Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1985 tornadoes in Texas

90 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1985, 29 percent below the average of the record for the state. They killed 4 people and injured 54.

1984 1986 The whole country in 1985

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 1985

March 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 26	4:45 PM CST	F0	Floyd	0.1	17

March 29 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
March 29	3:30 PM CST	F1	Callahan	1.0	30
March 29	4:20 PM CST	F0	Callahan	0.5	30
March 29	4:30 PM CST	F0	Callahan	0.5	30
March 29	4:35 PM CST	F0	Stephens	0.5	30

April 12 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
April 12	3:40 PM CST	F0	Cochran	0.1	30
April 12	3:48 PM CST	F0	Cochran	0.1	30
April 12	4:50 PM CST	F0	Hockley	0.1	20

April 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 13	3:50 PM CST	F0	Wilbarger	0.5	30

April 21 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 21	3:55 PM CST	F0	Throckmorton	0.5	30
April 21	4:10 PM CST	F0	Throckmorton	0.5	30
April 21	4:25 PM CST	F0	Throckmorton	0.5	30
April 21	5:30 PM CST	F3	Throckmorton	4.5	400	3		$50,000 to $500,000
April 21	6:30 PM CST	F2	Young	5.0	300		2	$50,000 to $500,000
April 21	7:25 PM CST	F0	Mitchell	0.1	30

April 22 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 22	4:05 PM CST	F0	McLennan	0.5	30
April 22	6:10 PM CST	F0	Smith	0.5	30
April 22	6:33 PM CST	F0	Wood	0.5	30
April 22	7:16 PM CST	F2	Hays	0.5	50	$50,000 to $500,000
April 22	7:17 PM CST	F0	Upshur	0.5	30

April 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 23	12:55 PM CST	F0	Harrison	0.5	30

April 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 26	3:10 PM CST	F0	Gray	0.1	30

April 27 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
April 27	5:12 PM CST	F0	Johnson	0.5	30
April 27	5:32 PM CST	F0	Eastland	0.5	30
April 27	6:14 PM CST	F0	Johnson	0.5	30

April 28 20 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Damage
April 28	9:23 AM CDT	F0	Smith	0.5	30
April 28	9:45 AM CDT	F0	Smith	0.5	30
April 28	9:51 AM CDT	F0	Smith	0.5	30
April 28	10:20 AM CDT	F0	Rusk	0.5	30
April 28	10:50 AM CDT	F0	Panola	0.5	30
April 28	2:58 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	2.0	200		$5,000 to $50,000
April 28	3:25 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	2.0	200
April 28	3:30 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	3.0	300		$5,000 to $50,000
April 28	4:20 PM CDT	F0	Howard	0.2	30
April 28	4:30 PM CDT	F0	Borden	0.5	100
April 28	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Howard	0.2	50
April 28	5:31 PM CDT	F0	Howard	0.2	50
April 28	5:35 PM CDT	F0	Howard	0.1	30
April 28	5:35 PM CDT	F0	Howard	0.1	30
April 28	5:45 PM CDT	F0	Howard	0.1	30
April 28	7:23 PM CDT	F0	Pecos	0.1	30
April 28	8:12 PM CDT	F0	Nolan	0.1	40		$5,000 to $50,000
April 28	9:12 PM CDT	F2	Taylor	4.0	300	1	$50,000 to $500,000
April 28	9:15 PM CDT	F0	Fisher	0.1	30
April 28	11:15 PM CDT	F2	Jones	3.5	400		$5,000 to $50,000

April 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 29	4:33 PM CDT	F0	Hood	0.1	10

May 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 11	4:10 PM CDT	F0	Parker	0.5	30

May 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 12	9:42 PM CDT	F0	Eastland	0.5	30			$50,000 to $500,000

May 13 9 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 13	6:15 AM CDT	F0	Sterling	0.1	27
May 13	11:42 AM CDT	F2	Dallas	4.5	77	16	$500,000 to $5 million
May 13	12:00 PM CDT	F0	Rockwall	0.5	30
May 13	12:30 PM CDT	F2	Hunt	8.0	77	23	$500,000 to $5 million
May 13	1:30 PM CDT	F2	Lamar	4.0	77	8	$500,000 to $5 million
May 13	2:24 PM CDT	F0	Bell	0.5	30
May 13	2:47 PM CDT	F0	Falls	0.5	30
May 13	3:15 PM CDT	F0	Limestone	0.5	30
May 13	5:50 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	0.1	30

May 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 16	6:47 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	0.1	50

May 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 18	3:47 PM CDT	F0	Galveston	0.1	10

May 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 19	7:05 PM CDT	F0	Coke	5.0	80

May 20 10 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 20	2:55 PM CDT	F0	Crosby	0.1	50
May 20	3:10 PM CDT	F0	Kent	2.0	100
May 20	3:50 PM CDT	F0	Kent	0.1	50
May 20	5:25 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	3.0	50
May 20	5:27 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	6.0	100
May 20	6:42 PM CDT	F0	Cochran	0.1	50
May 20	6:42 PM CDT	F0	Cochran	0.1	50
May 20	7:27 PM CDT	F0	Bailey	0.1	30
May 20	9:30 PM CDT	F0	Lamar	0.5	30
May 20	11:16 PM CDT	F0	Lamar	0.5	30

May 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 22	9:05 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	0.1	50

May 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 24	5:21 PM CDT	F0	Midland	0.1	50

May 25 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 25	7:14 PM CDT	F0	Ector	0.1	50
May 25	12:55 AM CDT	F0	Hutchinson	0.1	50

June 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 1	9:10 PM CDT	F0	Ector	0.2	30

June 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 3	7:08 PM CDT	F0	Winkler	0.2	40

June 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 4	8:41 PM CDT	F0	Culberson	0.2	30

June 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 5	5:51 PM CDT	F0	Gaines	0.2	40

June 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 12	6:15 PM CDT	F0	Pecos	0.2	30

July 22 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 22	2:01 PM CDT	F0	Lubbock	0.1	20
July 22	2:55 PM CDT	F0	Nolan	0.1	30

July 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 25	2:14 PM CDT	F0	Cochran	0.1	30

August 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 13	4:25 PM CDT	F0	Winkler	0.1	23

September 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 18	8:30 PM CDT	F0	Ochiltree	0.1	10

October 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 13	10:08 PM CDT	F0	Ector	0.1	13

October 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 17	5:32 PM CDT	F2	Hill	7.0	50			$50,000 to $500,000

October 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 18	10:30 AM CDT	F2	Collin	2.0	150		2	$50,000 to $500,000

November 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 11	9:30 AM CST	F0	Fort Bend	0.2	10			$5,000 to $50,000

December 10 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
December 10	1:52 PM CST	F1	Williamson	23.0	100		1	$50,000 to $500,000
December 10	4:40 PM CST	F2	Williamson	5.0	100		2	$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.