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Texas · County tornado history

Bell County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 72 tornadoes in Bell County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.0 years. That ranks it 25 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 23, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
72
Since 2000
21
Strongest
EF3, April 12, 2022
Most recent
EF-U, May 23, 2024
Peak month
May (31)
Per 1,000 sq mi
66
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Bell County

May has brought the most, 31 of 72. About 69% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 27
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 22
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 17
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Bell County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 26, 1976 F3 2 mi 100 yd 2 7
April 12, 2022 EF3 16.6 mi 770 yd 23
March 14, 1990 F3 9 mi 50 yd
May 27, 1997 F3 3.7 mi 150 yd
May 27, 1997 F3 1.4 mi 273 yd
May 6, 1955 F2 10.1 mi 33 yd 1 1
May 22, 2024 EF2 2.8 mi 420 yd 30
April 28, 1963 F2 0.5 mi 50 yd 3
May 7, 1975 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 2
March 21, 1955 F2 3.6 mi 17 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Bell County was an F3 on May 26, 1976. It killed 2 people and injured 7 along its 2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 23, 2024 EF-U 0 mi 20 yd
May 22, 2024 EF1 2.2 mi 100 yd
May 22, 2024 EF2 2.8 mi 420 yd 30
April 28, 2023 EF1 14.8 mi 1,400 yd 2
April 12, 2022 EF0 3.7 mi 120 yd
April 12, 2022 EF3 16.6 mi 770 yd 23
March 21, 2022 EF2 34.6 mi 600 yd
March 21, 2022 EF1 9.3 mi 300 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Bell County as relatively high, with a score of 99 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.62 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $32,362,257 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Bell County had?

72 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 21 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Bell County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 23, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Bell County?

An EF3 on April 12, 2022, with a 16.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Bell County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.