Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1970 tornadoes in Texas

121 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1970, about the average of the record for the state. They killed 51 people and injured 736. 5 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1969 1971 The whole country in 1970

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.

F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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 1970

January 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 10	9:30 PM CST	F2	Hardin	1.0	33			$500 to $5,000

February 1 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
February 1	7:30 AM CST	F0	Fort Bend	1.0	20		$500 to $5,000
February 1	8:25 AM CST	F1	Harris	1.0	33		$500 to $5,000
February 1	9:30 AM CST	F2	Jefferson	0.1	40	2	$5,000 to $50,000

March 3 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
March 3	6:00 AM CST	F1	Hunt	0.8	23	$50 to $500
March 3	6:55 AM CST	F2	Titus	1.0	27	$50 to $500
March 3	7:30 AM CST	F3	Rusk	0.5	67	$5,000 to $50,000
March 3	8:10 AM CST	F2	Marion	0.2	50	$50 to $500
March 3	8:10 AM CST	F1	Cass	0.3	100	$500 to $5,000

April 17 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 17	8:50 PM CST	F4	Cochran	30.0	880		24	$5 million to $50 million
April 17	10:00 PM CST	F4	Hale	96.6	880	5	51	$5 million to $50 million
April 17	10:30 PM CST	F4	Parmer	130.0	880	1	13	$500,000 to $5 million

April 18 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 18	1:00 AM CST	F4	Swisher	65.0	880	16	42	$500,000 to $5 million
April 18	3:00 PM CST	F2	Tarrant	2.0	50			$50,000 to $500,000
April 18	6:30 PM CST	F2	Bexar	0.5	67			$5,000 to $50,000
April 18	9:30 PM CST	F1	Collin	1.0	20		2	$500 to $5,000
April 18	10:00 PM CST	F2	Rockwall	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000
April 18	10:20 PM CST	F0	Robertson	0.8	27

April 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 19	12:55 AM CST	F2	Gregg	1.2	33			$50,000 to $500,000

April 25 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 25	5:00 AM CST	F2	Dallas	1.0	10		12	$500,000 to $5 million
April 25	5:30 AM CST	F1	Fannin	6.1	20
April 25	6:15 AM CST	F2	Kaufman	0.1	10	1
April 25	8:05 AM CST	F2	Morris	14.9	100
April 25	9:00 AM CST	F1	Bowie	0.1	10
April 25	12:30 PM CST	F2	Young	0.5	33			$500 to $5,000
April 25	2:48 PM CST	F1	Tarrant	0.5	27			$500 to $5,000

April 26 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 26	5:00 PM CDT	F2	Taylor	0.1	200		$500 to $5,000
April 26	5:30 PM CDT	F2	Coleman	14.2	440		$5,000 to $50,000
April 26	5:57 PM CDT	F1	Brown	1.0	20	1
April 26	6:30 PM CDT	F2	Comanche	1.0	267	2	$5,000 to $50,000
April 26	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Comanche	1.0	23
April 26	6:30 PM CDT	F0	Comanche	0.5	13

May 11 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 11	9:00 PM CDT	F1	Crosby	1.0	27			$50 to $500
May 11	9:35 PM CDT	F5	Lubbock tornado	8.4	1,333	26	500	$50 million to $500 million

May 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 12	8:00 PM CDT	F2	Lynn	6.8	17			$500 to $5,000

May 14 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 14	4:40 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	0.5	23
May 14	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Hale	4.9	33
May 14	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Hale	4.9	27
May 14	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Hale	4.3	17
May 14	6:40 PM CDT	F1	Bexar	7.1	23	1	$5,000 to $50,000
May 14	8:30 PM CDT	F2	Medina	0.5	440
May 14	9:30 PM CDT	F1	Medina	5.1	13		$500 to $5,000

May 15 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 15	10:35 AM CDT	F1	Harris	28.9	17
May 15	11:01 AM CDT	F1	Fayette	0.4	50
May 15	3:08 PM CDT	F0	Cameron	0.3	17
May 15	12:00 AM CDT	F2	Gillespie	0.5	27	$500 to $5,000

May 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 22	10:19 AM CDT	F0	Nueces	0.1	10

May 23 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 23	12:15 AM CDT	F2	Zapata	4.5	50		20	$500,000 to $5 million
May 23	12:15 AM CDT	F2	Zapata	4.5	50		20	$500,000 to $5 million

May 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 24	7:03 PM CDT	F2	Willacy	25.5	100		1	$5,000 to $50,000

May 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 25	6:50 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	1.0	23

May 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 30	9:00 AM CDT	F1	Kleberg	13.1	60

May 31 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 31	3:07 PM CDT	F0	Carson	5.1	33
May 31	4:25 PM CDT	F1	Randall	17.2	67	$50 to $500
May 31	10:20 PM CDT	F2	Martin	18.6	67

June 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 1	12:30 PM CDT	F1	Cameron	0.5	17

June 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 8	8:30 PM CDT	F0	Hockley	0.1	10		1

June 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 17	8:00 PM CDT	F1	Hale	1.0	33

June 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 21	5:40 PM CDT	F0	Eastland	0.8	27
June 21	5:40 PM CDT	F1	Eastland	1.0	33

June 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 23	2:00 PM CDT	F2	Grayson	0.1	67			$500 to $5,000

June 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 24	5:50 PM CDT	F3	Nueces	1.5	200	1	15	$50,000 to $500,000

June 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 25	10:45 AM CDT	F0	Nueces	1.0	23

June 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 26	6:06 PM CDT	F3	Kinney	3.8	880			$50,000 to $500,000

July 4 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 4	5:45 PM CDT	F1	Orange	1.0	30			$500 to $5,000
July 4	7:00 PM CDT	F2	Travis	1.5	47	1	4
July 4	7:25 PM CDT	F1	Harris	1.0	33		1	$5,000 to $50,000

July 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 13	11:45 AM CDT	F0	Jefferson	0.1	10

July 21 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 21	3:45 PM CDT	F1	Galveston	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000

August 3 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
August 3	2:00 PM CDT	F0	DeWitt	0.1	10
August 3	3:45 PM CDT	F2	Calhoun	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
August 3	4:00 PM CDT	F0	Refugio	0.1	10
August 3	5:00 PM CDT	F2	Live Oak	0.1	10	2	$5,000 to $50,000
August 3	12:15 AM CDT	F2	Frio	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
August 3	12:15 AM CDT	F2	Frio	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000

August 4 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 4	1:12 AM CDT	F0	Harris	0.1	10
August 4	7:45 PM CDT	F2	Brazoria	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

August 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 11	7:30 PM CDT	F1	Brazoria	2.0	150			$500 to $5,000

August 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 18	4:30 PM CDT	F2	Hardeman	0.8	440		1	$5,000 to $50,000

August 23 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
August 23	6:05 PM CDT	F1	Lavaca	1.5	23
August 23	9:40 PM CDT	F0	Bee	0.1	10
August 23	9:40 PM CDT	F0	Bee	0.1	10
August 23	9:40 PM CDT	F0	Bee	0.1	10

August 24 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
August 24	3:30 PM CDT	F1	Brooks	0.5	23	$500 to $5,000
August 24	4:15 PM CDT	F0	Kleberg	0.1	10
August 24	5:45 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	1.0	33
August 24	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Maverick	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000

August 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 29	5:00 PM CDT	F1	McLennan	0.3	50			$500 to $5,000

August 31 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 31	11:00 PM CDT	F0	Tarrant	0.1	10

September 1 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 1	5:15 PM CDT	F1	Collin	14.1	23
September 1	10:45 PM CDT	F1	Colorado	1.0	300			$5,000 to $50,000

September 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 2	2:15 AM CDT	F0	Calhoun	0.1	10

September 13 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 13	6:50 AM CDT	F1	Hidalgo	1.0	27
September 13	4:00 PM CDT	F2	Bexar	0.1	17			$500 to $5,000

September 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 17	1:30 PM CDT	F0	Harris	0.5	17

September 20 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 20	8:30 AM CDT	F1	Willacy	5.7	27			$500 to $5,000
September 20	5:00 PM CDT	F2	Harrison	0.5	33			$500 to $5,000

September 27 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 27	12:00 PM CDT	F0	Clay	0.5	17

October 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 6	11:45 AM CDT	F0	Jefferson	0.5	23

October 11 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
October 11	4:30 AM CDT	F1	Matagorda	7.4	23		$500 to $5,000
October 11	11:30 AM CDT	F2	Galveston	1.0	100	1	$50,000 to $500,000
October 11	3:47 PM CDT	F2	Jefferson	6.1	100		$500,000 to $5 million
October 11	4:30 PM CDT	F3	Jefferson	4.3	100	19	$500,000 to $5 million
October 11	4:55 PM CDT	F0	Harris	0.5	17

October 22 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
October 22	5:00 PM CDT	F2	Eastland	1.0	33	$50 to $500
October 22	5:00 PM CDT	F1	Eastland	0.5	17
October 22	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Eastland	1.0	20

October 23 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
October 23	1:00 PM CDT	F0	Bastrop	0.5	17
October 23	4:00 PM CDT	F0	Wharton	0.5	17	$5,000 to $50,000
October 23	4:00 PM CDT	F2	Wharton	1.2	33	$5,000 to $50,000
October 23	4:15 PM CDT	F2	Wharton	1.5	27	$5,000 to $50,000
October 23	5:00 PM CDT	F1	Hardin	0.1	67	$500 to $5,000

October 26 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
October 26	5:30 PM CST	F0	Bosque	0.1	50	$50 to $500
October 26	5:30 PM CST	F0	Bosque	0.5	33
October 26	8:15 PM CST	F1	Navarro	1.5	33
October 26	9:00 PM CST	F1	Johnson	1.0	23

October 27 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 27	3:46 PM CST	F1	Harris	8.2	40		1	$50,000 to $500,000
October 27	3:46 PM CST	F2	Harris	2.0	40

December 30 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
December 30	10:30 AM CST	F2	Jefferson	5.1	200	$5,000 to $50,000
December 30	11:00 AM CST	F0	Jefferson	0.8	23
December 30	11:00 AM CST	F0	Jefferson	0.5	27

Nearby

Every tornado in Texas since 1950 Warnings in force in Texas The 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.