63
Recorded events
51
Direct deaths
1,845
Direct injuries
$278.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Wichita County, Texas: 63 recorded events between 1951 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #215 nationally and #40 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Wichita County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Wichita County is the 1990s, when 15 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 Wichita County archive, tornado makes up 4.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 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
May is the peak month for tornado in Wichita County with 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-04-03 | EF5 | 4.7 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-10 | EF4 | 46.9 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1958-04-02 | EF3 | 16.4 mi | 333 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-01 | EF3 | 5.9 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1962-04-26 | EF3 | 3.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-01 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-10 | EF2 | 74.1 mi | 1,056 yd | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-18 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-16 | EF2 | 24.2 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1967-05-30 | EF2 | 1.9 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 1979 | F4 | 42 | 1,700 | $250.0M | |
| Apr 3, 1964 | F5 | 7 | 111 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 2, 1958 | F3 | 1 | 14 | $250K | |
| Jun 2, 1954 | F3 | 1 | 4 | $250K | |
| Apr 27, 1962 | F3 | 0 | 13 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 8, 1961 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jun 19, 1953 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2024 | BURKBURNETT | EF0 | $2K |
| Apr 27, 2024 | IOWA PARK | EF0 | $0 |
| May 22, 2020 | BURKBURNETT | EF1 | $10K |
| May 22, 2020 | HAYNESVILLE | EF1 | $5K |
| May 22, 2020 | HAYNESVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 18, 2017 | HAYNESVILLE | EF2 | $100K |
| May 18, 2017 | HAYNESVILLE | EFU | $0 |
| May 19, 2015 | IOWA PARK | EF0 | $0 |
| May 19, 2015 | HAYNESVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 9, 2015 | BURKBURNETT | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Wichita County
- Hail 753
- Thunderstorm Wind 435
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado developed on the south side of Wichita Falls, a short distance from Lake Wichita. Most of the damage was minor, consisting of downed trees, fences and signs, however near the junction of US Highway 281 and US Highway 287, a machine shop composed of sheet metal sustained significant damage to the walls and frame when the roof was pushed upward, allowing the walls to cave in slightly. Also nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and other sheet metal buildings. The maximum F-scale rating is F1, however most damage was rated F0.
A survey conducted by a National Weather Service meteorologist confirmed that an F1 tornado touched down briefly about 5 miles southeast of Burkburnett (or 1.5 miles north of the north end of Sheppard AFB). One mobile home was completely destroyed on Bobby Point Road, prompting an F1 rating. Several other mobile homes in the area sustained minor damage, and homes to the east on Carriage Lane also received minor damage. Maximum path length was about 3/4 mile and the width was 50 to 60 yards.
Numerous storm chasers reported a tornado developing between Haynesville and Burkburnett at 6:11 pm CDT. This tornado was not always well defined visually as it moved slowly east and southeast. A few power poles were damaged on Prairie Cottage Road.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Wichita County, Texas?
63 tornado events are recorded in Wichita County between 1951 and 2024, causing 51 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Wichita County?
The strongest tornado on record in Wichita County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Wichita 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 Wichita County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/wichita-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.