Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 13, 1981

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 13, 1981
Start: 1981-10-13T08:00
End: 1981-10-13T15:30
Location: Texas

October 13, 1981 · 20 events in 16 counties and zones

15 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: 7
Property damage: $25 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 20

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 tornado, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Navarro

When: October 13, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Navarro County
Rating: F3
Path length: 7.2 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 31.950, -96.150

Tornado, Henderson

When: October 13, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Henderson County
Rating: F1
Path length: 6.2 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.270, -96.170

Tornado, Llano

When: October 13, 9:10 AM CST
Where: Llano County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 30.820, -98.830

Tornado, Kaufman

When: October 13, 9:20 AM CST
Where: Kaufman County
Rating: F1
Path length: 2.7 mi
Path width: 27 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 32.370, -96.080

Tornado, Van Zandt

When: October 13, 9:25 AM CST
Where: Van Zandt County
Rating: F1
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 32.400, -96.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Bell

When: October 13, 11:20 AM CST
Where: Bell County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 31.180, -97.350

Tornado, McLennan

When: October 13, 11:27 AM CST
Where: McLennan County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 31.530, -97.180

Tornado, Johnson

When: October 13, 11:45 AM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2.7 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.470, -97.380

Tornado, Johnson

When: October 13, 11:50 AM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F1
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 32.500, -97.220

Tornado, Johnson

When: October 13, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.7 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 32.250, -97.220

Tornado, Hill

When: October 13, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hill County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2.7 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.130, -97.330

Tornado, Tarrant

When: October 13, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Tarrant County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.900, -97.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: October 13, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Tarrant County
Coordinates: 32.730, -97.120

Tornado, Dallas

When: October 13, 1:40 PM CST
Where: Dallas County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Coordinates: 32.950, -96.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When: October 13, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Anderson County
Coordinates: 31.930, -95.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Lipscomb

When: October 13, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Lipscomb County
Coordinates: 31.020, -96.530

Tornado, Hunt

When: October 13, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Hunt County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.6 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.350, -95.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Robertson

When: October 13, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Robertson County
Coordinates: 30.880, -96.600

Tornado, Lamar

When: October 13, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Lamar County
Rating: F1
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $250
Coordinates: 33.650, -95.770

Tornado, Lamar

When: October 13, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Lamar County
Rating: F2
Path length: 6.6 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 33.650, -95.670

What these are

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

Tornado in Oklahoma, October 13, 1981F1 · 1 event

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: 10128216, 10128217, 10128218, 10128219, 10128220, 10128221, 10128222, 10128223, 10128224, 10128225, 10128226, 10128227, 10128228, 10128229, 10128230, 10128231, 10128232, 10128233, 10130494, 10130495.