Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1973 tornadoes in Texas

147 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1973, 16 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 14 people and injured 212. 3 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1972 1974 The whole country in 1973

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 1973

January 20 11 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
January 20	2:10 PM CST	F1	Shelby	14.5	200		$50,000 to $500,000
January 20	2:15 PM CST	F1	Shelby	17.3	200		$50,000 to $500,000
January 20	2:30 PM CST	F1	Smith	0.3	200		$500 to $5,000
January 20	3:15 PM CST	F2	Smith	0.5	100	1	$5,000 to $50,000
January 20	6:00 PM CST	F1	McCulloch	0.5	20		$500 to $5,000
January 20	6:15 PM CST	F1	San Saba	4.3	440		$500 to $5,000
January 20	7:00 PM CST	F1	Gillespie	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
January 20	7:30 PM CST	F1	Guadalupe	0.1	10
January 20	7:30 PM CST	F1	Camp	0.3	10		$50 to $500
January 20	9:00 PM CST	F1	Milam	0.3	10		$5,000 to $50,000
January 20	9:00 PM CST	F2	Travis	0.1	40		$5,000 to $50,000

January 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 21	12:15 AM CST	F2	Shelby	8.7	200		3	$50,000 to $500,000
January 21	1:30 AM CST	F0	Orange	3.0	17			$500 to $5,000

January 31 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 31	4:50 PM CST	F0	Kaufman	6.2	300			$500 to $5,000

February 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 13	1:00 PM CST	F2	Harris	3.3	30		1	$5,000 to $50,000

March 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 1	2:50 PM CST	F2	McLennan	8.0	50			$50,000 to $500,000

March 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 3	6:00 PM CST	F0	Wichita	0.1	10			$50 to $500

March 6 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 6	6:25 AM CST	F2	Tarrant	1.5	30			$5,000 to $50,000
March 6	8:05 AM CST	F1	Travis	0.1	50

March 9 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 9	7:59 PM CST	F0	Ellis	1.5	10

March 10 11 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 10	1:40 AM CST	F2	Tom Green	0.3	70	1	7	$50,000 to $500,000
March 10	3:00 AM CST	F2	Taylor	0.1	10		1	$5,000 to $50,000
March 10	4:10 AM CST	F3	Burnet	7.8	250		40
March 10	5:45 AM CST	F1	Travis	0.3	10		2	$50,000 to $500,000
March 10	6:02 AM CST	F4	Limestone	23.3	150	6	77
March 10	7:00 AM CST	F1	Lee	0.1	10			$50 to $500
March 10	7:00 AM CST	F3	Grayson	6.8	100		3
March 10	8:00 AM CST	F2	Lamar	1.5	100		1	$5,000 to $50,000
March 10	8:00 AM CST	F1	Rains	0.3	50			$50,000 to $500,000
March 10	8:45 AM CST	F2	Hopkins	0.5	150			$5,000 to $50,000
March 10	10:00 AM CST	F1	Rusk	0.1	20			$500 to $5,000

March 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 13	9:00 AM CST	F1	Mitchell	9.8	10			$5,000 to $50,000

March 23 10 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
March 23	2:30 PM CST	F2	Motley	24.7	300	$5,000 to $50,000
March 23	3:30 PM CST	F1	Kent	9.1	77	$500 to $5,000
March 23	4:00 PM CST	F2	Potter	2.0	50	$5,000 to $50,000
March 23	4:00 PM CST	F1	Fisher	0.5	100	$5,000 to $50,000
March 23	4:00 PM CST	F2	Nolan	3.3	300	$50,000 to $500,000
March 23	5:30 PM CST	F0	Callahan	0.1	33	$500 to $5,000
March 23	6:00 PM CST	F1	Childress	1.0	70	$500 to $5,000
March 23	7:15 PM CST	F0	Orange	0.1	10	under $50
March 23	7:30 PM CST	F0	Chambers	0.1	10
March 23	11:25 PM CST	F0	Kinney	0.1	10

March 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 24	5:45 AM CST	F0	Jefferson	0.1	10

March 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 29	5:00 PM CST	F1	Yoakum	0.3	100			$500 to $5,000

April 2 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 2	1:28 PM CST	F1	Hockley	2.0	17			$50 to $500
April 2	3:30 PM CST	F1	Bailey	1.0	20

April 13 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 13	5:30 PM CST	F2	Carson	90.1	150			$5,000 to $50,000
April 13	5:58 PM CST	F1	Potter	1.0	17

April 15 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 15	4:15 AM CST	F3	Hale	7.6	200	2	26
April 15	5:00 PM CST	F1	Medina	22.4	200			$50,000 to $500,000
April 15	5:20 PM CST	F4	Frio	23.3	440	5	12
April 15	7:50 PM CST	F3	Navarro	3.8	200		3
April 15	10:00 PM CST	F0	Aransas	0.1	10

April 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 17	6:10 AM CST	F0	Jefferson	0.1	10

April 22 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 22	1:30 PM CST	F2	Callahan	0.3	100	$500 to $5,000
April 22	1:34 PM CST	F2	Runnels	0.2	50	$50 to $500
April 22	1:34 PM CST	F2	Runnels	0.2	50	$50 to $500
April 22	1:34 PM CST	F2	Runnels	0.2	50	$50 to $500

April 23 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 23	4:00 PM CST	F1	Runnels	1.0	333
April 23	5:00 PM CST	F3	Johnson	2.5	333	3
April 23	7:40 PM CST	F1	Cochran	3.0	20		$500 to $5,000
April 23	7:40 PM CST	F1	Cochran	3.0	20		$500 to $5,000
April 23	9:45 PM CST	F2	Wheeler	0.3	100		$50,000 to $500,000

April 24 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 24	5:45 AM CST	F2	Bowie	2.0	300	8	$500,000 to $5 million
April 24	4:30 PM CST	F1	Hunt	0.3	50		$500 to $5,000
April 24	9:40 PM CST	F1	Hale	0.3	17

April 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 26	12:30 AM CST	F2	Harris	5.2	100

April 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 28	3:15 PM CST	F1	Pecos	0.3	17

April 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 30	6:40 PM CDT	F2	Carson	0.5	100		3	$50,000 to $500,000

May 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 1	2:45 PM CDT	F1	Dallas	0.3	20			$5,000 to $50,000

May 6 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 6	4:40 PM CDT	F2	Parker	1.0	50		$5,000 to $50,000
May 6	6:01 PM CDT	F2	Parker	1.0	100	3	$5,000 to $50,000
May 6	8:15 PM CDT	F2	Johnson	12.0	100		$50,000 to $500,000
May 6	8:25 PM CDT	F5	Valley Mills tornado	10.6	100
May 6	8:30 PM CDT	F2	Fannin	0.1	20		$5,000 to $50,000
May 6	9:20 PM CDT	F2	Tarrant	2.5	150		$50,000 to $500,000
May 6	10:30 PM CDT	F2	Fannin	0.5	67	3	$50,000 to $500,000

May 11 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 11	7:30 PM CDT	F1	Parker	2.0	440	$5,000 to $50,000
May 11	8:20 PM CDT	F1	Parker	2.0	20	$500 to $5,000
May 11	8:29 PM CDT	F2	Tarrant	8.4	200	$50,000 to $500,000

May 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 12	4:20 AM CDT	F2	Ector	1.0	120			$50,000 to $500,000

May 14 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 14	3:50 PM CDT	F1	Cochran	2.3	27
May 14	4:30 PM CDT	F0	Hockley	0.3	20

May 22 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 22	6:10 PM CDT	F1	Randall	0.3	20
May 22	7:20 PM CDT	F1	Hale	1.0	17
May 22	11:55 PM CDT	F2	Runnels	2.0	10	$500 to $5,000

May 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 23	7:46 PM CDT	F2	Bell	3.3	150			$5,000 to $50,000

May 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 24	6:55 PM CDT	F2	Lampasas	2.5	250			$5,000 to $50,000

May 26 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 26	3:04 AM CDT	F2	Liberty	14.7	10		4	$50,000 to $500,000
May 26	3:45 AM CDT	F2	Jefferson	6.2	167		3	$50,000 to $500,000

June 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 1	2:28 PM CDT	F0	Blanco	0.5	10

June 3 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 3	6:00 PM CDT	F2	Limestone	6.8	100		$50,000 to $500,000
June 3	7:30 PM CDT	F1	Anderson	0.1	10		$50,000 to $500,000
June 3	9:00 PM CDT	F3	Cherokee	0.1	33	3
June 3	12:00 AM CDT	F2	Upshur	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
June 3	12:55 AM CDT	F2	Titus	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000

June 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 4	4:01 AM CDT	F2	Walker	26.4	40			$50,000 to $500,000

June 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 5	7:55 PM CDT	F1	Brazoria	1.9	50

June 11 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 11	4:20 PM CDT	F1	Fort Bend	0.1	10
June 11	10:05 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	7.2	50			$500,000 to $5 million

June 12 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 12	8:30 AM CDT	F1	Harris	2.7	10	$5,000 to $50,000
June 12	8:30 AM CDT	F1	Harris	7.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
June 12	4:35 PM CDT	F0	Hardin	0.1	10	$50 to $500

June 13 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 13	6:50 AM CDT	F0	Colorado	0.1	10
June 13	7:20 AM CDT	F1	Aransas	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
June 13	8:15 AM CDT	F1	Wharton	7.8	10	$500 to $5,000
June 13	8:45 AM CDT	F1	Calhoun	7.8	10	$500 to $5,000
June 13	1:20 PM CDT	F0	Nueces	4.5	10
June 13	1:25 PM CDT	F0	San Patricio	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000

June 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 19	7:30 PM CDT	F2	Tarrant	0.3	500			$50,000 to $500,000

June 20 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 20	1:30 PM CDT	F1	Brazoria	0.2	33			$5,000 to $50,000
June 20	3:10 PM CDT	F0	Jefferson	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000

June 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 26	10:00 AM CDT	F0	Kenedy	0.1	10

June 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 29	7:24 PM CDT	F1	Swisher	4.7	50

July 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 6	9:30 PM CDT	F0	Fayette	0.1	10

July 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 7	9:50 AM CDT	F0	Jefferson	0.1	17

July 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 12	7:00 PM CDT	F0	Haskell	0.1	10

July 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 25	3:25 PM CDT	F1	Hardin	1.3	17

August 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 2	6:55 PM CDT	F1	Lubbock	3.8	13

August 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 8	5:57 PM CDT	F1	Hutchinson	0.1	10

August 9 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 9	1:46 PM CDT	F0	Jefferson	0.1	17			$500 to $5,000

August 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 11	3:32 PM CDT	F1	Scurry	0.3	20

August 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 12	1:10 PM CDT	F0	Cameron	0.1	10

August 13 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 13	11:05 AM CDT	F0	Nueces	0.1	10
August 13	12:46 PM CDT	F0	Nueces	0.1	13

August 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 29	10:30 AM CDT	F0	Kleberg	0.1	10

September 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 1	6:05 PM CDT	F1	Hockley	1.0	10			$5,000 to $50,000

September 6 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 6	5:40 PM CDT	F0	Harrison	0.3	10			$50 to $500
September 6	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Taylor	0.3	10			$5,000 to $50,000

September 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 13	5:20 PM CDT	F1	Caldwell	3.3	40

September 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 28	9:13 AM CDT	F0	Jefferson	0.3	17

October 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 10	1:30 PM CDT	F1	Montgomery	1.0	17			$500 to $5,000

October 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 11	9:15 AM CDT	F2	Gonzales	8.2	50		1	$5,000 to $50,000

October 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 12	7:44 PM CDT	F0	Rockwall	0.3	10

November 20 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 20	1:10 AM CST	F1	Collin	0.1	10		3	$5,000 to $50,000

November 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 23	12:00 PM CST	F1	Milam	4.3	70			$5,000 to $50,000

November 24 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
November 24	1:15 PM CST	F3	Johnson	0.1	33
November 24	2:30 PM CST	F2	Wise	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
November 24	5:10 PM CST	F2	Morris	1.0	200		$500 to $5,000
November 24	5:40 PM CST	F1	Gregg	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
November 24	5:50 PM CST	F2	Cass	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
November 24	6:30 PM CST	F2	Harrison	0.1	33	1

November 27 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 27	1:00 PM CST	F1	Jefferson	0.3	27			$5,000 to $50,000

December 3 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 3	1:10 PM CST	F2	Denton	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000
December 3	1:45 PM CST	F3	Rains	3.0	27

December 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 19	9:25 AM CST	F1	Hardin	0.2	40			$5,000 to $50,000

December 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 23	6:00 PM CST	F1	Austin	5.2	50			$5,000 to $50,000

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.