Deadliest Tornadoes in Texas History

Q: What are the worst tornadoes in Texas’ history in regards to death and damages?

A:  The one at the top of the list has to be the Wichita Falls tornado of April 10, 1979, says Brent McRoberts of Texas A&M University. “It did an estimated $400 million damage in 1979 dollars, destroying over 3,000 homes, 1,000 apartment units and over 100 businesses were damaged,” he reports. “About 20,000 residents were left homeless, meaning between 10 to 20 percent of the city’s population was displaced. It killed 45 people, and another tornado the same day killed 11 in nearby Vernon. No tornado since then has done such extreme damage.”

Q: What are some other deadly tornadoes?

A:    May 11 seems to be a deadly day, McRoberts says. “On May 11, 1953, 114 people were killed by the devastating twister that struck Waco, and on May 11, 1970, a tornado in Lubbock killed 28,” he adds. “Other deadly tornadoes have also come in May. On May 15, 1902, a tornado struck Goliad and killed 114, on May 22, 1987, 30 were killed in Saragosa, and on May 27, 1997, 30 persons lost their lives when a twister hit Jarrell. On May 15, 1896, a tornado hit Sherman and killed 73, while on April 12, 1927, 74 people lost their lives when a tornado hit Rock Springs. On average, there are about 80 deaths each year in the United States attributed to about 1,000 tornadoes each year, and about 8 lives are lost in Texas. Violent tornadoes account for only 2 percent of all tornadoes, but they account for 70 percent of the fatalities. Also, most of the deaths from tornadoes come from flying debris.”

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