71
Recorded events
29
Direct deaths
70
Direct injuries
$119.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Williamson County, Texas: 71 recorded events between 1954 and 2022. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #155 nationally and #26 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Williamson County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Williamson County is the 2010s, when 13 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 Williamson County archive, tornado makes up 8.0% 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 Williamson County with 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-27 | EF5 | 5.1 mi | 650 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-17 | EF3 | 3.0 mi | 1,700 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-07 | EF3 | 31.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2022-04-12 | EF3 | 16.6 mi | 770 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-05-27 | EF3 | 9.2 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-04-30 | EF3 | 139.9 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2022-03-21 | EF2 | 34.6 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 2017-02-20 | EF2 | 9.4 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-02-20 | EF2 | 4.2 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2000-03-16 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 1997 | JARRELL | F5 | 27 | 12 | $40.0M |
| May 17, 1989 | F3 | 1 | 28 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 27, 1997 | CEDAR PARK | F3 | 0 | 15 | $70.0M |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| May 16, 1981 | F1 | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Dec 10, 1985 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 10, 1985 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2022 | JARRELL SYBERT ARPT | EF1 | $500K |
| Apr 12, 2022 | FLORENCE | EF1 | $100K |
| Mar 21, 2022 | ROUND ROCK | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 21, 2022 | JARRELL SYBERT ARPT | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2019 | LIBERTY HILL | EF0 | $5K |
| Jul 4, 2018 | HUTTO | EF0 | $1K |
| May 20, 2018 | LEANDER | EF1 | $50K |
| Jul 15, 2017 | GEORGETOWN | EF0 | $100K |
| Feb 20, 2017 | BEVERSVILLE | EF2 | $0 |
| Feb 20, 2017 | HAYDEN | EF2 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Williamson County
- Hail 445
- Thunderstorm Wind 200
- Flash Flood 154
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A NWS storm survey concluded an EF1 tornado with winds estimated at 85 to 95 mph developed three miles WSW of Jonah, moved northeast and dissipated one mile west of Jonah along Hwy 29. Over 20 homes were damaged, mostly minor roof damage due to falling branches and trees. Several out buildings and small storage sheds were destroyed. Three power poles were snapped. One travel trailer was rolled on its side.
NWS survey along with eyewitnesses conclude that a weak EF0 tornado developed and produced minor damage to 6-8 homes off Teravista Club Drive as well as Caldwell Palm Circle. A few small sections of roof were peeled off a couple of residences as well as a trampoline tossed from a backyard onto the street. It appears that the tornado may have formed along a gust front boundary. Roof damage was limited to a few houses.
The Florence tornado formed just east of SH195 and the first observed damage to trees and some homes were seen along Ramms Drive. At this area significant tree damage was observed with several large mature oak trees uprooted. The damage in this area was rated EF1. The tornado continued east and crossed CR228 where more tree damage was seen. The tornado turned toward the east-northeast and likely remained on the ground east of CR228 (Doppler radar indicated a tornado debris signature). After approximately 1.3 miles the storm turned back to the east before it neared the Williamson/Bell County line about 0.15 miles west-northwest of CR231 in far northern Williamson County. A mobile home was shifted off its foundation at this location on the county line and multiple large oak trees were snapped and uprooted. This damage was also rated EF1. While in Williamson County this tornado had a maximum width of 500 yards and maximum winds of near 100 mph with a path length of 3.54 miles.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Williamson County, Texas?
71 tornado events are recorded in Williamson County between 1954 and 2022, causing 29 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Williamson County?
The strongest tornado on record in Williamson County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Williamson 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 Williamson County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/williamson-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.