76
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
25
Direct injuries
$32.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Smith County, Texas: 76 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #131 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Smith County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Smith County is the 1980s, when 16 of the county's 76 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 Smith County archive, tornado makes up 7.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #131 for this hazard and #20 within Texas, putting it in the 95.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Smith County with 21 recorded events, while Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-11-15 | EF3 | 33.0 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1979-02-23 | EF3 | 10.3 mi | 33 yd | Crossed in |
| 1958-05-03 | EF3 | 59.2 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-04-29 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-04-29 | EF2 | 25.9 mi | 3,221 yd | Touched down here |
| 2015-12-12 | EF2 | 1.8 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1998-01-05 | EF2 | 4.2 mi | 80 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-04-26 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-11-19 | EF2 | 7.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-11-19 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 2 | 6 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 26, 1957 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Feb 12, 1950 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Apr 29, 2016 | LINDALE | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $300K |
| Mar 3, 1979 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Feb 27, 1996 | TYLER | F0 | 0 | 1 | $8K |
| Apr 1, 1979 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Feb 23, 1979 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2026 | LINDALE | EF1 | $500K |
| Oct 28, 2025 | LINDALE | EF1 | $125K |
| May 6, 2025 | BULLARD | EF1 | $25K |
| Apr 4, 2025 | RED SPGS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | TEASELVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2023 | TYLER | EF0 | $5K |
| Aug 22, 2022 | WINONA | EF1 | $25K |
| Jun 8, 2021 | KIRKPATRICK ADDITION | EF0 | $5K |
| May 18, 2019 | BASCOM | EF1 | $30K |
| Apr 30, 2017 | LINDALE | EF1 | $25K |
Other hazards here
More from Smith County
- Thunderstorm Wind 410
- Hail 366
- Flash Flood 152
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An EF-2 tornado with winds estimated between 110-115 mph touched down just west of Highway 69 near the intersection of Mayor Street. As it crossed Highway 69, the tornado strengthened resulting in major damage to the Hibbett Sports and Dollar Tree stores on the east side of Highway 69. The tornado moved northeast resulting in tree and roof damage in subdivisions between Highway 69 and County Road 431. The tornado lifted near the intersection of County Road 431 and Pierce Street.
A long track multi-vortex EF-2 tornado with peak winds estimated between 120-125 mph touched down just east of Lindale near the intersection of County Road 499 and County Road 4100. The tornado traveled northeast resulting in extensive damage to trees along its path. The tornado was strongest between Farm To Market Road 16 and Farm To Market Road 2710, where a cell phone tower, a house, and two mobile homes sustained major damage from estimated EF-2 tornado winds. This tornado remained on the ground as it crossed a heavily wooded area and the Sabine River into Southeast Wood County.
A weak EF0 tornado first touched down in a subdivision along Southern Trace Circle where shingles were peeled off several homes and a trampoline was thrown up onto a home. Several fences were blown down as well. The tornado continued east onto Walnut Hill Drive where sporadic tree damage was observed as well as some minor damage to several homes along the street. The tornado lifted before reaching US 69. Maximum winds are estimated at 65-70 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Smith County, Texas?
76 tornado events are recorded in Smith County between 1950 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Smith County?
The strongest tornado on record in Smith County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Smith 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 Smith County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/smith-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.