We get asked by our relocation clients at least once a day about tornadoes. If you're from another part of the country you probably think our tornadoes are as prevalent and as deadly as we imagine California's earthquakes. Here are the stats:
Tornado Facts for Austin and Travis County (including Lakeway, Manor, Lake Travis, Pflugerville)
These stats are from 1953 through May 31, 2005
- Number of Tornadoes: 61
- Largest (F rating) Tornado: F4 on 05/27/1997 in Lakeway
- Deaths Attributed to Tornadoes: 2 (1970 & 1997)
- Injuries Attributed to Tornadoes: 38
- Property Damage: $268 million
Tornado Facts for Williamson County (including Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Jarrell)
These stats are from 1953 through May 31, 2005
- Number of Tornadoes: 52
- Largest (F rating) Tornado: F5 on 05/27/1997 in Jarrell
- Deaths Attributed to Tornadoes: 29 (27 in Jarrell after the F5; 1 in 1989; 1 in 1980)
- Injuries Attributed to Tornadoes: 70
- Property Damage: $117 million
Tornadoes by Magnitude for Travis and Williamson Counties
These stats are from 1953 through May 31, 2005
- F0 - 37
- F1 - 44
- F2 - 19
- F3 - 8
- F4 - 1
- F5 - 1
- Other - 3 (probably F0 or F1)
Source for tornado facts: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
Notice, there were only two deaths in over fifty years due to tornadoes in Travis County. Personally, I have lived in Austin most of my life, and I do not recall a tornado ever touching down inside Austin itself. If you're from out of state, the threat of tornadoes is really quite mild.
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