Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 18, 1983

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 18, 1983
Start: 1983-08-18T01:02
End: 1983-08-18T22:50
Location: Texas

August 18, 1983 · 25 events in 10 counties and zones

16 tornado, 9 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: 0
Property damage: $2.8 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

16 tornado, 9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 1:02 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.670, -95.370

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 1:15 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.530, -95.130

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 1:45 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 29.620, -95.320

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 2:02 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 29.700, -95.030

Tornado, Brazoria

When: August 18, 2:20 AM CST
Where: Brazoria County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.570, -95.280

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.730, -95.370

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 4:20 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.780, -95.680

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 5:05 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.700, -95.130

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 6:20 AM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.980, -95.750

Tornado, Montgomery

When: August 18, 10:10 AM CST
Where: Montgomery County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 30.320, -95.350

Tornado, Navarro

When: August 18, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Navarro County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2.5 mi
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 32.100, -96.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Panola

When: August 18, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Panola County
Coordinates: 32.170, -94.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: August 18, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas County
Coordinates: 32.770, -96.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: August 18, 3:20 PM CST
Where: Dallas County
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 32.750, -96.800

Tornado, Wharton

When: August 18, 3:55 PM CST
Where: Wharton County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.200, -96.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Grayson

When: August 18, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Grayson County
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates: 33.630, -96.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: August 18, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas County
Coordinates: 32.770, -96.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: August 18, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas County
Coordinates: 32.920, -96.630

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 4:15 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.680, -95.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Dallas

When: August 18, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Dallas County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.930, -97.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Tarrant

When: August 18, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Tarrant County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 32.930, -97.250

Tornado, Brazoria

When: August 18, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Brazoria County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.280, -95.750

Tornado, Brazoria

When: August 18, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Brazoria County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.420, -95.250

Tornado, Harris

When: August 18, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Harris County
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 29.700, -95.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Hunt

When: August 18, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Hunt County
Coordinates: 33.100, -96.130

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

Every storm in Texas in 1983 Every state in 1983 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 1983

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: 10141410, 10141411, 10141412, 10141413, 10141414, 10141415, 10141416, 10141417, 10141418, 10141419, 10141420, 10141421, 10141422, 10141423, 10141424, 10141425, 10141426, 10141427, 10141428, 10141429, 10141430, 10141431, 10141432, 10141433, 10141434.