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Texas · County tornado history

Cottle County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 37 tornadoes in Cottle County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 114 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on March 22, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
37
Since 2000
19
Strongest
EF3, April 22, 2010
Most recent
EF-U, March 22, 2021
Peak month
May (22)
Per 1,000 sq mi
41
FEMA tornado risk
Very 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 Cottle County

May has brought the most, 22 of 37. About 70% touched down between 4 pm and 10 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) 24
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 1
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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) 5

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 Cottle County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 1, 1954 F3 13.4 mi 267 yd 1 14
April 22, 2010 EF3 12.2 mi 975 yd
May 8, 1956 F2 1 mi 67 yd
May 21, 1966 F2 2 mi 880 yd
April 12, 1967 F2 2 mi 50 yd
May 31, 1971 F2 2 mi 67 yd
April 22, 2010 EF2 9 mi 1,300 yd
May 31, 1962 F1 2 mi 33 yd
May 4, 1961 F0 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 4, 1962 F0 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 Cottle County was an F3 on June 1, 1954. It killed 1 person and injured 14 along its 13.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 22, 2021 EF-U 0 mi 20 yd
March 12, 2021 EF-U 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 20, 2019 EF0 1.9 mi 20 yd
May 20, 2019 EF-U 0.2 mi 10 yd
May 10, 2017 EF-U 1.1 mi 25 yd
May 10, 2017 EF-U 0 mi 10 yd
May 30, 2012 EF0 4.8 mi 200 yd
May 30, 2012 EF0 0.6 mi 30 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 Cottle County as very low, with a score of 18 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.55 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $112,181 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 Cottle County had?

37 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 19 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Cottle County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on March 22, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Cottle County?

An EF3 on April 22, 2010, with a 12.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Cottle 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.