Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2025
EF1 tornado, Lydia to New Boston, Texas, March 4, 2025
From Lydia to New Boston, this EF1 tornado ran 18.6 miles across Bowie and Red River counties on March 4, 2025, touching down at 7:47 AM CST and reaching 850 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $60,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 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.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 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.
The record
- Rating
- EF1
- Date
- March 4, 2025
- Touchdown
- 7:47 AM CST (13:47 UTC)
- Lifted
- 8:07 AM CST (14:07 UTC)
- On the ground
- 20 minutes
- Path length
- 18.6 miles (29.9 km)
- Path width
- 850 yards (777 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $60,000
- Counties
- Bowie and Red River counties
- Touchdown point
- 33.434, -94.775
- Lift-off point
- 33.508, -94.465
- Record number
- 2503040747-01
The damage survey
51 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS SHV, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 110 mph.
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
A very mature squall line developed along and ahead of an advancing cold front across the Ark-La-Tex region during the mid to late morning into early afternoon on March 4th. Damaging wind gusts were the primary threat with this squall line, but numerous strong mesovorticies became embedded within this quasi-linear convective system (QLCS). Dew points were in the mid to upper 60s with over 500 J/kg of MLCAPE and 450 m2/s2 of 0-1 km storm relative helicity (SRH). As temperatures continued to warm into the lower 70s with MLCAPE increasing to around 1000 J/kg MLCAPE, the increasing threat of supercell thunderstorm development only heightened the tornado threat. As a result, numerous reports of damaging straight-line wind gusts and several tornadoes were documented across East and Northeast Texas.
An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 100 mph touched down on Farm-to-Market Road 44 South approximately one mile southwest of the town of Lydia, lifting a roof off of a shed adjacent to a residential home. The tornado then moved east northeast toward downtown Lydia, producing tree damage across County Road 4645 before crossing into Bowie County. This tornado tracked just under two miles in far eastern Red River County before exiting into Bowie County. However, it should be noted that the tornado intensity in Southeast Red River County near Lydia was weaker than its peak intensity in Bowie County, with wind speeds in Red River County estimated near 90 mph.
This EF1 tornado was the continuation of a tornado that began in Red River County. Upon exiting Red River County, the tornado continued east toward the town of New Hope, continuing to produce extensive tree damage in the form of snapped trunks and uproots. After moving east of New Hope, the tornado followed along County Road 4303 toward Hubbard, eventually crossing Farm-to-Market Road 1840 before heading toward the town of Malta. The tornado crossed U.S. Highway 82 near Malta and continued east northeast for a few more miles, before eventually lifting near the intersection of County Road 3014 and FM Road 3378. The tornado tracked nearly 17 miles across western and northwestern parts of Bowie County with a maximum width of 850 yards and estimated peak wind speeds of 100 mph.
This QLCS-embedded EF1 tornado began along U.S. Highway 259 in southwest Bowie County and moved east northeast across County Road 4307, Interstate 30, County Road 4210, County Road 4230, and Farm-to-Market Road 561, damaging numerous trees. Most of the trees were either uprooted or snapped with several large limbs being downed on power lines. As the tornado continued northeast, it removed most of the metal roof covering from a house at the intersection County Road 4206 and County Road 4204. More tree damage was noted as the tornado crossed County Road 990, County Road 4121, County Road 4122, and County Road 4120. More tree damage occurred along Highway 98, County Road 4015, County Road 4011, and County Road 4116. At the Barry B. Telford Unit, a large metal building system on the southeast side of the prison property was destroyed when the metal frame was pulled free from its anchors. Three camper trailers in the prison's RV park were overturned and destroyed. The tornado continued northeast, breaking more large softwood limbs along FM Road 1840 and Highway 8 in the southern portion of New Boston where it finally lifted. The tornado had a maximum width of 580 yards and tracked nearly 19 miles.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
5 minutes of warning. NWS SHV issued a tornado warning for this county at 13:42 UTC, 5 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 14:03 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 10:17 UTC and running to 16:09 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Wind Advisory | SHV |
| 10:17 UTC | 16:09 UTC | Tornado Watch | SHV |
| 12:45 UTC | 13:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV |
| 13:12 UTC | 14:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV |
| 13:24 UTC | 14:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV |
| 13:42 UTC | 14:03 UTC | Tornado Warning | SHV |
| 13:59 UTC | 14:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 12:57 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Mar 4, 5:22 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 4, 5:22 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
522 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
...New AVIATION...
.UPDATE...
Issued at 453 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
Tornado Watch 18 has been issued until 11 AM CST this morning for
portions of Southeast Oklahoma, Southwest Arkansas, and East
Texas. This is generally north and west of a line from Rusk Texas
to Texarkana Arkansas to Nashville Arkansas. A squall line has
develop and has moved just west of the I-35 corridor of Oklahoma
and North & Central Texas. This line will continue to push
eastward this morning into our forecast area just after daybreak,
with additional isolated convection possible ahead of this line.
All modes of severe weather will be possible, including locally
heavy rainfall. /20/
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Tuesday through Wednesday)
Issued at 322 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
At this hour, a lee-side surface low remains across Eastern
Colorado, with a trailing Pacific origin cold front extending
across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. Ahead of this system, a
dryline extends across the western sections of Oklahoma and Texas.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms has developed along that
dryline and is quickly shifting eastward. In our area, the
increased low-level southerly jet in response to the lee-side low
has resulted in strong gusty southerly winds and a Wind Advisory.
It has also resulted in the development of a warm front, which
has pushed northward into our East Texas zones. Some warm air
advection showers have developed in the vicinity of the warm
front. Eventually the lee-side low will start to kick out into
the Central Plains and the trailing Pacific cold front will catch
up with the dry-line and convection near daybreak. At the same
time, the warm front will continue to lift north and eastward
across the region, along with the associated advection showers.
In wake of the warm front, dew points will rise into the low to
mid 60s which will aid in destabilizing the atmosphere for today's
advertised severe weather event. Models seem to be in good
agreement that the current line of strong to severe thunderstorms
will hold together as it moves into our forecast area. With an
unstable environment expected to be in place, along with deep
layer sheer and steep lapse rates, all modes of severe weather
will be possible with the line as it moves across the region. This
includes locally heavy rainfall as well. There remains the
concern that discrete cells will develop just ahead of the squall
line as it approaches the region. Given the expected
thermodynamics, this could yield strong tornadoes across the
region. The front and squall line is expected to push out of the
region this afternoon.
In wake of the front, the current Wind Advisory will remain in
effect through 9 PM and will likely be extended across portions
of the area into Wednesday. As the aforementioned lee-side low
slowly moves out of the Plains into the Midwest, a strong
pressure gradient will form across the area resulting in continued
gusty conditions. Winds will become sustained from the southwest
between 20 to to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 to 50 mph,
especially across East Texas and remaining zones north of the
Interstate 20 corridor. Current obs and satellite confirm blowing
dust across West Texas this morning behind the convection. The
NASA GMAO Dust model has this dust reaching our area this
afternoon into the early evening hours, so decided to add hazy
conditions to the forecast during this period.
A much stronger cold front will move across the area tonight,
bringing gusty northwest winds and cooler conditions into the
region. Overnight lows will range from the upper 30s north to mid
40s south of Interstate 20. These cooler, drier, and breezy
conditions will remain across the region on Wednesday, with high
temps struggling to reach 60 degrees, despite sunny skies. /20/
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday Night through Tuesday)
Issued at 322 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
Not much has changed in thinking for the long-term period. High pressure
will settle over the area Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
With clear skies and calm winds, overnight lows will fall into the
30s areawide, with near freezing temps possible in locations
north of Interstate 20. Dry conditions will continue through the
end of the work week, but southerly winds will return as the
surface high moves east of the region, resulting in a gradual
warming trend. By the start of next weekend, a closed upper level
trough will move across the Four Corners Region. Flow ahead of
this trough will become southwesterly over the region. Rain
chances will return just after midnight Saturday morning as
disturbances move along the flow, then increase in coverage during
the day as the upper trough and associated cold front move into
the region. Dry and cooler conditions will return Sunday into
early next week, as high pressure and upper-level ridging settle
over the region in wake of the trough. /20/
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 515 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
For the 04/12Z TAFs, strong to severe thunderstorms will progress
from west to east across area airspace this morning and early
afternoon, bringing torrential rains and potentially damaging
wind gusts. The most likely windows of impacts to terminals are
reflected in TEMPO groups with this package. By mid to late
afternoon, impacts will be coming to an end for ArkLaTex airspace.
GIGs will improve dramatically from MVFR and IFR to VFR with the
passage of these storms. South winds will become southwesterly
then westerly through the day today at speeds of 10 to 20 kts with
gusts of up to 30 kts possible, with locally higher values in the
vicinity of stronger storms.
/26/
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Issued at 1215 PM CST Mon Mar 3 2025
Spotter activation will likely be needed beginning around daybreak
Tuesday morning through mid-afternoon.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV 74 45 59 37 / 100 0 0 0
MLU 73 46 59 36 / 100 0 0 0
DEQ 69 38 55 30 / 100 10 0 0
TXK 72 42 57 35 / 100 10 0 0
ELD 70 42 58 32 / 100 0 0 0
TYR 71 43 58 38 / 100 0 0 0
GGG 73 43 59 35 / 100 0 0 0
LFK 74 45 62 38 / 90 0 0 0
&&
.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for ARZ050-051-059>061-
070>073.
LA...Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for LAZ001>006-010>014-
017>022.
OK...Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for OKZ077.
TX...Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for TXZ096-097-108>112-
124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167.
&&
SHORT TERM...20
LONG TERM....20
AVIATION...26In the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 4, 7:22 AM CST, 25 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
722 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 N Mount Vernon 33.22N 95.23W
03/04/2025 Franklin TX Public
Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken;
Shingles blown off.
&&Local storm report, Mar 4, 7:40 AM CST, 7 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
740 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0723 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 5 W Bullard 32.15N 95.40W
03/04/2025 Smith TX Trained Spotter
Storm spotter report of trees down near 344
and 346 (Teaselville, TX).
&&
AECThe air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), 12:00Z
1.8 hours before the tornado, 137 km from the path. March 4, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 21 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -452 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 634 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 63 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 550 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 569 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.7
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.1 K/km
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), 00:00Z
10.2 hours after it, 137 km from the path. March 5, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -14 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 92 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2900 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 63 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 189 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 244 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 9.5 K/km
The radar
The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 13:47 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 8 Sw Deport | Lamar, TX | Social media video showed major wind damage occurred to a solar panel farm near Cunningham. |
| 12:07 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 S Deport | Lamar, TX | *** 1 INJ *** The Paris News reported on CR 16130 near FM 1503 south of Deport a mobile home with one occupant rolled four times and was completely torn apart with one minor injury. |
| 13:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 N Mount Vernon | Franklin, TX | Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken; Shingles blown off. |
| 13:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 N Mount Vernon | Franklin, TX | Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken; Shingles blown off. |
| 13:35 UTC | TSTM WND GST 58 | 4 S Mount Pleasant | Titus, TX | Measured at the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport. |
| 13:38 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne Rocky Mound | Camp, TX | Reports of overturned camper trailers at BigAl Barefoot Bay north of Rochy Mound, TX. Unknown number of injuries reported. |
| 13:38 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 S Mount Pleasant | Titus, TX | Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken; Power poles broken. |
| 13:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 S Pittsburg | Camp, TX | Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken; Shingles blown off. |
| 13:44 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 W Daingerfield | Morris, TX | Tree down on a vehicle in Cason. |
| 13:44 UTC | TORNADO | 6 Sw Omaha | Morris, TX | A NWS Storm Survey concluded that damage across Morris County was consistent with that of an EF-1 Tornado with maximum wind gusts near 88 mph. The tornado first touched down near FM 144, north of Hwy 49 with the storm tr |
| 13:47 UTC | TORNADO | 8 S Avery | Red River, TX | A NWS Storm Survey concluded that damage across extreme eastern Red River County, and Bowie County in Northeast Texas was consistent with an EF-1 Tornado with maximum wind gusts near 100 mph. The tornado first touched do |
| 13:51 UTC | TORNADO | 10 N Naples | Bowie, TX | A NWS Storm Survey concluded that damage across Bowie County was consistent with an EF-1 Tornado with maximum wind gusts near 110 mph. This tornado first began along Hwy. 259 in far southwest Bowie County near the Sulphu |
| 13:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Se Lone Star | Morris, TX | Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken; Power poles broken. |
| 14:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ene De Kalb | Bowie, TX | Reports of roofs taken off houses in De Kalb. No specific locations given. |
| 14:08 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Wnw New Boston | Bowie, TX | Reports of structures damaged in New Boston. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2025 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of March 4, 2025
36 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4 | 4:28 AM CST | EF1 | Carter, OK | 0.5 | 120 | 3 | $500,000 | |
| March 4 | 4:30 AM CST | EF1 | Wise, TX | 3.2 | 250 | $750,000 | ||
| March 4 | 4:43 AM CST | EF0 | Carter, OK | 1.2 | 40 | $100,000 | ||
| March 4 | 5:03 AM CST | EF0 | Pontotoc, OK | 8.8 | 100 | $200,000 | ||
| March 4 | 5:11 AM CST | EF1 | Pontotoc, OK | 3.7 | 200 | 1 | $10 million | |
| March 4 | 5:16 AM CST | EF1 | Pontotoc, OK | 1.0 | 40 | $300,000 | ||
| March 4 | 5:24 AM CST | EF1 | Dallas, TX | 0.4 | 85 | $1.0 million | ||
| March 4 | 5:25 AM CST | EF1 | Pontotoc, OK | 4.8 | 150 | $75,000 | ||
| March 4 | 5:37 AM CST | EF1 | Johnston, OK | 1.6 | 100 | $200,000 | ||
| March 4 | 5:46 AM CST | EF1 | Hughes, OK | 2.9 | 50 | $75,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:06 AM CST | EF1 | Okmulgee, OK | 1.8 | 375 | $80,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:10 AM CST | EF1 | Okmulgee, OK | 3.3 | 350 | $40,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:22 AM CST | EF1 | Okmulgee, OK | 2.7 | 400 | $75,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:25 AM CST | EF0 | Okmulgee, OK | 3.1 | 250 | $10,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:33 AM CST | EF1 | McIntosh, OK | 0.7 | 150 | $20,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:51 AM CST | EF0 | McIntosh, OK | 1.6 | 150 | $50,000 | ||
| March 4 | 7:15 AM CST | EF1 | Franklin, TX | 18.4 | 858 | 3 | $500,000 | |
| March 4 | 7:44 AM CST | EF1 | Morris, TX | 9.0 | 735 | $25,000 | ||
| March 4 | 7:51 AM CST | EF1 | Bowie, TX | 18.9 | 580 | $500,000 | ||
| March 4 | 8:46 AM CST | EF1 | Harrison, TX | 1.0 | 100 | $25,000 | ||
| March 4 | 9:00 AM CST | EF1 | Caddo Parish, LA | 3.9 | 114 | $100,000 | ||
| March 4 | 9:19 AM CST | EF1 | Caddo Parish, LA | 0.8 | 225 | $10,000 | ||
| March 4 | 9:49 AM CST | EF1 | Tyler, TX | 0.5 | 75 | $25,000 | ||
| March 4 | 10:06 AM CST | EF1 | Claiborne Parish, LA | 1.8 | 300 | $100,000 | ||
| March 4 | 10:29 AM CST | EF1 | Sabine, TX | 5.6 | 625 | $10,000 | ||
| March 4 | 11:01 AM CST | EF1 | Vernon Parish, LA | 1.1 | 100 | $20,000 | ||
| March 4 | 11:27 AM CST | Unrated | Vernon Parish, LA | 2.2 | 10 | |||
| March 4 | 11:50 AM CST | EF1 | Rapides Parish, LA | 6.8 | 100 | $270,000 | ||
| March 4 | 12:10 PM CST | EF1 | Caldwell Parish, LA | 0.4 | 200 | $25,000 | ||
| March 4 | 4:52 PM CST | EF1 | Ascension Parish, LA | 1.8 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| March 4 | 5:16 PM CST | EF0 | Saint James Parish, LA | 1.4 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:13 PM CST | EF1 | Plaquemines Parish, LA | 5.5 | 75 | $300,000 | ||
| March 4 | 6:24 PM CST | EF2 | Wayne, MS | 4.0 | 150 | 4 | ||
| March 4 | 6:33 PM CST | EF1 | Plaquemines Parish, LA | 2.8 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| March 4 | 7:55 PM CST | EF1 | George, MS | 0.9 | 30 | |||
| March 4 | 11:06 PM CST | EF0 | Santa Rosa, FL | 0.3 | 75 |
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.