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Texas · County tornado history

Nueces County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 108 tornadoes in Nueces County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.4 a year. That ranks it 6 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on October 13, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
108
Since 2000
22
Strongest
F3, June 24, 1970
Most recent
EF-U, October 13, 2022
Peak month
August (22)
Per 1,000 sq mi
123
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Nueces County

August has brought the most, 22 of 108. About 60% touched down between 9 am and 3 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) 63
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 31
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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) 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 Nueces County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 24, 1970 F3 1.5 mi 200 yd 1 15
October 24, 2002 F2 2.5 mi 200 yd 1 20
August 9, 1980 F2 5.9 mi 50 yd 3
October 16, 1960 F2 4.7 mi 33 yd 1
May 9, 1968 F2 1.5 mi 10 yd 1
October 23, 1953 F2 4.1 mi 100 yd
April 29, 1961 F2 16 mi 17 yd
June 18, 1961 F2 1 mi 50 yd
September 22, 1967 F2 18.2 mi 200 yd
May 12, 1969 F2 4.9 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 Nueces County was an F3 on June 24, 1970. It killed 1 person and injured 15 along its 1.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 13, 2022 EF-U 0.2 mi 20 yd
August 23, 2022 EF-U 0.1 mi 20 yd
August 1, 2020 EF0 0 mi 20 yd
September 26, 2015 EF0 0.3 mi 25 yd
May 24, 2015 EF1 2.6 mi 100 yd
May 15, 2015 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
June 2, 2013 EF0 0.2 mi 10 yd
May 10, 2012 EF0 1.7 mi 75 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 Nueces County as relatively high, with a score of 96 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.37 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $11,652,966 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 Nueces County had?

108 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 22 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Nueces County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on October 13, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Nueces County?

An F3 on June 24, 1970, with a 1.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Nueces County?

August 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.