The 5 Worst Tornadoes In Dallas History

For some, living within Tornado Alley is nothing more than a burden that manifests in the Purge-like tester sirens that ring out on the first Wednesday of every month. For others, particularly those in the especially flat prairies, Spring is a time to keep one eye locked on any suspicious clouds in the sky.

If May 18 was any indication, the peak of tornado season is upon us. That's when the National Weather Service confirmed seven tornadoes touched down across the region. One particularly righteous cyclone, in the small town of Gordon, located on the farthest West side of Tarrant County, reached 105 mph, damaging at least 31 homes and cancelling school for the week.

“Last night in Gordon, Texas, a powerful tornado ripped through this small rural community, leaving a path of destruction in its wake,” officials with the Emergency Services District said in a Facebook post. “While thankfully there were only minor injuries reported, the property damage tells a different story, with homes and buildings bearing the brunt of nature’s fury.”

While tragedy seems to strike often in small, far-off towns like Gordon, tornadoes do occasionally hit Dallas, and they wreak just as much havoc. Here’s a list of the five worst twisters to hit Dallas County:

1. May 9, 1927

Nearly a hundred years ago, a day-long tornado ripped through the Southeastern United States. Two separate twisters hit Garland before completely wiping out the small town of Nevada.

"A pile of splintered ruins tonight is what yesterday was the town of Nevada," reported the Associated Press.

In total, the National Weather Service (NWS) estimates 15 people in Dallas County and 19 in Collin County died in the deadliest tornado storm to ever hit North Texas.

2. April 2, 1957

To this day, the 1957 tornado remains the most destructive and noteworthy to touch Dallas city limits. The twister traveled 16 miles between Oak Cliff and West Dallas in about 40 minutes, killing 10, injuring 200, and leaving 500 Dallasites homeless. At the time, property losses were estimated to be $4 million.

Storm sirens were not installed in Dallas until 1959, and many residents had no idea the tornado was coming, and didn’t receive nearly enough attention, according to a story from the Observer.

“There’s no memorial; nothing commemorating the 10 people that died," Mark Doty, a Dallas historian, said to the Observer. "I think that’s kind of sad, because if you read through the accounts. … I mean, three children from one family were killed.”

3. December 26, 2015

An extremely rare winter tornado hit Garland the day after Christmas just ten years ago. There were 10 recorded deaths in the tragedy. It is the deadliest tornado to hit Dallas County in the last 50 years.

@NWSFortWorth just confirmed 10th tornado on 12/26. Brings 2015 to 74...most tornadoes NTX has ever seen in a year: pic.twitter.com/wMnfRjJ0rI

— Pete Delkus (@wfaaweather) December 30, 2015

4. July 30, 1933

This tornado didn’t move very far, only about two miles, but it created $500,000 worth of damage at the time and killed 4 people in Oak Cliff. The unexpected tornado came after the end of tornado season, in the driest part of the Texas summer.

5. April 25, 1994

In the mid-'90s, a strong tornado hit Lancaster on the far south side of Dallas County. The tornado caused three deaths and destroyed roughly 80% of Lancaster’s downtown center.

And, a Notable Recent Tornado:

October 20, 2019

Far outside peak tornado season, a powerful tornado with winds up to 140 mph ripped through Dallas, starting at Love Field and ending 15 miles away in Garland. Though there were no fatalities, the tornado caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damages.