Tornadoes · United States · Texas

Tornadoes in Rusk County, Texas

74 tornadoes have crossed Rusk County since 1950, 25th of the 254 counties in Texas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.0 years. They have killed 3 people and injured 46. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  7. 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.

Now

Tornadoes
74
Deaths
3
Injuries
46
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
EF3, April 13, 2019

The deadliest in Rusk County

  1. EF3, Houston, Cherokee, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties, TexasApril 13, 20192 killed, 20 injured
  2. F3, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties, TexasNovember 22, 19611 killed, 10 injured

The strongest

  1. EF3, Houston, Cherokee, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties, TexasApril 13, 2019EF3, 41.1 mi (66 km)
  2. F3, Cherokee and Rusk counties, TexasApril 6, 2003F3, 38.2 mi (61 km)
  3. F3, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties, TexasNovember 22, 1961F3, 21.9 mi (35 km)
  4. F3, Gregg and Rusk counties, TexasApril 26, 1957F3, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  5. F3, Rusk County, TexasJuly 18, 1954F3, 0.8 mi (1 km)
  6. F3, Rusk County, TexasMarch 3, 1970F3, 0.5 mi (1 km)
  7. EF2, Cherokee, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties, TexasMarch 21, 2022EF2, 37.1 mi (60 km)
  8. F2, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Rusk and Panola counties, TexasFebruary 11, 1965F2, 31.3 mi (50 km)
  9. EF2, Rusk and Panola counties, TexasMarch 27, 2021EF2, 22.3 mi (36 km)
  10. EF2, Rusk County, TexasMay 25, 2015EF2, 19.4 mi (31 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 37 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Rusk County. Each year links to every tornado in Texas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF1
20243EF1
202253EF2
202111EF2
20201EF1
20191220EF3
20175EF2
20151EF2
20138EF1
201241EF1
20114EF1
20091EF0
20083EF1
200326F3
20021F1
20011F1
19991F2
19914F2
19903F2
19891F1
19851F0
19801F1
19763F1
19751F1
197411F1
19731F1
19701F3
19692F1
19683F2
19651F2
19631F1
19612110F3
19591F1
195814F2
19571F3
19541F3
19531F1

Every tornado that crossed Rusk County

74 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
October 28, 20253:22 PM CDTEF1Gregg2.5169$140,000
July 8, 20242:19 PM CDTEF1Harrison9.8215$85,000
July 8, 20242:08 PM CDTEF0Gregg3.1270$100,000
July 8, 20241:06 PM CDTEF0Rusk3.7390
May 5, 20222:25 PM CDTEF1Rusk3.3350$175,000
May 5, 20222:04 PM CDTEF1Rusk8.3500
May 5, 20221:45 PM CDTEF2Rusk8.61,0001$100,000
March 21, 202212:08 AM CDTEF2Rusk11.95001$550,000
March 21, 202211:16 PM CDTEF2Cherokee37.11,4001$1.8 million
March 27, 20216:58 PM CDTEF2Rusk22.33001$260,000
January 10, 202011:43 PM CSTEF1Rusk4.2500$80,000
April 13, 20191:00 PM CDTEF3Houston41.1880220$11 million
December 19, 20177:31 PM CSTEF2Rusk6.41,300$125,000
May 28, 20175:07 PM CDTEF1Gregg4.6400$35,000
May 11, 20178:33 PM CDTEF2Nacogdoches4.6800$1.0 million
May 11, 20177:03 PM CDTEF1Rusk5.3280$15,000
April 10, 20177:35 PM CDTEF1Smith1.8250$25,000
May 25, 20156:47 PM CDTEF2Rusk19.4600$250,000
February 18, 20136:19 PM CSTEF1Rusk0.020$10,000
February 18, 20136:12 PM CSTEF0Rusk0.020$5,000
February 18, 20136:01 PM CSTEF0Rusk0.010
February 18, 20135:48 PM CSTEF1Rusk2.060$30,000
February 18, 20135:27 PM CSTEF0Rusk1.215
February 18, 20135:27 PM CSTEF0Rusk1.630
February 18, 20135:18 PM CSTEF0Rusk0.020
February 18, 20135:13 PM CSTEF0Rusk0.730
April 11, 20123:22 PM CDTEF0Rusk0.925
April 11, 20122:51 PM CDTEF0Rusk1.735
January 25, 201210:47 AM CSTEF0Rusk6.5100
January 25, 201210:32 AM CSTEF1Rusk1.51751$100,000
November 8, 20113:34 PM CSTEF0Rusk6.470
November 8, 20112:02 PM CSTEF1Nacogdoches12.3150
April 26, 20116:35 PM CDTEF1Rusk13.9100$10,000
February 1, 20116:10 AM CSTEF1Rusk0.6100$60,000
December 23, 20097:16 PM CSTEF0Rusk0.1150
May 14, 20089:30 AM CDTEF1Rusk4.3300$200,000
May 2, 200811:21 AM CDTEF1Rusk6.4100$50,000
March 18, 20088:36 PM CDTEF1Rusk20.5300$3.5 million
April 6, 20031:30 PM CDTF3Cherokee38.2440$9.0 million
April 6, 200312:45 PM CDTF2Rusk4.92206$2.3 million
March 30, 20024:42 PM CSTF1Cherokee33.0150
March 12, 20013:36 AM CSTF1Rusk15.8300$305 million
May 4, 19993:03 PM CDTF2Gregg2.2117$6.0 million
April 28, 19914:50 PM CDTF1Rusk0.210$5,000 to $50,000
April 26, 19918:22 PM CDTF1Rusk0.210$500 to $5,000
April 26, 19918:00 PM CDTF2Rusk0.210$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 19917:40 PM CDTF2Rusk3.0100$5,000 to $50,000
May 30, 19908:35 PM CDTF2Rusk0.210
May 30, 19907:41 PM CDTF2Rusk0.210
May 30, 19907:15 PM CDTF2Rusk1.5100
June 7, 19895:35 PM CDTF1Rusk3.0220
April 28, 198510:20 AM CDTF0Rusk0.530
April 11, 19804:50 PM CSTF1Rusk0.110$500 to $5,000
July 18, 19766:30 PM CDTF1Rusk0.110$500 to $5,000
May 14, 19762:05 PM CDTF1Rusk0.110
May 14, 19761:50 PM CDTF1Rusk0.110
July 28, 19755:30 PM CDTF1Rusk0.110$5,000 to $50,000
January 27, 197410:30 PM CDTF1Rusk0.1101$50,000 to $500,000
March 10, 197310:00 AM CSTF1Rusk0.120$500 to $5,000
March 3, 19707:30 AM CSTF3Rusk0.567$5,000 to $50,000
July 15, 196910:00 AM GMT-5F0Rusk0.1100
April 27, 196911:15 AM GMT-5F1Rusk1.520$50 to $500
December 27, 196812:00 PM GMT-6F2Rusk1.017
December 22, 196812:00 PM GMT-6F1Rusk1.0300$5,000 to $50,000
December 12, 19681:30 PM GMT-6F2Rusk2.050
February 11, 196510:30 AM GMT-6F2Nacogdoches31.310$50,000 to $500,000
June 3, 19638:15 PM GMT-5F1Rusk2.033
November 22, 19618:30 AM GMT-6F3Nacogdoches21.9150110$50,000 to $500,000
March 3, 19613:00 PM GMT-6F0Rusk0.317$500 to $5,000
April 1, 19591:10 AM GMT-6F1Rusk2.0167$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 19588:50 PM GMT-5F2Rusk2.3504$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 19577:15 AM GMT-6F3Gregg1.010$5,000 to $50,000
July 18, 19547:40 PM GMT-5F3Rusk0.8880$5,000 to $50,000
February 19, 19533:00 PM GMT-6F1Rusk0.110$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Rusk CountyThe forecast for Rusk CountyThe live radar over Rusk CountyEvery county in 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.