Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1980 tornadoes in Texas

152 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1980, 20 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 1 people and injured 52. 1 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1979 1981 The whole country in 1980

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 1980

February 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 7	6:00 PM CST	F1	Parmer	31.1	10			$50,000 to $500,000

February 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 29	8:15 PM CST	F1	Williamson	11.0	43

March 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 17	5:45 AM CST	F1	Cherokee	12.0	33			$5,000 to $50,000

March 27 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
March 27	2:10 PM CST	F0	Lamb	1.0	20	under $50
March 27	2:10 PM CST	F0	Castro	3.8	10	under $50
March 27	2:20 PM CST	F0	Mitchell	2.0	10	under $50
March 27	4:45 PM CST	F1	Dickens	13.9	50	$50 to $500
March 27	5:15 PM CST	F1	Dickens	1.0	20	under $50

March 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 29	6:40 AM CST	F0	Smith	0.1	10

April 2 9 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 2	12:10 PM CST	F4	Baylor	8.4	250
April 2	12:45 PM CST	F0	Archer	0.1	10
April 2	1:15 PM CST	F0	Archer	0.1	10
April 2	1:16 PM CST	F0	Archer	0.1	10
April 2	1:38 PM CST	F1	Young	0.5	27		$5,000 to $50,000
April 2	3:15 PM CST	F2	Parker	4.5	277	1	$50,000 to $500,000
April 2	3:20 PM CST	F1	Palo Pinto	1.0	50
April 2	3:45 PM CST	F1	Montague	0.1	10	2	$50,000 to $500,000
April 2	5:30 PM CST	F0	Tarrant	0.1	10

April 7 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 7	4:48 PM CST	F3	Williamson	31.7	100	1	5	$50,000 to $500,000
April 7	6:00 PM CST	F0	Camp	0.1	10

April 11 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 11	3:10 PM CST	F1	Cass	1.0	50
April 11	4:50 PM CST	F1	Rusk	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
April 11	6:55 PM CST	F0	Shelby	0.1	10
April 11	7:12 PM CST	F1	Shelby	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
April 11	7:30 PM CST	F1	Shelby	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000

April 24 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 24	12:10 PM CST	F0	Randall	0.5	10
April 24	5:30 PM CST	F0	Hemphill	1.5	10
April 24	5:30 PM CST	F1	Erath	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
April 24	5:45 PM CST	F0	Erath	0.1	10
April 24	9:55 PM CST	F0	Hunt	0.1	10

April 25 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 25	6:45 AM CST	F1	Polk	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
April 25	11:30 AM CST	F1	Foard	11.5	77
April 25	12:00 PM CST	F1	Floyd	2.0	50	under $50
April 25	12:20 PM CST	F0	Wilbarger	0.1	10
April 25	12:45 PM CST	F0	Wilbarger	0.1	10

May 1 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 1	3:47 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	1.5	20
May 1	4:09 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	0.2	10
May 1	6:40 PM CDT	F0	Throckmorton	0.1	10
May 1	6:50 PM CDT	F0	Throckmorton	0.1	10
May 1	7:15 PM CDT	F1	Frio	0.1	10

May 6 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 6	4:15 PM CDT	F0	Stephens	0.1	10
May 6	4:50 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.1	10
May 6	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Young	0.1	10
May 6	5:40 PM CDT	F0	Hunt	0.1	10

May 7 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 7	5:36 PM CDT	F1	Knox	0.1	10
May 7	11:00 PM CDT	F0	Hamilton	0.1	10

May 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 8	11:15 AM CDT	F1	Bee	0.1	20		1	$5,000 to $50,000

May 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 13	2:30 PM CDT	F1	Robertson	9.7	67			$50,000 to $500,000

May 15 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 15	7:30 AM CDT	F1	La Salle	0.5	30	$50,000 to $500,000
May 15	11:45 AM CDT	F1	Atascosa	6.2	50	$50,000 to $500,000
May 15	2:30 PM CDT	F1	Jasper	0.2	27	$5,000 to $50,000
May 15	3:10 PM CDT	F1	Montgomery	3.6	30	$5,000 to $50,000
May 15	6:15 PM CDT	F1	Kinney	99.8	40
May 15	10:50 PM CDT	F1	La Salle	0.5	33
May 15	11:35 PM CDT	F1	Live Oak	14.6	50

May 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 17	2:00 AM CDT	F1	Harris	0.1	17			$50,000 to $500,000

May 20 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 20	9:50 PM CDT	F1	Midland	0.2	10			under $50
May 20	12:05 AM CDT	F0	Reagan	0.2	10

May 25 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 25	8:00 PM CDT	F0	Throckmorton	0.1	10
May 25	8:00 PM CDT	F0	Throckmorton	0.1	10
May 25	8:00 PM CDT	F0	Throckmorton	0.1	10

May 27 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 27	3:15 PM CDT	F1	Moore	0.1	10	under $50
May 27	4:15 PM CDT	F0	Hartley	0.1	10
May 27	4:38 PM CDT	F0	Hartley	0.1	10
May 27	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Lubbock	2.0	40	under $50
May 27	6:35 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	10.7	30

May 28 10 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 28	6:35 PM CDT	F0	Hale	0.3	20
May 28	7:15 PM CDT	F0	Castro	0.1	10
May 28	7:55 PM CDT	F1	Castro	7.4	1,733	1	$50,000 to $500,000
May 28	8:15 PM CDT	F3	Swisher	6.1	2,333		$500 to $5,000
May 28	8:45 PM CDT	F2	Swisher	4.9	1,667		$50 to $500
May 28	9:00 PM CDT	F3	Swisher	2.0	833		$500 to $5,000
May 28	9:20 PM CDT	F1	Swisher	6.1	833		under $50
May 28	9:30 PM CDT	F2	Wheeler	8.0	50	6	$50 to $500
May 28	11:05 PM CDT	F0	Dickens	3.0	30
May 28	12:55 AM CDT	F2	Collingsworth	0.1	10		$50 to $500

May 29 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 29	5:37 PM CDT	F2	Collingsworth	16.2	160	$50 to $500
May 29	9:00 PM CDT	F0	Hardeman	0.1	10
May 29	11:00 PM CDT	F2	Wilbarger	13.2	100

June 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 4	6:40 PM CDT	F1	Hansford	2.5	60			$50,000 to $500,000

June 7 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 7	9:50 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	1.3	20
June 7	10:30 PM CDT	F1	Andrews	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
June 7	11:40 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	0.1	10
June 7	12:00 AM CDT	F1	Lynn	0.1	10	$50,000 to $500,000

June 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 17	9:00 PM CDT	F2	Parmer	45.0	200			$50,000 to $500,000

June 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 19	7:00 PM CDT	F2	Dawson	2.5	100		1	$5,000 to $50,000

June 20 10 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 20	2:00 PM CDT	F0	Angelina	0.1	10		$50 to $500
June 20	2:30 PM CDT	F1	Jasper	0.1	20		$5,000 to $50,000
June 20	2:30 PM CDT	F1	Orange	9.4	30		$500,000 to $5 million
June 20	2:45 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	0.1	20		$5,000 to $50,000
June 20	2:45 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	0.1	20		$5,000 to $50,000
June 20	4:55 PM CDT	F0	Reagan	0.3	40
June 20	5:20 PM CDT	F1	Lynn	0.3	50
June 20	5:20 PM CDT	F1	Lynn	0.3	50
June 20	8:20 PM CDT	F1	Erath	0.1	10
June 20	9:10 PM CDT	F2	Bosque	4.3	100	1	$50,000 to $500,000

June 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 21	5:10 PM CDT	F1	Jackson	0.3	30			$5,000 to $50,000
June 21	5:15 PM CDT	F1	Jackson	0.2	30			$5,000 to $50,000

June 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 22	1:30 PM CDT	F1	Harris	0.1	17			$5,000 to $50,000

June 27 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 27	7:15 PM CDT	F1	Orange	0.2	20			$5,000 to $50,000

July 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 4	12:20 AM CDT	F0	Parmer	0.1	10			under $50

July 27 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 27	1:30 AM CDT	F2	Castro	3.0	40		1	$50 to $500

August 9 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
August 9	4:45 AM CDT	F2	Cameron	4.6	50		$500,000 to $5 million
August 9	1:10 PM CDT	F0	Kenedy	2.5	30
August 9	4:25 PM CDT	F0	Bee	1.5	37		$5,000 to $50,000
August 9	4:30 PM CDT	F1	Nueces	2.5	30		$50,000 to $500,000
August 9	5:00 PM CDT	F1	Karnes	1.0	37		$5,000 to $50,000
August 9	8:25 PM CDT	F0	Duval	2.0	30
August 9	9:00 PM CDT	F2	San Patricio	1.0	40		$500,000 to $5 million
August 9	10:30 PM CDT	F2	Nueces	5.9	50	3	$500,000 to $5 million

August 10 19 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
August 10	5:00 AM CDT	F2	Nueces	2.5	40		$500,000 to $5 million
August 10	9:30 AM CDT	F1	Victoria	0.8	30		$5,000 to $50,000
August 10	9:57 AM CDT	F2	Bexar	12.2	100	2	$50,000 to $500,000
August 10	10:00 AM CDT	F2	Jim Wells	2.0	40	1	$50,000 to $500,000
August 10	10:50 AM CDT	F1	Bexar	0.3	30		$5,000 to $50,000
August 10	1:14 PM CDT	F1	Caldwell	14.8	80		$50,000 to $500,000
August 10	2:00 PM CDT	F2	Bastrop	18.8	77
August 10	2:15 PM CDT	F0	Bastrop	11.7	50
August 10	2:30 PM CDT	F0	Bastrop	11.1	27		$500 to $5,000
August 10	2:40 PM CDT	F2	Travis	5.4	150	4	$50 million to $500 million
August 10	3:25 PM CDT	F0	Travis	30.7	50		$50,000 to $500,000
August 10	5:02 PM CDT	F2	Hays	47.7	200	20	$5 million to $50 million
August 10	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Frio	2.0	30		$5,000 to $50,000
August 10	5:45 PM CDT	F0	Frio	1.5	30		$500 to $5,000
August 10	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Nueces	1.0	30		$5,000 to $50,000
August 10	7:30 PM CDT	F1	San Patricio	2.0	30		$50,000 to $500,000
August 10	7:35 PM CDT	F0	Bexar	0.8	33
August 10	7:50 PM CDT	F1	Hidalgo	1.0	50		$50,000 to $500,000
August 10	8:30 PM CDT	F1	Medina	1.0	40		$5,000 to $50,000

August 11 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 11	1:30 AM CDT	F0	Kleberg	0.5	27
August 11	1:30 AM CDT	F1	Medina	1.5	40			$5,000 to $50,000

August 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 12	4:00 PM CDT	F1	Shelby	1.0	23		1	$5,000 to $50,000

August 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 22	6:40 PM CDT	F1	Houston	2.0	50			$5,000 to $50,000

August 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 23	5:30 PM CDT	F2	Palo Pinto	4.3	73			$50,000 to $500,000

August 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 28	11:10 AM CDT	F1	Galveston	0.3	30			$50,000 to $500,000

August 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 29	1:20 PM CDT	F0	Austin	0.1	20

September 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 5	5:45 PM CDT	F1	Jefferson	2.0	300			$50,000 to $500,000

September 6 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
September 6	5:00 AM CDT	F2	Jefferson	0.1	200	$5,000 to $50,000
September 6	10:55 AM CDT	F0	Brazoria	0.2	200
September 6	11:30 AM CDT	F0	Harris	0.1	200
September 6	12:00 PM CDT	F1	Galveston	0.1	300	$500 to $5,000

September 8 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 8	10:30 AM CDT	F0	Harris	0.1	200

September 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 19	2:10 PM CDT	F1	Chambers	0.2	37		1	$5,000 to $50,000

September 25 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
September 25	12:55 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	0.7	20	under $50
September 25	12:55 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	0.7	20	under $50
September 25	12:55 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	0.7	20	under $50

October 16 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 16	9:00 AM CDT	F2	Anderson	2.0	50		1	$5,000 to $50,000
October 16	6:45 PM CDT	F2	Hopkins	2.7	77			$50,000 to $500,000

October 17 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 17	6:15 AM CDT	F1	Fannin	6.2	77			$50,000 to $500,000
October 17	6:30 AM CDT	F1	Fannin	1.0	50			$500 to $5,000

October 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 18	1:50 PM CDT	F1	Harris	0.2	17			$5,000 to $50,000

December 7 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 7	5:59 PM CST	F0	Dickens	4.1	30			$50 to $500

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.