Waco, TX Tornado History — 102 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Waco, TX had?
Waco has had 102 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 6 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Waco?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Waco was an EF0 on June 11, 2025.
When is tornado season in Waco?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Waco, with 23 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Waco
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 21 total, averaging 1.1 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Waco
126 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Waco since 1950, across 3 events. 723 injuries have been reported across all events. 1953 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F5 on May 11, 1953, which caused 114 fatalities along a 20.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Waco
About Tornadoes in Waco
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
The tornado that defines Waco's severe-weather history arrived on May 11, 1953: an F5 that tore through the downtown business district, killing 114 people, injuring 597, and grinding along a track close to twenty-one miles long. That disaster helped push the United States toward modern tornado warning practice. Waco sits on the Brazos River where the Blackland Prairie opens into central Texas, level ground that offers little resistance to storms riding north on Gulf of Mexico moisture.
Violent days have punctuated the decades since. An F4 struck on April 1, 1959, killing 6 people and injuring 31 as its funnel widened to roughly a mile. The spring of 1973 brought an F4 on March 10 that killed 6 and injured 77 along a roughly twenty-three-mile path, and an F5 followed on May 7. More recently, an EF1 on May 23, 2024, injured 2 people.
What stands out locally is the seasonal rhythm. Spring, from April into May, is the primary window, when the dryline sharpens to the west and warm, humid Gulf air streams overhead beneath strong jet-stream winds. Autumn brings a quieter second act as cold fronts sweep the prairie — an F2 struck on October 13, 1981, and an F1 tracked through the area on November 13, 1972. The live event list and detailed breakdowns elsewhere on this page draw on the severe-weather database maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.