0 | $50K |
| May 16, 2021 | LONE ELM | EFU | $0 |
| May 16, 2021 | MAYPEARL | EFU | $0 |
| May 16, 2021 | MAYPEARL BEE ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| May 4, 2021 | FIVE PTS | EF2 | $1.5M |
| Oct 21, 2019 | FERRIS | EF0 | $1.0M |
| Oct 21, 2019 | MIDLOTHIAN | EF1 | $10.0M |
| Oct 13, 2018 | SARDIS | EF0 | $25K |
| Dec 27, 2015 | TELICO | EF0 | $40K |
Other hazards here
More from Ellis County
- Hail 437
- Thunderstorm Wind 304
- Flash Flood 100
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado began near Highway 67 and 9th Street on the north side of Midlothian and traveled east for approximately 2.8 miles. Several church and retail buildings experienced blown out windows and roof damage. One of the buildings connected to the Lighthouse Church was heavily damaged with the collapse of the southward facing wall and much of the roof removed. Just to the east of Highway 67, sheet metal was peeled on two buildings and metal roof purlins were bent on one. This damage was consistent with winds of 100 to 110 mph, and EF-1 intensity. The tornado weakened some as it headed east and crossed into a residential area south of Mockingbird Lane. Damage indicates the tornado intensified in the area of Morning Dove Lane and Pheasant Drive. Several homes experienced significant roof damage, uplift of the roof deck of at least one home, some windows blown out, a garage door collapsed, and several trees were uprooted. This type of damage was consistent with wind speeds of 100 to 110 mph, or EF-1 intensity. The tornado weakened before ending near Walnut Grove Road.
This tornado produced a long and narrow damage path from just northeast of the Mid-Way Regional airport near Midlothian to the Ellis County line. The tornado then continued into Dallas County. Sixty-seven single family homes were affected, with 23 of these being completely destroyed. The strongest portion of the tornado occurred near the Ellis / Dallas County line, with EF3 damage observed in both counties.
Damage started in the Five Points area along FM 876. The tornado continued northeast, and the first signs of EF-2 damage were observed near Johnston and Hollis Roads. The tornado then crossed I-35E where it struck 3 semis and one cargo van. Three injuries occurred in this location. Next, the tornado struck a scrap metal yard on the east side of I-35E and moved on to damage homes and electrical towers near and along HWY 77 and Butler Ln. EF-2 damage was also observed in this area, in particular to one home. Maximum estimated winds were 120 mph, and there were 5 additional injuries in this area. The tornado tracked farther east, did EF-2 damage to one home on FM 55, and then crossed FM 55 and dissipated.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Ellis County, Texas?
63 tornado events are recorded in Ellis County between 1956 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Ellis County?
The strongest tornado on record in Ellis County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Ellis 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 Ellis County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/ellis-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.