209
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
17
Direct injuries
$4.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Van Zandt County, Texas: 209 recorded events between 1965 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 85. That places the county #968 nationally and #48 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Van Zandt County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Van Zandt County is the 1990s, when 78 of the county's 209 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 Van Zandt County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 43.5% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #968 for this hazard and #48 within Texas, putting it in the 69.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Van Zandt County with 52 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2024 | BEN WHEELER | 70 | 1 | 1 | $5K |
| Mar 4, 2004 | WILLS PT | 60 | 0 | 10 | $500K |
| Nov 23, 1983 | 69 | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Nov 23, 1983 | 69 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2026 | WILLS PT | 55 | $0 |
| Jun 1, 2025 | CANTON | 48 | $15K |
| Jun 1, 2025 | WILLS PT | 43 | $7K |
| Mar 8, 2025 | CANTON | 70 | $45K |
| Mar 8, 2025 | CANTON | 68 | $8K |
| Mar 8, 2025 | WILLS PT MUNI ARPT | 74 | $50K |
| Mar 4, 2025 | CANTON | 61 | $30K |
| Mar 4, 2025 | EDGEWOOD | 61 | $10K |
| Mar 4, 2025 | WILLS PT | 65 | $300K |
| Jun 4, 2024 | BEN WHEELER | 70 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Van Zandt County
- Hail 171
- Tornado 42
- Flash Flood 42
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A survey team confirmed a swath of straight-line wind damage likely associated with the rear flank downdraft of a previously tornadic supercell thunderstorm. A broad area of tree damage was observed between Ben Wheeler and Edom, and also east of Edom along FM 279. The most significant damage was confined to FM 279 where many trees were uprooted, including a few large trees. This damage was consistent with 75-80 mph straight-line winds, though saturated soils were likely a contributing factor. Sporadic tree damage was also observed along State Highway 64. One fatality resulted from this thunderstorm when a tree fell into the roadway as a vehicle was traveling westbound on FM 279. The passenger of the vehicle was also injured and hospitalized. There was no discernible structural damage in the county from this event.
Significant structural damage to several buildings near the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 243. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that this damage was due to a downburst. More than forty homes and 15 businesses were damaged.
Nearly 100 homes and several outbuildings were damaged across mainly the southern half of Van Zandt County from two strong supercells. These homes were damaged by either a tornado in the same region, damaging downburst winds, and/or RFD winds. It cannot be determined how many of the homes were damaged by the tornado and how many by the RFD or downburst winds. In addition, numerous trees were also knocked down and several were blocking roadways. Power lines were also down as well.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Van Zandt County, Texas?
209 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Van Zandt County between 1965 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Van Zandt County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Van Zandt County measured 85.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Van Zandt 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Van Zandt County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/van-zandt-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.