Tornado Season in Texas – Your FAQs, Answered
Spring in Texas is a time of blooming bluebonnets, warm sunshine and longer days. Yet the season also brings with it something else the Lone Star State is known for: tornadoes. Partly due to its size, Texas averages the most tornadoes per year. In fact, there have been more than 9,700 twisters resulting in more than $7 billion worth of property damage since 1950. Tornadoes are powerful storms that can lift cars, hurl debris, damage infrastructure and level homes. These are life-threatening storms, which is why it’s important to know when and where they are most likely to occur. Learn all about Texas’ tornado season below.
When is tornado season in Texas?
Texas averages nearly 140 tornadoes every year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of these storms occur in April, May and June, when the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cooler air masses further inland. This convergence creates powerful thunderstorms that often occur from North Texas to South Dakota, a region known as Tornado Alley. Many of the most devastating tornadoes in the state’s history happened in the spring, with the most notable of these being the May 11, 1953 storm in Waco that killed 114 people and destroyed about 600 homes.
While Texas sees most of its tornadoes in the spring, these storms can happen at any time of the year. Tropical storms and hurricanes can generate tornadoes, and hurricane season typically runs from June through the end of November. Tornadoes are even possible during the winter, although these tend to be weaker than those that happen in the spring. If you live in a tornado-prone area, it’s a good idea to have an emergency plan in place throughout the year.
What is the difference between a tornado warning and a tornado watch?
If you’ve watched the news during a severe thunderstorm, you’ve probably heard about tornado warnings and tornado watches. Although the two terms seem similar, the differences between them are worth knowing about.
Tornado Watch
A tornado watch represents the possibility of a tornado in your area. It’s often issued when weather conditions are just right for the formation of a tornado. When you hear about a tornado watch, it’s time to review your plan of action in case a storm touches down near you. Gather your emergency supplies, tune into the news on your radio or mobile device and be ready to retreat to an internal room in your home without windows in case a tornado warning is issued.
Tornado Warning
If you hear about a tornado warning in your area, it’s time to take action to protect yourself and your loved ones. Tornado warnings indicate an imminent danger to life and property and are only issued when a storm has been sighted visually or by weather radar. As soon as you hear about a tornado warning, take shelter and make sure that you’re tuned in to your local news report for updates.
Tornado Emergency
A step above a tornado warning, a tornado emergency is issued when a severe threat to human life and/or catastrophic property damage is imminent or ongoing and if a twister has been spotted visually or by radar. Tornado emergencies are rare and only issued when highly destructive twisters have been spotted.
How are tornadoes classified?
Tornadoes are powerful rotations of air that can cause significant damage to homes, buildings, vehicles and farmland. A tornado’s strength is determined by its wind speed. Because these storms can have winds as high as 300 miles per hour, measuring wind speed on ground level in real time is difficult. Instead, meteorologists use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale to estimate wind speed by surveying the Degree of Damage (DoD) to the area a tornado passed through. The damage indicators cover everything from farm outbuildings to high schools and transmission lines.
Severe tornadoes are relatively rare in Texas. About one percent of all tornadoes from 1950 through October 2023 were rated F-4/EF-4 or F5/EF-5, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published by KXAN Austin. Seventy-seven percent were either F-0/EF-0 or F-1/EF-1, which are still capable of removing roof shingles or overturning mobile homes.
Knowing if you live in an area with a history of strong tornados can go a long way to preparing you for the next big storm.
Which month does Texas have the most tornadoes?
Tornadoes are not unusual throughout the year in Texas, but May is historically the most active month for these storms. More than 30 percent of all tornadoes have occurred in May since 1950, followed by April, June and March. Not only does the month of May see the highest number of tornadoes, but it has also historically had the most damaging storms as well. Eight of the 10 most deadly tornadoes since 1900 happened in May, according to the National Weather Service.
Storms during this time of year occur when the warm, moist air of the Gulf of Mexico clashes with the cold and dry air further inland, creating unstable conditions that can create severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
What part of Texas has the worst tornadoes?
Harris County, home to Houston, has seen the most tornadoes since 1950 (247), but the most damaging twisters have historically touched down in North Texas. Tornadoes have caused more than $2.5 billion worth of damage since 1950 in Dallas County alone, according to NOAA data compiled by the San Antonio Express-News. The Houston area may have more tornadoes, but North Texas’ are stronger. Twenty-six percent of all tornadoes in Dallas County since 1950 were rated as EF-2 or greater, compared to just 18 percent in Harris County.
North Texas is most prone to severe thunderstorms in the spring, and the strength of these storms can spawn powerful twisters. East Texas and parts of the Texas Panhandle are no strangers to tornadoes as well. That said, thunderstorms can happen at any time and throughout much of the state.
What part of Texas has the fewest tornadoes?
Austin and San Antonio, and Travis and Bexar counties by extension, are the areas in Texas that are least prone to tornadoes. According to the San Antonio Express-News, both counties combined have reported 47 tornadoes since 2000, with only three at EF-2 or greater. Much of the Texas Hill Country is considered to be minimally vulnerable to tornadoes, and strong twisters in El Paso and far West Texas are a rarity according to data collated by the El Paso Times. Even though tornadoes are not as common in Central and West Texas, they can still happen. Having an emergency plan in place is a good idea, no matter where you live in the Lone Star State.
What should I do during a tornado?
A strong storm system is on its way and the news is saying tornadoes are a possibility. What do you do? Before you can take any kind of action, you need to know a tornado’s warning signs. According to the Centers for Disease Control, you should be on the lookout for:
A dark or green-colored sky
Large, dark, low-lying clouds
Large hail
An approaching cloud of debris
A rotating funnel-shaped cloud
A loud roar that sounds like a freight train
One of the best things you can do throughout a strong storm is to tune into the news, either on your TV, phone or radio. Staying informed is key during a tornadic thunderstorm as you need to know if you need to take shelter. Before a storm even arrives, consider having an emergency kit ready in case your home is in a tornado’s path. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends including the following items in your emergency supply kit:
A stockpile of three days of non-perishable food and water
First aid kit
Flashlights and extra batteries
A radio
Cash
Prescription medications
Manual can opener
A whistle
Charged cell phones with backup batteries
Tools, particularly a wrench or pliers
Additionally, you need to ensure your critical legal documents are in a secure location. This includes birth certificates, passports, certificates of ownership, medical documents, insurance policies and social security cards. Storing them in a fire or waterproof safe can help keep them safe.
Where should I seek shelter during a tornado if I’m at home?
According to the American Red Cross, the best place to seek shelter in a home during a tornado is in a safe room built to withstand high winds. A safe room is a hardened structure designed to provide protection in extreme wind events, including tornadoes and hurricanes. If you don’t have a safe room, the American Red Cross suggests sheltering in a small room with no windows on the lowest level of a sturdy building. Because basements aren’t so common in Texas, this could mean a bathroom, closet or center hallway. Make sure to identify where you will seek refuge before the storm arrives to ensure you are as safe as you can be. For those who live in mobile homes, consider where you can take shelter before a storm arrives. Mobile homes aren’t safe during tornadoes as the winds can blow them over. Check to see if your community has a tornado shelter or if there are any nearby buildings you can get to quickly and safely.
Where should I seek shelter during a tornado if I’m driving?
In ideal circumstances, you would be hunkered down in a secure room within a sturdy building during a tornado. But if you’re driving when a twister touches down, you aren’t safe. The American Red Cross recommends you park your car, slide your seat back, get below your windows, cover your head with your arms and keep your vehicle running. Your car’s safety equipment should provide much more protection than being out in the open. If staying in your car is not possible, the National Weather Service suggests leaving your vehicle behind and sheltering in a low-lying area like a ditch or a ravine. However, you should never take shelter under an overpass. Wind speed is often greater under overpasses, increasing your risk of being hit by debris or carried away by a tornado. Tornados are a potentially dangerous year-round event that affects most of Texas. Although the most severe storms typically occur in North Texas in the spring, they can happen at any time. Understanding how tornadoes are classified and planning for what to do if one touches down near you can help keep you safe.
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