51
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
16
Direct injuries
$5.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Navarro County, Texas: 51 recorded events between 1955 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #364 nationally and #71 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Navarro County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Navarro County is the 1960s, when 8 of the county's 51 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 Navarro County archive, tornado makes up 9.2% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #364 for this hazard and #71 within Texas, putting it in the 87.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Navarro County with 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-10-13 | EF3 | 7.2 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1973-04-15 | EF3 | 3.8 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-03-16 | EF3 | 11.1 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 1998-10-17 | EF2 | 3.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-10-24 | EF2 | 6.5 mi | 480 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-09-05 | EF2 | 6.1 mi | 80 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-08-18 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-08-22 | EF2 | 0.2 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-07-03 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-10-31 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 1998 | SILVER CITY | F2 | 1 | 4 | $100K |
| Oct 24, 2010 | EMHOUSE | EF2 | 0 | 4 | $1.0M |
| Apr 16, 1973 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Mar 17, 2023 | CORSICANA ARPT | EF1 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2009 | CORSICANA | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Oct 13, 1981 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Mar 17, 1965 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 2024 | FROST | EF0 | $100K |
| Apr 26, 2024 | RICE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 26, 2024 | BARRY | EF1 | $200K |
| Apr 26, 2024 | PELHAM | EF1 | $200K |
| Mar 17, 2023 | CORSICANA ARPT | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 30, 2020 | CORSICANA | EF0 | $500K |
| Oct 13, 2018 | ROUND PRAIRIE | EF0 | $0 |
| Oct 13, 2018 | DRANE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jan 22, 2018 | POWELL | EF0 | $90K |
| Mar 8, 2016 | ROUND PRAIRIE | EF1 | $70K |
Other hazards here
More from Navarro County
- Thunderstorm Wind 215
- Hail 193
- Flash Flood 79
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado formed just northwest of Navarro Mills Lake, just east of the Navarro/Hill County line. Damage near this initiation point was confined to split tree trunks consistent with EF-0 intensity windspeeds. The tornado tracked east-northeastward, causing tree damage and impacting multiple residences and outbuildings in areas between FM 744 and Navarro Mills Lake. Most of this damage was EF-0 to low end EF-1 in character, consistent with windspeeds of 75-95 mph. Damage was mainly associated with roof and fascia damage on the residences and significant sheet metal damage on outbuildings. However, one manufactured home was totally destroyed on Navarro County Road 3091, consistent with EF-1 winds estimated at around 110 mph. The tornado crossed FM 744, and dissipated just northwest of the Dresden community.
A tornado formed approximately 2 miles southwest of Barry in open country, based on storm spotter video and eyewitness reports. This tornado moved north and northeast of Barry, impacting several residences and outbuildings along Navarro County roads 1210 and 1230. Most of the structural damage was confined to roofs and outbuilding sheet metal and was consistent with damage intensities of EF-0 and lower end EF-1 magnitude. However, one manufactured home along CR 1230 was totally destroyed, consistent with EF-1 winds of approximately 110 mph. The tornado traveled several additional miles to the east, passing north of Emhouse and producing EF-0 damage to trees and outbuildings. This tornado eventually dissipated in the Chambers Creek drainage west of Rice.
An NWS Storm Damage Survey confirmed an EF-1 tornado damaged 10 structures in the west-central portions of Corsicana. Part of the roof was removed from the Lee Academy on West 4th Avenue. On the same street, crepe myrtle and pecan trees were uprooted. Other buildings damaged included the Sonic and Shell Food Mart. Additional trees and large tree limbs were down along the path of the tornado and damage was also sustained to fences, awnings and power poles. Maximum winds were estimated to be 90 mph. One teacher at Lee Academy sustained minor injuries.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Navarro County, Texas?
51 tornado events are recorded in Navarro County between 1955 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Navarro County?
The strongest tornado on record in Navarro County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Navarro 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 Navarro County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/navarro-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.