States › Texas › Orange County › Tornado
Tornado in Orange County, Texas
31 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 31 tornado events in Orange County, Texas, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 21 years.
October is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 6 events against 5 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.3% of the 10,090 tornado events recorded in Texas; its 9.3 per 100 square miles compares with 3.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 10 at (E)F0, 16 at (E)F1, 4 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Texas
| Measure | Orange County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 31 | 10,090 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 9.3 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 595 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | October | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
4Feb
2Mar
1Apr
3May
1Jun
4Jul
5Aug
0Sep
3Oct
6Nov
2Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 31 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 24 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Oct 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Oct 2021 | Tornado | EF2 | $3.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 May 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jan 1995 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Nov 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Sep 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1978 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Mar 1973 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 1973 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 1972 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 1970 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Oct 1968 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Sep 1967 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 1966 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Feb 1966 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Nov 1957 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | 1 | 81 | County |
| 30 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Feb 1952 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Orange County had?
31 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Orange County?
24 Jan 2023 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Orange County?
The tornado of 27 Oct 2021, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $3.0M.
How does Orange County compare with Texas for tornado?
9.3 events per 100 square miles against 3.9 statewide; the county holds 31 of the state's 10,090 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.