69
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$18.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Taylor County, Texas: 69 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #172 nationally and #33 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Taylor County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Taylor County is the 2000s, when 14 of the county's 69 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 Taylor County archive, tornado makes up 6.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #172 for this hazard and #33 within Texas, putting it in the 94.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Taylor County with 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-03-14 | EF3 | 40.5 mi | 173 yd | Crossed in |
| 1976-05-26 | EF3 | 1.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-15 | EF3 | 9.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-28 | EF2 | 4.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2020-03-19 | EF2 | 10.9 mi | 425 yd | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-18 | EF2 | 5.0 mi | 388 yd | Touched down here |
| 2004-03-04 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-04-05 | EF2 | 0.2 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1982-03-14 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1979-10-30 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1985 | F2 | 1 | 0 | $250K | |
| Jun 16, 1951 | F1 | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| Mar 14, 1982 | F3 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 15, 1962 | F1 | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Mar 4, 2004 | TUSCOLA | F2 | 0 | 2 | $800K |
| May 25, 1976 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | POTOSI | EFU | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2020 | TYE | EF1 | $60K |
| Mar 19, 2020 | MULBERRY CANYON | EF2 | $0 |
| May 18, 2019 | ABILENE | EF1 | $750K |
| May 18, 2019 | (DYS)DYESS AFB ABILE | EF2 | $10.0M |
| Mar 28, 2017 | TYE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 2011 | POTOSI | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 9, 2008 | TYE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 9, 2008 | TYE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 2007 | TRENT | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Taylor County
- Hail 561
- Thunderstorm Wind 361
- Flash Flood 78
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado began on the southeast corner of Dyess Air Force Base and damaged some roofs and destroyed a shed. The tornado moved northeast towards Abilene and impacted several residential neighborhoods on both sides of the Winters Freeway located on the west side of Abilene. It damaged many roofs, blew out windows, uprooted trees and damaged tree limbs. The tornado strengthened to an EF-2 as it crossed South 6th street, completely removing several roofs from residential homes. According to the City of Abilene, about 390 homes were affected. Of these homes, about 336 homes had minor roof damage, 46 homes had major damage and eight homes were destroyed by the tornado.
A National Weather Service survey team surveyed this tornado on June 13, and |found evidence of another tornado track. This EF-1 tornado began on the north side |of Abilene and tracked north northeast into Jones County. This twister tore the roof of a metal building, blew out windows and damaged an exterior wall on the north side of Abilene. The twister also ripped up a billboard and flipped over an eighteen wheeler. As the tornado continued to travel north northeast, it damaged or uprooted trees as it moved into Jones County. It tore off part of the roofs of two residences and damaged trees and outbuildings in Jones County just northwest of Fort Phantom Lake. This tornado was also videotaped on the north side of Abilene.
Power flashes were reported by local law enforcement officials on the south side of Tye. |A NWS Storm Survey verified the tornado mostly impacted the south side of Tye. The tornado took the roof of a manufactured home on the south side of Tye, it damaged playground equipment at Ryster Park, and destroyed a nearby metal carport. This EF-1 tornado touched down briefly. Tye Police assisted with this damage survey.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Taylor County, Texas?
69 tornado events are recorded in Taylor County between 1951 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Taylor County?
The strongest tornado on record in Taylor County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Taylor 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 Taylor County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/taylor-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.