Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 13, 1981

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 13, 1981
Start: 1981-05-13T17:30
End: 1981-05-13T23:55
Location: Texas

May 13, 1981 · NWS NG · 25 events in 17 counties and zones

13 hail, 7 tornado, 5 thunderstorm wind, 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: 30
Property damage: $3.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 25

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

13 hail, 7 tornado, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Fannin

When: May 13, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Fannin County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.580, -96.180

Tornado, Fannin

When: May 13, 6:07 PM CST
Where: Fannin County
Rating: F2
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.530, -96.080

Tornado, Lamar

When: May 13, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Lamar County
Rating: F4
Path length: 8.8 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Injuries: 30 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 33.770, -95.700

Hail, Delta

When: May 13, 6:52 PM CST
Where: Delta County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.370, -95.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Delta

When: May 13, 6:52 PM CST
Where: Delta County
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 33.370, -95.680

Hail, Hunt

When: May 13, 6:53 PM CST
Where: Hunt County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.250, -95.900

Hail, Navarro

When: May 13, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Navarro County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.100, -96.720

Tornado, Van Zandt

When: May 13, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Van Zandt County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2.7 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.700, -95.650

Hail, Hopkins

When: May 13, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Hopkins County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.130, -95.600

Tornado, Wood

When: May 13, 8:25 PM CST
Where: Wood County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2.7 mi
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.680, -95.620

Hail, Henderson

When: May 13, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Henderson County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.200, -95.850

Hail, Smith

When: May 13, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Smith County
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Coordinates: 32.430, -95.300

Hail, Henderson

When: May 13, 8:53 PM CST
Where: Henderson County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.400, -95.750

Tornado, Smith

When: May 13, 8:55 PM CST
Where: Smith County
Rating: F1
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 32.450, -95.230

Hail, Freestone

When: May 13, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Freestone County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 31.800, -96.070

Tornado, Wood

When: May 13, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Wood County
Rating: F2
Path length: 6.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.700, -95.320

Tornado, Henderson

When: May 13, 9:20 PM CST
Where: Henderson County
Rating: F1
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 32.070, -95.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Smith

When: May 13, 9:20 PM CST
Where: Smith County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.430, -95.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Rusk

When: May 13, 9:58 PM CST
Where: Rusk County
Coordinates: 32.180, -94.630

Hail, Panola

When: May 13, 10:12 PM CST
Where: Panola County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.150, -94.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Panola

When: May 13, 10:15 PM CST
Where: Panola County
Coordinates: 32.150, -94.470

Hail, Robertson

When: May 13, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Robertson County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 30.980, -96.650

Hail, Brazos

When: May 13, 11:50 PM CST
Where: Brazos County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 30.670, -96.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Sabine

When: May 13, 11:50 PM CST
Where: Sabine County
Coordinates: 31.330, -93.850

Hail, Burleson

When: May 13, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Burleson County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 30.550, -96.520

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1981 Every state in 1981 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 1981

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: 10131425, 10131426, 10131427, 10131428, 10131429, 10131430, 10131431, 10131432, 10131433, 10131434, 10131435, 10131436, 10131437, 10131438, 10131439, 10131440, 10131441, 10131442, 10131443, 10131444, 10131445, 10131446, 10131447, 10131448, 10131449.