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Texas · County tornado history

Randall County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 88 tornadoes in Randall County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about 1.2 a year. That ranks it 16 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on March 13, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
88
Since 2000
27
Strongest
F4, April 17, 1970
Most recent
EF0, March 13, 2021
Peak month
May (42)
Per 1,000 sq mi
95
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 Randall County

May has brought the most, 42 of 88. About 80% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 59
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

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 Randall County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 17, 1970 F4 130 mi 880 yd 1 13
May 9, 1982 F3 8.2 mi 40 yd 1
May 5, 2002 F2 5 mi 150 yd 2 4
May 7, 1995 F2 12 mi 200 yd 1 12
May 24, 1957 F2 70.1 mi 33 yd
June 14, 1962 F2 1.4 mi 67 yd
June 15, 1967 F2 0.1 mi 33 yd
June 5, 1971 F2 0.3 mi 50 yd
May 25, 1987 F2 6 mi 150 yd
May 25, 1987 F2 2 mi 150 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Randall County was an F2 on May 5, 2002. It killed 2 people and injured 4 along its 5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 13, 2021 EF0 13 mi 1,000 yd
March 13, 2021 EF0 3.2 mi 50 yd
March 13, 2021 EF1 8.2 mi 800 yd
March 13, 2021 EF1 3.5 mi 100 yd
March 13, 2021 EF1 2.5 mi 500 yd
March 13, 2021 EF2 21.2 mi 1,000 yd
July 11, 2020 EF0 0.1 mi 45 yd
May 23, 2019 EF0 0.3 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 Randall County as relatively high, with a score of 96 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.85 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $18,004,910 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 Randall County had?

88 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 27 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Randall County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on March 13, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Randall County?

An F4 on April 17, 1970, with a 130-mile path.

When is tornado season in Randall 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.