Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1959 tornadoes in Texas

86 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1959, 32 percent below the average of the record for the state. They killed 6 people and injured 64. 1 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1958 1960 The whole country in 1959

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Every tornado in Texas in 1959

March 5 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 52:00 AM GMT-6F0Polk0.110under $50

March 20 4 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 2012:45 PM GMT-6F2Fannin10.767$5,000 to $50,000
March 2012:45 PM GMT-6F2Fannin10.767$5,000 to $50,000
March 204:50 PM GMT-6F2Shelby5.4880$50 to $500
March 209:00 PM GMT-6F0Sabine0.1200

March 25 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 252:25 PM GMT-6F0Swisher0.110

March 31 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 317:30 PM GMT-6F3Cooke6.81,76016$500,000 to $5 million
March 319:00 PM GMT-6F4Hill10.41,760631$5,000 to $50,000

April 1 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 11:10 AM GMT-6F1Rusk2.0167$5,000 to $50,000
April 12:45 AM GMT-6F1Harris0.517

April 8 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 86:30 AM GMT-6F1Harris4.967$5,000 to $50,000
April 82:30 PM GMT-6F2Sabine0.250under $50

May 1 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 112:00 AM GMT-5F1Bandera0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 112:00 AM GMT-5F1Kendall0.110
May 112:40 AM GMT-5F2Uvalde5.733

May 2 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 24:50 AM GMT-5F2Bexar4.61,200$50,000 to $500,000

May 7 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 75:30 PM GMT-5F0Reeves1.010
May 76:30 PM GMT-5F1Reeves8.033
May 710:15 PM GMT-5F0Pecos0.110

May 8 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 85:00 PM GMT-5F1Hutchinson0.2131$500 to $5,000
May 811:10 PM GMT-5F0Archer0.110

May 10 13 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 104:00 PM GMT-5F1Taylor4.1100$500 to $5,000
May 104:15 PM GMT-5F1Taylor4.7150$5,000 to $50,000
May 104:20 PM GMT-5F3Travis11.0667$50,000 to $500,000
May 104:50 PM GMT-5F0Young0.110
May 105:00 PM GMT-5F2Bexar1.033$500 to $5,000
May 105:30 PM GMT-5F2McMullen13.8150$5,000 to $50,000
May 106:00 PM GMT-5F1Callahan0.367$500 to $5,000
May 106:45 PM GMT-5F2Burleson22.210$500 to $5,000
May 107:20 PM GMT-5F2Live Oak4.9250$5,000 to $50,000
May 107:25 PM GMT-5F2Live Oak4.3167$5,000 to $50,000
May 107:30 PM GMT-5F0Live Oak0.110
May 108:00 PM GMT-5F3Robertson15.83337$500 to $5,000
May 108:30 PM GMT-5F1Navarro0.110under $50

May 15 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 152:15 AM GMT-5F0Andrews0.110
May 158:40 PM GMT-5F0Baylor0.7100

May 17 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 175:09 PM GMT-5F1Hutchinson0.11001$500 to $5,000

May 20 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 206:00 PM GMT-5F1Callahan0.213$50 to $500

May 21 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 217:00 AM GMT-5F3Galveston4.367$5,000 to $50,000

May 22 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 228:05 AM GMT-5F0Garza2.080

May 23 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 234:38 AM GMT-5F0Jackson0.110

May 24 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 241:20 AM GMT-5F0Jim Wells0.110

May 25 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 257:00 PM GMT-5F3Wheeler0.110$50 to $500
May 2511:30 PM GMT-5F0Armstrong0.417

June 1 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 14:00 PM GMT-5F0Upton0.110
June 14:00 PM GMT-5F0Pecos0.110
June 112:00 AM GMT-5F1Floyd0.110$5,000 to $50,000

June 3 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 35:00 PM GMT-5F0McCulloch0.110
June 36:10 PM GMT-5F1Fayette7.233$50 to $500

June 14 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 145:32 PM GMT-5F0Jefferson0.110$500 to $5,000
June 146:00 PM GMT-5F1Gonzales0.110$50 to $500

June 22 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 225:30 PM GMT-5F0Hale1.017$5,000 to $50,000

June 23 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 233:50 PM GMT-5F1Cherokee0.550$50 to $500
June 236:04 PM GMT-5F1Hale0.110$50 to $500
June 238:30 PM GMT-5F0Hill1.020

June 26 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 269:30 PM GMT-5F1Cooke0.8100$500 to $5,000

June 30 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 306:28 PM GMT-5F0Swisher1.017
June 306:35 PM GMT-5F0Castro0.110

July 2 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 22:15 PM GMT-5F2Jefferson0.133$5,000 to $50,000

July 8 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 85:30 PM GMT-5F1Castro2.033$5,000 to $50,000

July 10 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 106:30 PM GMT-5F1Hutchinson0.533$5,000 to $50,000

July 11 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 1111:00 PM GMT-5F1Medina0.110$500 to $5,000

July 13 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 132:45 PM GMT-5F2Grayson1.013$500 to $5,000

July 14 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 148:15 PM GMT-5F1Moore10.9500$5,000 to $50,000

July 15 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 153:50 PM GMT-5F0Taylor0.110

July 20 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 2012:18 PM GMT-5F0Jefferson0.110

July 24 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 246:50 PM GMT-5F0Willacy0.110

July 27 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 273:00 AM GMT-5F1Karnes4.083$500 to $5,000

August 13 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 1310:45 AM GMT-5F2Chambers5.617$50 to $500
August 132:09 PM GMT-5F0Brazoria0.3100under $50

August 21 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 2110:55 AM GMT-5F0Wharton0.3100

September 3 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 312:00 PM GMT-5F2Parker0.3200$500 to $5,000

September 24 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 243:27 PM GMT-5F0Moore0.1117

September 28 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 285:00 PM GMT-5F0Leon1.033$50 to $500

September 29 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 2911:34 AM GMT-5F0Matagorda2.017

October 3 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
October 33:30 AM GMT-5F1Johnson0.5100$5,000 to $50,000
October 38:30 AM GMT-5F1Tarrant1.0100$500 to $5,000

October 4 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
October 43:30 AM GMT-5F1Johnson13.050$50,000 to $500,000
October 47:00 AM GMT-5F3Dallas27.6675$50,000 to $500,000

October 12 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
October 1211:30 AM GMT-5F1Nueces2.017$5,000 to $50,000

November 2 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 211:55 AM GMT-6F0San Patricio1.047

November 3 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 38:30 PM GMT-6F2Denton1.2300$5,000 to $50,000
November 38:50 PM GMT-6F2Kerr9.11,760$5,000 to $50,000
November 39:00 PM GMT-6F2Montague0.533$5,000 to $50,000

November 4 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 41:00 AM GMT-6F3Henderson25.1673$50,000 to $500,000
November 41:25 AM GMT-6F3Harrison15.567$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Every tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in TexasThe live radar over Texas

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.