Tornadoes · United States · Texas

1997 tornadoes in Texas

191 tornadoes touched down in Texas in 1997, 51 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 29 people and injured 60. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1996 1998 The whole country in 1997

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 1997

January 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 23	5:23 PM CST	F1	Anderson	1.0	30		4	$50,000

January 27 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
January 27	3:39 PM CST	F1	Harris	1.5	30	$12 million
January 27	3:40 PM CST	F0	Harris	0.1	10	$10,000
January 27	3:49 PM CST	F0	Harris	0.1	10	$10,000
January 27	3:53 PM CST	F0	Harris	0.1	10	$20,000
January 27	4:50 PM CST	F0	Fort Bend	0.1	30	$10,000
January 27	7:15 PM CST	F0	Harris	0.2	20	$10,000

February 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
February 12	3:45 PM CST	F0	Galveston	1.2	23			$120,000

February 20 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
February 20	3:00 AM CST	F1	Schleicher	10.0	50	$800,000
February 20	11:31 AM CST	F0	Parker	0.1	20
February 20	11:38 AM CST	F0	Parker	0.1	20	$10,000
February 20	12:00 PM CST	F0	Tarrant	1.0	33
February 20	5:11 PM CST	F0	Cass	8.0	50

March 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 1	10:30 PM CST	F1	Bell	2.5	73			$40,000

March 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 12	3:30 AM CST	F0	Fort Bend	0.2	23			$10,000

March 17 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 17	6:45 AM CST	F0	Calhoun	0.1	10			$10,000
March 17	7:10 AM CST	F0	Calhoun	0.1	10			$10,000

March 25 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 25	1:40 AM CST	F0	Coke	0.1	20
March 25	2:58 AM CST	F0	Schleicher	0.1	13

March 30 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 30	10:10 AM CST	F0	Jim Wells	0.1	10

April 4 9 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
April 4	3:25 AM CST	F1	Cameron	0.5	100	$40,000
April 4	4:30 AM CST	F0	Cameron	0.1	50
April 4	11:04 AM CST	F0	Tom Green	0.1	23
April 4	1:50 PM CST	F1	Houston	0.3	50	$40,000
April 4	2:05 PM CST	F0	Houston	0.2	23	$10,000
April 4	2:15 PM CST	F1	Houston	0.3	33	$40,000
April 4	2:30 PM CST	F0	Trinity	0.1	20	$10,000
April 4	2:50 PM CST	F0	Trinity	0.1	20
April 4	4:50 PM CST	F0	Denton	0.1	30	$10,000

April 10 18 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 10	5:21 PM CDT	F1	Gaines	2.2	130			$10,000
April 10	5:30 PM CDT	F0	Swisher	0.1	50
April 10	5:33 PM CDT	F2	Gaines	2.6	250			$80,000
April 10	5:39 PM CDT	F0	Swisher	0.1	50
April 10	6:06 PM CDT	F1	Hale	0.2	73			$30,000
April 10	6:43 PM CDT	F1	Dawson	0.2	80
April 10	7:35 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	0.1	50
April 10	7:52 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	0.1	50
April 10	7:56 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	0.1	50
April 10	8:14 PM CDT	F0	Live Oak	0.1	30
April 10	8:15 PM CDT	F0	Lynn	0.1	50
April 10	8:19 PM CDT	F0	Live Oak	0.1	30
April 10	8:55 PM CDT	F0	Hale	0.1	50
April 10	9:35 PM CDT	F1	Crosby	0.2	50	1	1	$30,000
April 10	9:50 PM CDT	F0	Crosby	0.1	50
April 10	10:05 PM CDT	F0	Crosby	0.1	50
April 10	10:18 PM CDT	F0	Dickens	0.1	50
April 10	10:40 PM CDT	F0	Dickens	0.1	50			$20,000

April 11 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 11	2:30 AM CDT	F0	Wharton	0.2	23			$20,000
April 11	5:15 AM CDT	F0	Brazoria	0.2	23			$30,000

April 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 22	3:07 AM CDT	F0	Jack	0.1	30

April 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 24	5:10 PM CDT	F0	Dawson	0.2	40

May 6 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 6	8:07 PM CDT	F0	Castro	0.1	20
May 6	8:35 PM CDT	F0	Sherman	0.7	10

May 7 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 7	7:39 PM CDT	F0	Gray	0.2	23
May 7	7:52 PM CDT	F0	Carson	0.5	23
May 7	8:10 PM CDT	F0	Gray	1.0	50
May 7	9:05 PM CDT	F0	Wheeler	0.1	23

May 8 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 8	8:15 PM CDT	F0	Clay	0.1	23	$1,000
May 8	8:26 PM CDT	F1	Andrews	0.8	100
May 8	8:55 PM CDT	F0	Clay	0.1	23	$1,000
May 8	9:35 PM CDT	F0	Wise	0.1	23

May 9 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 9	2:30 AM CDT	F1	Brown	0.1	10			$100,000
May 9	12:23 PM CDT	F0	Jim Wells	0.1	30

May 15 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 15	3:55 PM CDT	F0	Schleicher	0.1	20
May 15	4:34 PM CDT	F0	Schleicher	0.1	23
May 15	6:37 PM CDT	F0	Trinity	0.2	20	$10,000

May 19 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 19	3:00 PM CDT	F1	Callahan	0.1	10	$50,000
May 19	4:15 PM CDT	F1	Brown	1.0	50
May 19	4:40 PM CDT	F0	Crockett	0.1	13

May 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 21	7:18 PM CDT	F0	Crockett	0.1	20
May 21	7:30 PM CDT	F0	Colorado	0.2	23			$30,000

May 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 22	8:40 PM CDT	F0	Swisher	0.1	10

May 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 23	3:35 PM CDT	F0	Live Oak	0.1	30

May 25 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 25	7:24 PM CDT	F1	Montague	0.5	30	$10,000
May 25	8:34 PM CDT	F0	Montague	0.1	23
May 25	8:36 PM CDT	F2	Cooke	1.0	73	$100,000
May 25	8:39 PM CDT	F0	Montague	0.1	23
May 25	9:10 PM CDT	F0	Cooke	0.5	30
May 25	9:39 PM CDT	F1	Cooke	3.0	50
May 25	9:41 PM CDT	F0	Cooke	0.1	23
May 25	10:11 PM CDT	F0	Cooke	2.0	40

May 26 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 26	11:45 PM CDT	F0	Grayson	0.1	23

May 27 20 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 27	1:21 PM CDT	F2	McLennan	2.0	73			$70,000
May 27	1:44 PM CDT	F0	McLennan	0.2	40
May 27	1:46 PM CDT	F3	McLennan	3.7	150			$150,000
May 27	2:16 PM CDT	F0	Bell	0.2	40
May 27	2:27 PM CDT	F3	Bell	1.4	273			$900,000
May 27	2:50 PM CDT	F1	Bell	0.2	40
May 27	3:05 PM CDT	F1	Navarro	0.5	50
May 27	3:07 PM CDT	F1	Bell	2.4	100			$20,000
May 27	3:25 PM CDT	F2	Williamson	2.0	200
May 27	3:35 PM CDT	F2	Williamson	0.5	150
May 27	3:36 PM CDT	F1	Navarro	0.5	50
May 27	3:40 PM CDT	F5	Jarrell tornado	5.1	650	27	12	$40 million
May 27	3:50 PM CDT	F0	Hill	0.2	40
May 27	4:05 PM CDT	F3	Williamson	9.2	200		15	$70 million
May 27	4:15 PM CDT	F1	Travis	0.2	20			$10,000
May 27	4:50 PM CDT	F4	Travis	5.6	440	1	5	$15 million
May 27	5:38 PM CDT	F1	Hays	3.5	60			$10,000
May 27	7:00 PM CDT	F0	Uvalde	0.2	20
May 27	7:30 PM CDT	F0	Kendall	0.7	30
May 27	8:20 PM CDT	F0	Frio	1.0	40

May 28 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 28	3:59 PM CDT	F0	Polk	0.5	10
May 28	5:07 PM CDT	F0	Deaf Smith	0.1	23

May 29 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
May 29	9:55 PM CDT	F0	Randall	0.1	23
May 29	10:04 PM CDT	F0	Carson	0.3	50
May 29	10:12 PM CDT	F0	Randall	0.1	23

May 30 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 30	3:50 AM CDT	F0	Hale	0.1	10
May 30	5:54 PM CDT	F1	Coryell	5.0	50	2	$70,000
May 30	11:22 PM CDT	F1	Harris	0.5	20		$10,000

May 31 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 31	2:40 AM CDT	F0	Kimble	0.1	13

June 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 4	3:33 PM CDT	F0	Jeff Davis	0.3	40

June 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 6	5:04 PM MDT	F0	Hudspeth	8.0	100

June 7 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 7	6:45 PM CDT	F0	Culberson	0.8	80
June 7	7:03 PM MDT	F1	Hudspeth	10.0	500

June 8 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 8	6:45 PM CDT	F1	Schleicher	0.1	13			$40,000
June 8	9:54 PM CDT	F0	Val Verde	0.2	50

June 9 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 9	3:25 PM CDT	F0	Carson	0.1	23

June 11 11 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 11	6:20 PM CDT	F1	Wheeler	2.0	100
June 11	6:39 PM CDT	F0	Wheeler	0.1	23
June 11	6:46 PM CDT	F3	Wheeler	9.0	600	13	$1.7 million
June 11	7:49 PM CDT	F1	Collingsworth	0.5	200
June 11	8:09 PM CDT	F0	Collingsworth	0.5	50
June 11	8:22 PM CDT	F0	Collingsworth	0.1	23
June 11	8:47 PM CDT	F1	Gray	4.0	200
June 11	8:58 PM CDT	F1	Donley	1.0	200
June 11	10:10 PM CDT	F1	Collingsworth	9.0	100
June 11	10:14 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.1	13
June 11	10:26 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.1	13

June 12 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 12	8:13 PM CDT	F0	Wheeler	0.1	23
June 12	9:10 PM CDT	F0	Roberts	0.1	23
June 12	11:30 PM CDT	F0	Young	0.5	50	$2,000
June 12	11:35 PM CDT	F1	Young	11.0	100	$2,000

June 13 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 13	9:28 PM CDT	F0	Rains	0.1	23
June 13	9:45 PM CDT	F0	Hunt	0.1	23

June 14 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 14	3:59 PM CDT	F0	Moore	0.2	50
June 14	4:23 PM CDT	F0	Moore	0.1	23
June 14	4:40 PM CDT	F0	Cochran	0.2	10	$10,000
June 14	5:25 PM CDT	F0	Randall	0.1	23
June 14	6:48 PM CDT	F0	Hutchinson	0.2	50
June 14	7:10 PM CDT	F0	Carson	0.1	50
June 14	8:45 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.1	13
June 14	8:56 PM CDT	F0	Taylor	0.1	10

June 16 16 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 16	1:20 PM CDT	F0	Dallam	0.2	23
June 16	1:30 PM CDT	F0	Hartley	0.1	50
June 16	4:48 PM CDT	F0	Cochran	0.1	10
June 16	7:50 PM CDT	F0	King	0.1	10
June 16	7:52 PM CDT	F0	Kent	0.1	10
June 16	8:10 PM CDT	F1	Fisher	1.0	50	$30,000
June 16	8:15 PM CDT	F0	King	0.1	10
June 16	8:16 PM CDT	F0	Eastland	0.1	23
June 16	8:20 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.1	13
June 16	8:58 PM CDT	F0	Jones	0.2	23
June 16	9:35 PM CDT	F0	Irion	0.1	13
June 16	9:35 PM CDT	F1	Wichita	0.7	60	$20,000
June 16	9:50 PM CDT	F0	Young	0.1	23
June 16	9:50 PM CDT	F1	Clay	6.5	100	$150,000
June 16	10:10 PM CDT	F1	Young	0.1	33
June 16	10:34 PM CDT	F0	Schleicher	0.1	13

June 17 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 17	5:45 PM CDT	F1	Nueces	0.2	30		1	$80,000

June 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 21	5:06 PM CDT	F0	Jackson	1.0	23			$20,000
June 21	5:45 PM CDT	F0	Wharton	0.5	20			$20,000

June 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 22	1:30 PM CDT	F0	Comanche	0.5	33			$70,000

July 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 5	7:33 PM CDT	F0	Bailey	0.1	10

July 14 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 14	4:05 PM CDT	F0	Jefferson	1.5	20		3	$50,000

July 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 16	7:15 PM CDT	F0	Brazoria	0.5	20			$50,000

August 17 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 17	7:45 PM CDT	F0	Archer	0.5	73
August 17	8:15 PM CDT	F0	Archer	0.1	23

August 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 22	7:35 PM CDT	F0	Runnels	0.1	10

September 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 22	8:30 AM CDT	F0	Bell	1.0	50			$20,000

October 23 17 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
October 23	4:30 AM CDT	F1	Mitchell	0.1	20		$100,000
October 23	2:00 PM CDT	F1	Fort Bend	3.0	440		$1.1 million
October 23	3:22 PM CDT	F1	Walker	2.0	50		$150,000
October 23	3:32 PM CDT	F2	Harris	7.0	440		$150,000
October 23	3:43 PM CDT	F0	Austin	0.2	23		$10,000
October 23	3:47 PM CDT	F1	Liberty	3.0	440		$50,000
October 23	4:07 PM CDT	F0	Liberty	2.0	23		$10,000
October 23	4:25 PM CDT	F0	Liberty	0.2	23		$10,000
October 23	5:00 PM CDT	F2	Montgomery	5.0	440	1	$180,000
October 23	5:10 PM CDT	F1	San Jacinto	20.0	440		$30,000
October 23	5:15 PM CDT	F0	San Jacinto	2.0	50		$20,000
October 23	5:22 PM CDT	F0	Montgomery	0.2	23		$10,000
October 23	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Montgomery	4.0	100		$90,000
October 23	6:20 PM CDT	F0	Nacogdoches	11.0	150
October 23	6:35 PM CDT	F0	Polk	10.0	23		$10,000
October 23	6:45 PM CDT	F1	Tyler	3.0	20		$70,000
October 23	7:30 PM CDT	F1	Jasper	5.0	20	2	$100,000

October 25 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 25	12:52 PM CDT	F0	Grayson	0.5	40		1	$300,000

November 5 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 5	6:00 AM CST	F0	Brazoria	0.1	23			$10,000

November 28 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 28	3:30 PM CST	F1	Angelina	0.8	73			$120,000
November 28	4:03 PM CST	F1	San Augustine	1.9	23			$10,000

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.