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Texas · County tornado history

Reeves County, Texas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 48 tornadoes in Reeves County, Texas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 78 of 254 counties in Texas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on March 13, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
48
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F4, May 22, 1987
Most recent
EF-U, March 13, 2020
Peak month
May (24)
Per 1,000 sq mi
18
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 Reeves County

May has brought the most, 24 of 48. About 83% touched down between 2 pm and 8 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) 32
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
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 Reeves County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 22, 1987 F4 3 mi 1,000 yd 30 121
April 26, 1974 F2 0.5 mi 110 yd 12
May 17, 1962 F2 2 mi 67 yd 3
June 13, 1954 F2 25 mi 133 yd 1
May 5, 1955 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
May 22, 1992 F2 5 mi 400 yd
April 30, 1999 F2 1 mi 170 yd
May 23, 2010 EF2 4 mi 300 yd
May 20, 1972 F1 2 mi 20 yd 1
May 7, 1959 F1 8 mi 33 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Reeves County was an F4 on May 22, 1987. It killed 30 people and injured 121 along its 3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 13, 2020 EF-U 9 mi 300 yd
May 18, 2015 EF0 3.6 mi 150 yd
May 18, 2015 EF0 1.4 mi 100 yd
May 23, 2010 EF2 4 mi 300 yd
October 5, 2004 F0 0.1 mi 50 yd
June 5, 2004 F0 1 mi 50 yd
June 5, 2004 F0 0.7 mi 30 yd
April 3, 2004 F0 0.1 mi 25 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 Reeves County as very low, with a score of 19 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.47 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $171,045 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 Reeves County had?

48 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Reeves County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on March 13, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Reeves County?

An F4 on May 22, 1987, with a 3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Reeves 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.