47
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
31
Direct injuries
$6.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Matagorda County, Texas: 47 recorded events between 1954 and 2017. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #432 nationally and #81 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Matagorda County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Matagorda County is the 1960s, when 11 of the county's 47 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 Matagorda County archive, tornado makes up 21.5% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #432 for this hazard and #81 within Texas, putting it in the 85.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Sep is the peak month for tornado in Matagorda County with 11 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-09-20 | EF3 | 1.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-11 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 67 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-09-11 | EF2 | 0.4 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1955-05-18 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-02-14 | EF1 | 1.7 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-08-25 | EF1 | 2.2 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-07-15 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1993-03-15 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-04-17 | EF1 | 0.2 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-04-17 | EF1 | 0.2 mi | 13 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 1967 | F3 | 4 | 7 | $25K | |
| Apr 11, 1969 | F3 | 0 | 13 | $2.5M | |
| Feb 14, 2017 | VAN VLECK | EF1 | 0 | 6 | $900K |
| Sep 11, 1998 | SARGENT | F0 | 0 | 5 | $15K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2017 | SARGENT | EF1 | $500K |
| Mar 5, 2017 | ELMATON | EF0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2017 | VAN VLECK | EF1 | $900K |
| Jun 30, 2010 | WADSWORTH | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 17, 2003 | CLEMVILLE | F0 | $30K |
| Jul 15, 2003 | PALACIOS | F1 | $150K |
| Jun 14, 2003 | MARKHAM | F0 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2003 | WADSWORTH | F0 | $0 |
| Sep 7, 2002 | VAN VLECK | F0 | $60K |
| May 25, 2001 | MATAGORDA | F0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Matagorda County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This EF-1 tornado touched down on the west side of Van Vleck and moved east- northeast through a residential area. It crossed Highway 35 and then dissipated soon after. There was significant damage to two houses, and there were also trunks of hardwood trees snapped. Estimated peak winds were 100 mph.
A brief yet strong tornado moved onshore along the coast in Sargent causing significant damage to one home and overturning a motor home. Numerous trees were snapped and/or downed along the path as well as minor roof damage to several homes and businesses.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Matagorda County, Texas?
47 tornado events are recorded in Matagorda County between 1954 and 2017, causing 4 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Matagorda County?
The strongest tornado on record in Matagorda County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Matagorda 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 Matagorda County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/matagorda-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.