Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1972 tornadoes in Texas

144 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1972, 14 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 2 people and injured 63.

1971 1973 The whole country in 1972

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 1972

January 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 1	3:30 PM CST	F1	Galveston	0.5	50			$5,000 to $50,000

March 14 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 14	7:00 PM CST	F1	Hardeman	3.0	200			$5,000 to $50,000
March 14	7:15 PM CST	F1	Hardeman	0.1	10

March 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 15	5:30 PM CST	F1	Bexar	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000

March 20 11 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
March 20	2:00 PM CST	F1	Matagorda	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
March 20	3:00 PM CST	F1	Lavaca	0.2	20		$500 to $5,000
March 20	3:00 PM CST	F1	Harris	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
March 20	3:15 PM CST	F2	Wharton	0.5	50		$5,000 to $50,000
March 20	3:35 PM CST	F1	Fort Bend	18.9	100		$5,000 to $50,000
March 20	4:30 PM CST	F2	Lavaca	4.5	50		$5,000 to $50,000
March 20	5:00 PM CST	F1	Harris	0.1	10
March 20	6:45 PM CST	F0	Harris	0.1	10
March 20	8:20 PM CST	F0	Liberty	0.2	10
March 20	8:20 PM CST	F1	Liberty	0.2	10	2
March 20	9:15 PM CST	F1	Matagorda	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000

March 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 24	5:10 PM CST	F2	Kaufman	2.0	200			$5,000 to $50,000

March 26 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 26	4:30 PM CST	F2	Hill	6.5	100		2	$50,000 to $500,000
March 26	5:00 PM CST	F1	Hill	0.5	10			$5,000 to $50,000

March 27 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 27	3:03 PM CST	F1	Navarro	0.1	40			$500 to $5,000

March 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 28	4:29 PM CST	F2	Angelina	18.7	150		13	$500,000 to $5 million

April 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 3	5:30 PM CST	F1	Cherokee	0.2	10			$50 to $500

April 14 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 14	10:00 AM CST	F1	Jack	0.5	10			$500 to $5,000

April 19 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 19	3:48 PM CST	F1	Sterling	0.5	20
April 19	7:00 PM CST	F1	Nolan	0.5	20	$500 to $5,000
April 19	8:45 PM CST	F1	Cooke	0.2	10	$500 to $5,000

April 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 25	9:15 PM CST	F1	Sherman	0.5	10			$5,000 to $50,000

April 27 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 27	12:20 PM CST	F1	Nueces	1.5	50
April 27	12:50 PM CST	F0	Nueces	0.2	10
April 27	3:54 PM CST	F0	Bexar	0.1	10
April 27	4:15 PM CST	F1	Dimmit	0.5	20	$500 to $5,000
April 27	5:56 PM CST	F0	Williamson	0.1	10

April 29 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 29	4:35 PM CST	F1	Roberts	0.1	50			$5,000 to $50,000
April 29	7:30 PM CST	F1	Collingsworth	11.1	880			$50,000 to $500,000

May 1 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 1	7:15 PM CDT	F1	Bell	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000
May 1	7:30 PM CDT	F1	Zavala	0.3	10			$500 to $5,000

May 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 2	5:10 PM CDT	F0	Cameron	0.1	17

May 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 4	5:15 PM CDT	F1	Collingsworth	0.5	50			$500 to $5,000

May 6 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 6	12:00 PM CDT	F1	Atascosa	13.1	10	1	$500 to $5,000
May 6	12:45 PM CDT	F1	Atascosa	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
May 6	9:00 PM CDT	F2	Maverick	6.5	17	2	$50,000 to $500,000

May 7 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 7	3:20 AM CDT	F1	Gonzales	0.2	20		$5,000 to $50,000
May 7	7:10 AM CDT	F2	Calhoun	0.1	10	1	$5,000 to $50,000
May 7	8:27 AM CDT	F1	Jackson	0.3	20		$5,000 to $50,000
May 7	10:00 AM CDT	F1	Gonzales	0.3	20		$500 to $5,000

May 9 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 9	7:13 PM CDT	F1	Bailey	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
May 9	8:15 PM CDT	F1	Lamb	0.3	20
May 9	9:04 PM CDT	F1	Randall	0.5	20

May 10 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 10	4:00 AM CDT	F1	Runnels	0.5	50	$5,000 to $50,000
May 10	6:05 AM CDT	F1	Victoria	0.3	33	$500 to $5,000
May 10	5:25 PM CDT	F1	Hartley	0.1	10
May 10	5:25 PM CDT	F1	Hartley	0.1	10
May 10	8:45 PM CDT	F2	Dallam	1.0	100	$50,000 to $500,000
May 10	8:45 PM CDT	F2	Dallam	1.0	100

May 12 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 12	5:43 AM CDT	F1	Fort Bend	4.9	50	7	$50,000 to $500,000
May 12	5:45 AM CDT	F1	Brazoria	0.1	20	1
May 12	5:45 AM CDT	F1	Harris	4.5	20	7
May 12	5:45 AM CDT	F1	Galveston	1.0	10	2	$5,000 to $50,000
May 12	6:30 AM CDT	F1	Harris	0.3	10		$50,000 to $500,000
May 12	8:23 AM CDT	F2	Jefferson	19.9	30	2	$50,000 to $500,000
May 12	1:15 PM CDT	F1	Brazoria	0.3	10		$500 to $5,000

May 13 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 13	1:15 PM CDT	F1	Sherman	0.5	100
May 13	3:09 PM CDT	F1	Pecos	13.5	50
May 13	3:30 PM CDT	F0	Runnels	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
May 13	7:08 PM CDT	F1	McLennan	1.0	100	$5,000 to $50,000

May 16 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 16	9:30 AM CDT	F1	Lavaca	0.5	20	$500 to $5,000
May 16	9:30 AM CDT	F1	Lavaca	0.5	20
May 16	9:30 AM CDT	F1	Lavaca	0.5	20
May 16	3:15 PM CDT	F1	Gillespie	0.5	20	$500 to $5,000
May 16	4:50 PM CDT	F1	Guadalupe	5.6	20	$5,000 to $50,000

May 20 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 20	7:00 PM CDT	F1	Reeves	2.0	20		1	$5,000 to $50,000
May 20	7:00 PM CDT	F1	Reeves	2.0	20			$5,000 to $50,000

May 24 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 24	4:22 PM CDT	F1	Williamson	0.1	10
May 24	4:22 PM CDT	F1	Williamson	0.1	10
May 24	4:45 PM CDT	F1	Williamson	0.1	10	$50 to $500
May 24	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Ochiltree	4.3	440

May 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 29	8:30 PM CDT	F1	Kaufman	0.1	10		2	$5,000 to $50,000

June 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 2	2:35 AM CDT	F1	Nueces	0.1	17		1	$500 to $5,000

June 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 10	6:00 PM CDT	F1	Castro	0.3	10			$500 to $5,000

June 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 13	2:55 PM CDT	F1	Lubbock	4.1	50

June 14 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 14	9:30 PM CDT	F1	Lubbock	5.1	50
June 14	9:45 PM CDT	F1	Lubbock	0.3	20

June 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 15	5:35 PM CDT	F1	Hansford	3.6	20

June 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 16	2:17 PM CDT	F0	Harris	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

June 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 17	2:30 PM CDT	F1	Martin	29.3	50

June 21 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 21	9:45 PM CDT	F1	Deaf Smith	5.9	20
June 21	9:45 PM CDT	F1	Deaf Smith	1.0	20
June 21	10:15 PM CDT	F2	Potter	4.1	100	5	$500,000 to $5 million

June 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 29	5:15 PM CDT	F0	Ector	0.1	10

July 1 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 1	11:15 PM CDT	F1	Lubbock	0.3	50
July 1	11:15 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	0.3	50

July 2 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
July 2	9:30 PM CDT	F1	Deaf Smith	0.3	50
July 2	11:20 PM CDT	F0	Hale	0.5	50	$5,000 to $50,000
July 2	11:20 PM CDT	F0	Hale	0.5	50	$5,000 to $50,000

July 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 3	8:08 PM CDT	F1	Taylor	0.3	50

July 4 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 4	5:10 AM CDT	F0	Shelby	0.3	440
July 4	2:50 PM CDT	F0	Harris	0.1	20

July 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 10	11:09 AM CDT	F1	Calhoun	0.5	30

July 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 13	1:15 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	0.1	20

July 14 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 14	2:15 PM CDT	F1	Orange	3.8	50

July 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 15	2:30 PM CDT	F1	Polk	5.4	20

July 17 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 17	10:30 PM CDT	F1	Lamb	1.0	100
July 17	10:30 PM CDT	F1	Lamb	1.0	100

July 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 19	8:20 PM MDT	F1	El Paso	2.0	100

July 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 22	12:15 PM CDT	F0	Galveston	0.1	10

July 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 29	4:00 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	2.5	30			$50,000 to $500,000

July 30 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 30	10:00 PM CDT	F1	Lavaca	0.3	10			$500 to $5,000
July 30	10:00 PM CDT	F0	DeWitt	0.5	10			$500 to $5,000

August 3 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 3	11:00 AM CDT	F1	Lee	1.0	10			$5,000 to $50,000
August 3	12:10 PM CDT	F0	Travis	0.1	17			$5,000 to $50,000

August 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 6	4:50 PM CDT	F2	Swisher	1.0	50

August 8 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
August 8	3:15 PM CDT	F0	Potter	2.0	50
August 8	6:50 PM CDT	F1	Hood	0.8	10	$5,000 to $50,000
August 8	9:15 PM CDT	F1	Clay	1.0	67	$5,000 to $50,000

August 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 10	5:00 PM CDT	F0	Collin	1.0	10			$500 to $5,000

August 11 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 11	3:00 PM CDT	F0	Harris	0.1	10
August 11	8:15 PM CDT	F1	La Salle	0.3	100

August 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 13	8:15 PM CDT	F1	Clay	0.3	20			$5,000 to $50,000

August 14 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 14	2:55 PM CDT	F0	Galveston	0.1	10

August 23 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 23	3:30 PM CDT	F0	Gillespie	0.1	10
August 23	4:45 PM CDT	F0	Blanco	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

September 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 4	9:05 PM CDT	F0	Jasper	0.3	10			$50 to $500

September 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 5	6:20 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	4.3	23

September 22 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
September 22	10:56 AM CDT	F0	Calhoun	0.3	10
September 22	11:50 AM CDT	F0	Calhoun	0.3	10
September 22	11:50 AM CDT	F0	Calhoun	0.3	10

September 26 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 26	5:00 PM CDT	F1	Bexar	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000
September 26	9:14 PM CDT	F1	Tarrant	0.5	440		1	$50,000 to $500,000

September 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 29	3:45 PM CDT	F1	Tarrant	0.1	13			$5,000 to $50,000

October 21 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
October 21	8:30 PM CDT	F1	Williamson	0.3	200		$5,000 to $50,000
October 21	10:00 PM CDT	F2	Bell	5.4	100		$5,000 to $50,000
October 21	10:00 PM CDT	F1	McLennan	0.1	67		$500 to $5,000
October 21	10:30 PM CDT	F2	McLennan	1.5	20		$50 to $500
October 21	10:30 PM CDT	F2	McLennan	1.0	20	3	$50,000 to $500,000
October 21	12:22 AM CDT	F2	Henderson	1.3	440		$50 to $500
October 21	12:22 AM CDT	F2	Henderson	1.3	440	1	$50,000 to $500,000

October 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 22	9:00 AM CDT	F3	Harrison	0.5	30		2	$5,000 to $50,000

October 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 29	6:30 AM CST	F2	Calhoun	10.8	100		2	$5,000 to $50,000

November 12 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
November 12	9:15 PM CST	F1	Tarrant	0.1	77	5	$50,000 to $500,000
November 12	9:30 PM CST	F1	Dallas	0.3	10		$5,000 to $50,000
November 12	9:50 PM CST	F1	Dallas	0.3	10		$50,000 to $500,000
November 12	9:50 PM CST	F1	Coryell	24.0	100		$50,000 to $500,000

November 13 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Damage
November 13	2:45 AM CST	F2	Angelina	3.3	100	2	$50,000 to $500,000
November 13	4:00 AM CST	F1	Sabine	2.0	50		$5,000 to $50,000
November 13	5:25 AM CST	F2	Jefferson	2.3	50		$500,000 to $5 million

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.