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New Mexico · County tornado history

Curry County, New Mexico tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 57 tornadoes in Curry County, New Mexico from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.3 years. That ranks it 3 of 31 counties in New Mexico with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 29, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
57
Since 2000
19
Strongest
EF2, March 23, 2007
Most recent
EF-U, May 29, 2024
Peak month
June (22)
Per 1,000 sq mi
40
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 Curry County

June has brought the most, 22 of 57. About 75% 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) 34
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
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 Curry County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 23, 2007 EF2 12.4 mi 350 yd 2 33
May 24, 1957 F2 36.5 mi 37 yd
June 11, 1964 F2 23.2 mi 67 yd
June 10, 1964 F1 0.2 mi 50 yd 1
May 18, 1955 F1 0.3 mi 20 yd
June 22, 1959 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 12, 1964 F1 12.6 mi 10 yd
April 16, 1969 F1 0.1 mi 50 yd
April 15, 1971 F1 2 mi 10 yd
June 11, 1971 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 Curry County was an EF2 on March 23, 2007. It killed 2 people and injured 33 along its 12.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 29, 2024 EF-U 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 29, 2024 EF-U 0.1 mi 50 yd
May 24, 2023 EF-U 1.7 mi 40 yd
May 24, 2023 EF-U 2.6 mi 50 yd
May 23, 2023 EF-U 0.5 mi 20 yd
May 17, 2021 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
March 17, 2020 EF0 0.5 mi 100 yd
December 27, 2019 EF1 4.8 mi 100 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 Curry County as relatively low, with a score of 59 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.49 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,614,263 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 Curry County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Curry County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 29, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Curry County?

An EF2 on March 23, 2007, with a 12.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Curry 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.