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Texas · County tornado history

Colorado County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 31 tornadoes in Colorado County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.4 years. That ranks it 139 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on May 3, 2019.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
31
Since 2000
5
Strongest
F3, March 28, 1966
Most recent
EF0, May 3, 2019
Peak month
May (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Colorado County

May has brought the most, 7 of 31. About 39% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 26% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Colorado County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 28, 1966 F3 9.3 mi 1,760 yd
May 10, 2012 EF2 0.6 mi 150 yd 8
February 4, 1964 F2 3.8 mi 880 yd 1
July 6, 1954 F2 4.5 mi 50 yd
June 5, 1955 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
September 21, 1967 F2 1 mi 33 yd
February 25, 1971 F2 0.5 mi 50 yd
January 14, 1991 F1 1.5 mi 250 yd 1 11
September 8, 1962 F1 1 mi 33 yd
September 19, 1967 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Colorado County was an F1 on January 14, 1991. It killed 1 person and injured 11 along its 1.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 3, 2019 EF0 0.5 mi 20 yd
October 31, 2018 EF0 1.4 mi 100 yd
May 10, 2012 EF2 0.6 mi 150 yd 8
December 23, 2002 F0 0.3 mi 20 yd
November 12, 2000 F0 0.5 mi 50 yd
August 29, 1999 F0 0.5 mi 50 yd
May 21, 1997 F0 0.2 mi 23 yd
March 13, 1995 F0 0.1 mi 10 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 Colorado County as relatively moderate, with a score of 71 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.60 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,824,932 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 Colorado County had?

31 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 5 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Colorado County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on May 3, 2019. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Colorado County?

An F3 on March 28, 1966, with a 9.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Colorado 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.