Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1987 tornadoes in Texas

126 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1987, about the average of the record for the state. They killed 43 people and injured 438. 1 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1986 1988 The whole country in 1987

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 1987

January 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 24	8:19 PM CST	F0	Nacogdoches	0.2	10

February 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 18	4:50 AM CST	F1	Jefferson	0.2	23			$50,000 to $500,000

March 16 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 16	1:40 PM CST	F0	Dallas	0.2	10
March 16	9:15 PM CST	F1	Smith	6.0	100			$50,000 to $500,000

March 17 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 17	1:45 AM CST	F0	Lamar	0.2	10			$50,000 to $500,000
March 17	5:20 AM CST	F1	Anderson	0.2	10	1	3	$5,000 to $50,000
March 17	7:00 AM CST	F0	San Augustine	8.0	50
March 17	7:40 PM CST	F0	Collin	0.2	10

March 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 22	5:45 PM CST	F3	Lipscomb	30.0	440			$50,000 to $500,000

May 3 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 3	11:44 PM CDT	F1	Caldwell	1.0	50
May 3	11:44 PM CDT	F1	Caldwell	1.0	50

May 19 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 19	1:20 PM CDT	F0	San Saba	1.0	20	$5,000 to $50,000
May 19	1:30 PM CDT	F0	Brewster	3.0	30
May 19	7:33 PM CDT	F0	Coleman	0.2	10

May 21 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 21	5:50 PM CDT	F0	Gray	1.5	40

May 22 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 22	10:20 AM CDT	F0	Hockley	0.5	30
May 22	6:41 PM CDT	F0	Hockley	1.0	40
May 22	8:10 PM CDT	F0	Reeves	0.5	60
May 22	8:16 PM CDT	F4	Saragosa tornado	3.0	1,000	30	121	$500,000 to $5 million

May 24 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 24	9:55 PM CDT	F1	Briscoe	2.0	70
May 24	10:05 PM CDT	F0	Briscoe	1.0	40
May 24	10:30 PM CDT	F0	Donley	0.5	50

May 25 16 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 25	2:15 AM CDT	F0	Hardeman	0.2	10
May 25	12:03 PM CDT	F2	Childress	6.0	90
May 25	5:20 PM CDT	F1	Hansford	2.0	100
May 25	5:52 PM CDT	F0	Ward	1.0	40
May 25	6:20 PM CDT	F3	Hansford	3.0	530	$5,000 to $50,000
May 25	6:55 PM CDT	F0	Castro	0.8	50
May 25	7:09 PM CDT	F2	Ward	11.0	100
May 25	7:15 PM CDT	F0	Hansford	0.1	40
May 25	7:30 PM CDT	F2	Randall	6.0	150
May 25	7:53 PM CDT	F0	Randall	1.0	50
May 25	8:12 PM CDT	F3	Ochiltree	3.0	700	$50,000 to $500,000
May 25	8:35 PM CDT	F1	Ochiltree	10.0	80
May 25	9:08 PM CDT	F0	Randall	0.1	50
May 25	9:20 PM CDT	F0	Randall	3.0	60
May 25	10:00 PM CDT	F2	Randall	2.0	150	$5,000 to $50,000
May 25	10:30 PM CDT	F0	Potter	0.1	40

May 26 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 26	5:20 PM CDT	F0	Ector	0.5	50
May 26	5:34 PM CDT	F0	Ector	0.3	40
May 26	5:52 PM CDT	F1	Ector	0.3	50	$5,000 to $50,000
May 26	6:20 PM CDT	F0	Hale	0.2	30

May 27 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries
May 27	6:40 PM CDT	F0	Hamilton	0.2	10
May 27	8:05 PM CDT	F0	Hamilton	0.2	10	4
May 27	8:46 PM CDT	F0	Midland	0.3	50
May 27	8:48 PM CDT	F0	Midland	0.2	30

May 28 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 28	10:10 AM CDT	F2	King	13.0	100
May 28	1:05 PM CDT	F1	Howard	3.0	70
May 28	3:22 PM CDT	F0	Shackelford	0.2	10
May 28	3:40 PM CDT	F0	Palo Pinto	0.2	10
May 28	3:52 PM CDT	F0	Callahan	0.2	10
May 28	4:20 PM CDT	F0	Palo Pinto	0.2	10
May 28	6:05 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.2	10

May 29 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 29	5:40 PM CDT	F0	Parmer	1.0	60
May 29	5:53 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	4.0	110
May 29	6:10 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	2.0	60
May 29	6:25 PM CDT	F2	Lubbock	8.0	80	3	$50,000 to $500,000
May 29	6:39 PM CDT	F0	Hockley	0.8	30
May 29	8:45 PM CDT	F0	Castro	2.0	60
May 29	10:42 PM CDT	F0	Castro	1.0	30

May 30 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 30	8:15 PM CDT	F1	Andrews	2.5	70
May 30	9:17 PM CDT	F1	Hansford	4.0	70

May 31 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 31	9:30 AM CDT	F0	Brewster	1.5	40

June 2 7 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 2	1:47 PM CDT	F0	Coryell	0.2	10
June 2	2:20 PM CDT	F0	Bosque	0.3	10
June 2	3:20 PM CDT	F2	Lipscomb	6.0	1,600	$5,000 to $50,000
June 2	4:15 PM CDT	F2	Lipscomb	7.5	1,600	$5,000 to $50,000
June 2	6:04 PM CDT	F0	Nolan	1.0	80
June 2	7:40 PM CDT	F1	Potter	3.0	100
June 2	8:20 PM CDT	F0	Potter	0.1	40

June 3 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
June 3	4:40 PM CDT	F0	McLennan	0.2	10
June 3	4:42 PM CDT	F0	McLennan	0.2	10
June 3	4:58 PM CDT	F0	Falls	0.2	10
June 3	5:20 PM CDT	F0	Falls	0.2	10

June 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 10	8:10 PM CDT	F0	Lamb	0.1	100

June 11 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 11	11:37 AM CDT	F0	Tom Green	2.0	60
June 11	6:20 PM CDT	F1	Ochiltree	1.5	60	1	4	$5,000 to $50,000

June 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 12	11:42 AM CDT	F0	Jones	0.2	10

June 14 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 14	5:45 PM CDT	F0	Hidalgo	1.0	17			$5,000 to $50,000

June 19 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 19	6:30 PM CDT	F0	Upton	2.5	60

June 23 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
June 23	6:14 PM CDT	F0	Fannin	0.2	10
June 23	6:14 PM CDT	F0	Fannin	0.2	10
June 23	6:14 PM CDT	F0	Fannin	0.2	10

June 29 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 29	3:35 PM CDT	F0	Ochiltree	0.1	40

July 1 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
July 1	8:05 PM CDT	F1	Hutchinson	3.0	80
July 1	8:30 PM CDT	F2	Carson	4.5	200
July 1	9:57 PM CDT	F2	Carson	9.0	150	2	$5,000 to $50,000

July 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 2	6:15 PM CDT	F1	Parmer	2.0	100

July 7 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
July 7	7:40 PM CDT	F1	Sherman	0.5	40	$50,000 to $500,000
July 7	9:05 PM CDT	F0	Lamb	0.1	30
July 7	9:29 PM CDT	F0	Lamb	0.5	40

July 14 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
July 14	4:52 PM CDT	F0	Hansford	1.0	60
July 14	4:55 PM CDT	F1	Ochiltree	2.0	90		$5,000 to $50,000
July 14	7:00 PM CDT	F2	Gray	4.5	150	10	$500,000 to $5 million

July 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 22	3:55 PM CDT	F0	Leon	0.2	10

August 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 10	6:30 PM CDT	F0	Hale	2.5	40			$500 to $5,000

August 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 11	2:05 PM CDT	F0	Brown	0.2	10

August 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 15	8:30 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	1.0	30

September 9 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
September 9	6:50 PM CDT	F1	Hockley	0.9	100	$5,000 to $50,000
September 9	7:35 PM CDT	F0	Hockley	0.5	60
September 9	10:10 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	10.0	120
September 9	11:40 PM CDT	F0	Dawson	2.0	80

September 11 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
September 11	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Callahan	0.2	10
September 11	5:35 PM CDT	F0	Stephens	0.2	10
September 11	10:40 PM CDT	F0	Hansford	0.1	40

September 13 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 13	1:15 AM CDT	F0	Floyd	1.0	60

November 15 13 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 15	11:30 AM CST	F2	Lee	1.5	200		8	$500,000 to $5 million
November 15	12:08 PM CST	F1	Bell	3.0	100			$50,000 to $500,000
November 15	12:15 PM CST	F2	Burleson	10.0	500	2	12	$500,000 to $5 million
November 15	2:00 PM CST	F2	Madison	10.0	200	3	2	$500,000 to $5 million
November 15	3:03 PM CST	F3	Anderson	10.5	250	1	59	$5 million to $50 million
November 15	3:45 PM CST	F3	Cherokee	33.0	500	4	81	$5 million to $50 million
November 15	4:45 PM CST	F2	Smith	6.0	300			$50,000 to $500,000
November 15	5:30 PM CST	F1	Gregg	0.2	10
November 15	5:33 PM CST	F2	Upshur	7.0	900		9	$500,000 to $5 million
November 15	5:45 PM CST	F1	Harrison	0.2	10
November 15	6:30 PM CST	F3	Shelby to LA	48.0	500	1	116	$5 million to $50 million
November 15	6:35 PM CST	F3	Cass	12.2	200			$50,000 to $500,000
November 15	7:10 PM CST	F0	Bowie	0.2	10

November 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 16	8:40 AM CST	F1	Galveston	15.0	100		4	$500,000 to $5 million

November 24 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 24	5:30 PM CST	F1	Cooke	0.2	10
November 24	5:45 PM CST	F1	Cooke	0.2	10			$5,000 to $50,000

December 6 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
December 6	11:45 AM CST	F1	Wise	0.2	10
December 6	1:36 PM CST	F1	Anderson	11.5	150	$50,000 to $500,000
December 6	2:30 PM CST	F2	Polk	1.0	200	$50,000 to $500,000
December 6	3:00 PM CST	F2	Polk	1.0	200	$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.