The National Weather Service in Fort Worth confirms seven tornadoes from Sunday night's major storms that left significant damage across parts of North Texas. In rural southern Palo Pinto County, an EF-1 tornado was surveyed near Gordon, Texas, with estimated peak winds at 105 mph.
Six other tornadoes were confirmed by NWS survey teams that left several people injured.
What You Need To Know
- 7 tornadoes are confirmed in the May 18, 2025 tornado outbreak
- Texas ranks fourth in total tornado reports so far this year
- Texas ranks first in total severe weather reports including wind, hail and tornadoes
- The Southern Plains experiences two severe weather seasons each year: one in the spring, one in the fall
Data from NOAA shows that every county in the state has reported a tornado between 1950 and 2024. Harris County ranks first in large part to tropical systems and daily land and sea interaction. While severe weather is to be expected this time of the year in the Southern Plains, the number of confirmed tornadoes appears high.
The most recent tornado survey from tornadoes on May 18 in North Texas brings the preliminary confirmed number this year to 87 tornadoes. This puts Texas in fourth place for the most number of tornadoes this year.
Mississippi and Illinois take the top spot with more than 90 reports. The United States sees more tornadoes each year than any other country due to our competing air masses. These numbers are preliminary and subject to change once a final report is issued in 2026. In 2024, Texas reported 169 tornadoes with four of them being EF-2.
While tornadoes are destructive, they are not the only severe weather element we face in Texas. When you account for the hail and wind threat along with the aforementioned tornadoes, there is a clear leader in severe weather impacts.
More than 1,000 total reports have been accounted for this year. That far surpasses Missouri and Alabama. May is typically the peak of severe weather around this part of the country. However, Texas is unique in that we have two severe weather seasons every year. Of course the one in the spring, but also in the fall.
However, Mother Nature doesn't care what time of the year it is. If the environment is right, tornadoes can happen any time of the year.
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