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Wyoming · County tornado history

Laramie County, Wyoming tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 126 tornadoes in Laramie County, Wyoming from 1950 through 2024, about 1.7 a year. That ranks it 1 of 23 counties in Wyoming with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on June 26, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
126
Since 2000
39
Strongest
F3, July 16, 1979
Most recent
EF0, June 26, 2023
Peak month
May (42)
Per 1,000 sq mi
47
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 Laramie County

May has brought the most, 42 of 126. About 80% 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) 78
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 34
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
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) 6

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 Laramie County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 16, 1979 F3 8.8 mi 80 yd 1 40
April 23, 1960 F3 17.2 mi 33 yd 1
May 29, 1976 F2 0.2 mi 40 yd
May 29, 1976 F2 0.1 mi 40 yd
May 24, 1990 F2 5 mi 400 yd
May 18, 2010 EF2 1.5 mi 100 yd
June 12, 2017 EF2 15 mi 300 yd
May 27, 2018 EF2 1 mi 500 yd
June 18, 1977 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
August 10, 1953 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 Laramie County was an F3 on July 16, 1979. It killed 1 person and injured 40 along its 8.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 26, 2023 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
June 26, 2023 EF1 3.5 mi 1,000 yd
June 26, 2023 EF1 3.6 mi 1,000 yd
May 27, 2023 EF-U 0.5 mi 50 yd
May 24, 2023 EF-U 0.1 mi 50 yd
August 11, 2019 EF-U 1.3 mi 50 yd
May 6, 2019 EF-U 0.4 mi 30 yd
July 29, 2018 EF0 0.2 mi 50 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 Laramie County as relatively moderate, with a score of 88 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.61 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,331,424 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 Laramie County had?

126 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 39 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Laramie County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on June 26, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Laramie County?

An F3 on July 16, 1979, with a 8.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Laramie 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.