71
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
38
Direct injuries
$273.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Travis County, Texas: 71 recorded events between 1953 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #155 nationally and #26 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Travis County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Travis County is the 1970s, when 16 of the county's 71 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 Travis County archive, tornado makes up 6.0% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #155 for this hazard and #26 within Texas, putting it in the 94.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Travis County with 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-27 | EF4 | 5.6 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-07 | EF3 | 31.7 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1997-05-27 | EF3 | 9.2 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1959-05-10 | EF3 | 11.0 mi | 667 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-04-30 | EF3 | 139.9 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-07-04 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 47 yd | Touched down here |
| 2022-03-21 | EF2 | 34.6 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2022-03-21 | EF2 | 12.0 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-08-10 | EF2 | 5.4 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-04-14 | EF2 | 41.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 1997 | LAKEWAY | F4 | 1 | 5 | $15.0M |
| Jul 5, 1970 | F2 | 1 | 4 | $0 | |
| May 10, 1974 | F1 | 0 | 10 | $250K | |
| Mar 30, 1976 | F0 | 0 | 8 | $250K | |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $250.0M | |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Mar 10, 1973 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Dec 23, 2002 | MANOR | F1 | 0 | 1 | $200K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2024 | MANOR | EF1 | $5.0M |
| Mar 21, 2022 | WEBBERVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 21, 2022 | HAIDUK | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2017 | AUSTIN LAKEWAY ARPT | EF0 | $100K |
| Feb 20, 2017 | CREEDMOOR | EF0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2015 | NORTH OAKS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 24, 2015 | JONESTOWN | EF0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2015 | MANCHACA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2015 | JONESTOWN BAR K ARPT | EF1 | $0 |
| Jan 25, 2012 | DAFFAN | EF1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Travis County
- Hail 519
- Thunderstorm Wind 303
- Flash Flood 243
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A National Weather Service damage survey team found damage to a building under construction near Hwy 290 and Toll Road 130. Minor damage was seen at the Ford dealership on Hwy 290 and to a gas station near the intersection of 290 and Manor Downs Rd. where a large billboard was blown over into the gas station parking lot. Tree and roof damage was also noted at the gas station along with minor damage to a few businesses at the Lexington St./Hwy 290 intersection. All of this damage along Hwy 290 was rated EF0. The small tornado either weakened or reformed just to the north of Hwy 290 in Shadowglen with fence and shingle damage found to houses on several neighborhood roads. One house had significant EF1 roof damage where winds looks to have peaked at 110 mph. The small tornado appears to have weakened again as it moved ENE into the Stonewater neighborhood. Multiple homes had a significant amount of shingles removed, fences damaged, trampolines tossed, and some tree damage. The tornado appears to have dissipated somewhere NE of the Stonewater area.
This tornado, rated F1, touched down 1 mile southeast of Manor shortly after 7 am, and moved northeastward to 5 miles northeast of Manor before dissipating. Rated as an F1, it damaged nearly a dozen homes and mobile homes and two businesses. It destroyed four mobile homes and overturned several vehicles as well. A young woman suffered a shoulder separation injury as the tornado blew over her mobile home.
A small tornado touched down near Hayride Road about 5 miles east of the Austin Bergstrom Airport and moved north near 1/2 mile, crossing Pearce Lane before lifting and dissipating. Shortly after it touched down, it struck a permanent home, causing it to collapse. The collapse may have been partially due to the type of construction. Seconds later it struck several mobile homes, causing only minor damage. It then struck a second permanent home, causing damage to the roof. The resident of this second home was asleep at the time and awoke to a "rumbling" sound shortly before windows started blowing in. He sought shelter in an interior bathroom tub.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Travis County, Texas?
71 tornado events are recorded in Travis County between 1953 and 2024, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Travis County?
The strongest tornado on record in Travis County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Travis 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 Travis County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/travis-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.