Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Texas · County tornado history

Carson County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 95 tornadoes in Carson County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.3 a year. That ranks it 12 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 18, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
95
Since 2000
29
Strongest
F4, June 27, 1992
Most recent
EF0, May 18, 2023
Peak month
June (33)
Per 1,000 sq mi
103
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Carson County

June has brought the most, 33 of 95. About 83% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 66
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 11
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

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 Carson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 17, 1970 F4 130 mi 880 yd 1 13
June 27, 1992 F4 20 mi 1,583 yd 7
June 6, 1951 F3 10.4 mi 100 yd 12
October 17, 1971 F3 2.3 mi 100 yd 2
May 29, 2001 F3 10 mi 440 yd
April 30, 1973 F2 0.5 mi 100 yd 3
July 1, 1987 F2 9 mi 150 yd 2
May 16, 1961 F2 0.5 mi 33 yd
May 5, 1967 F2 16.2 mi 100 yd
April 2, 1968 F2 2 mi 33 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Carson County was an F4 on April 17, 1970. It killed 1 person and injured 13 along its 130-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 18, 2023 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
June 19, 2020 EF0 0.4 mi 50 yd
June 19, 2020 EF0 0.7 mi 50 yd
March 30, 2020 EF-U 3.5 mi 50 yd
April 17, 2019 EF-U 2 mi 20 yd
June 12, 2018 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 13, 2016 EF2 5 mi 100 yd
November 16, 2015 EF2 10.4 mi 175 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 Carson County as relatively low, with a score of 41 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.88 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,208,858 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 Carson County had?

95 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 29 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Carson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 18, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Carson County?

An F4 on June 27, 1992, with a 20-mile path.

When is tornado season in Carson County?

June 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.