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Tornado in Bell County, Texas
72 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Bell County, Texas, has 72 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 35 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 31 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 15 events against 23 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 10,090 tornado events recorded in Texas; its 6.8 per 100 square miles compares with 3.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 3 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 27 at (E)F0, 22 at (E)F1, 16 at (E)F2, 5 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 2 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Texas
| Measure | Bell County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 72 | 10,090 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.8 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.9 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 3 | 595 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
1Mar
11Apr
13May
31Jun
0Jul
0Aug
7Sep
2Oct
2Nov
3Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 72 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $5.0M | — | — | 30 | County |
| 22 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $550K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $2.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 12 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | — | 23 | County |
| 12 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jan 2007 | Tornado | F0 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Nov 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Mar 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 2000 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1997 | Tornado | F1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1997 | Tornado | F3 | $900K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1997 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Mar 1997 | Tornado | F1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F2 | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1992 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 1990 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 1989 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 1 Oct 1988 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1986 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 1981 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 9 May 1981 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1976 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1976 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1976 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | 2 | 7 | County |
| 26 May 1976 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1976 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1975 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 23 May 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Oct 1972 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 1971 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 1971 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1969 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 1967 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1967 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1967 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 1965 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1963 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 29 May 1960 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 1958 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 1956 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 1956 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1955 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 21 Mar 1955 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1955 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Bell County had?
72 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Bell County?
23 May 2024 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Bell County?
The tornado of 22 May 2024, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5.0M.
How does Bell County compare with Texas for tornado?
6.8 events per 100 square miles against 3.9 statewide; the county holds 72 of the state's 10,090 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.