Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 30, 1979

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 30, 1979
Start: 1979-10-30T00:10
End: 1979-10-30T18:45
Location: Texas

October 30, 1979 · 28 events in 20 counties and zones

15 thunderstorm wind, 13 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 7
Property damage: $3.6 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 28

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

15 thunderstorm wind, 13 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lubbock

When: October 30, 12:10 AM CST
Where: Lubbock County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 33.600, -102.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: October 30, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County
Coordinates: 32.780, -97.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When: October 30, 3:00 AM CST
Where: Mitchell County
Coordinates: 32.400, -100.850

Tornado, Taylor

When: October 30, 4:45 AM CST
Where: Taylor County
Rating: F2
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.220, -99.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Taylor

When: October 30, 5:45 AM CST
Where: Taylor County
Coordinates: 32.220, -99.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Stephens

When: October 30, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Stephens County
Coordinates: 32.750, -98.900

Tornado, Brown

When: October 30, 6:15 AM CST
Where: Brown County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 31.720, -99.130

Tornado, Stephens

When: October 30, 6:15 AM CST
Where: Stephens County
Rating: F3
Path length: 18.6 mi
Path width: 127 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 32.620, -98.980

Tornado, Young

When: October 30, 7:10 AM CST
Where: Young County
Rating: F2
Path length: 20 mi
Path width: 77 yd
Injuries: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.050, -98.630

Tornado, Jack

When: October 30, 7:35 AM CST
Where: Jack County
Rating: F2
Path length: 9.1 mi
Path width: 77 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.320, -98.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Erath

When: October 30, 7:45 AM CST
Where: Erath County
Coordinates: 32.230, -98.200

Tornado, Palo Pinto

When: October 30, 7:50 AM CST
Where: Palo Pinto County
Rating: F1
Path length: 8.9 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.880, -98.100

Tornado, Wise

When: October 30, 8:15 AM CST
Where: Wise County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.100, -97.870

Tornado, Hood

When: October 30, 8:35 AM CST
Where: Hood County
Rating: F0
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 32.530, -97.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: October 30, 8:55 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County
Coordinates: 32.750, -97.400

Tornado, Denton

When: October 30, 8:58 AM CST
Where: Denton County
Rating: F0
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 33.230, -97.370

Tornado, Johnson

When: October 30, 9:15 AM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.300, -97.400

Tornado, Montague

When: October 30, 9:20 AM CST
Where: Montague County
Rating: F1
Path length: 8 mi
Path width: 77 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.700, -97.570

Tornado, McLennan

When: October 30, 9:35 AM CST
Where: McLennan County
Rating: F1
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 31.430, -97.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Denton

When: October 30, 9:55 AM CST
Where: Denton County
Coordinates: 33.120, -97.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: October 30, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Tarrant County
Coordinates: 32.930, -97.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Travis

When: October 30, 10:30 AM CST
Where: Travis County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 30.430, -98.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Denton

When: October 30, 10:30 AM CST
Where: Denton County
Coordinates: 33.220, -97.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Harris

When: October 30, 4:18 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Coordinates: 29.780, -95.450

Tornado, Harris

When: October 30, 4:50 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 29.730, -95.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Harris

When: October 30, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 29.650, -95.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When: October 30, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County
Coordinates: 32.050, -95.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Brooks

When: October 30, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Brooks County
Coordinates: 35.500, -93.830

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1979 Every state in 1979 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 1979

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10131139, 10131140, 10131141, 10131142, 10131143, 10131144, 10131145, 10131146, 10131147, 10131148, 10131149, 10131150, 10131151, 10131152, 10131153, 10131154, 10131155, 10131156, 10131157, 10131158, 10131159, 10131160, 10131161, 10131162, 10131163, 10131164, 10131165, 10131166.