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Tornado in Cameron County, Texas
68 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.
Cameron County, Texas, has 68 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 36 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 15 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 16 events against 26 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 7.6 per 100 square miles compares with 3.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 48 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 2 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 4 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Texas
| Measure | Cameron County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 68 | 10,090 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.6 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.6 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 595 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
1Apr
7May
15Jun
7Jul
8Aug
13Sep
8Oct
2Nov
5Dec
1
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 68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 2025 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2023 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | 1 | 11 | County |
| 26 Jul 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Nov 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2002 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | $2K | — | — | County |
| 4 Nov 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Tornado | F1 | $45K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Dec 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Sep 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1991 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Nov 1989 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Nov 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Nov 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 1980 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 1976 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1976 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 1973 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 1972 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 1970 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1970 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1969 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1969 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1969 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 1968 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1968 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 1967 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 1967 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Feb 1957 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 1953 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Cameron County had?
68 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 Cameron County?
27 Oct 2025 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Cameron County?
The tornado of 9 Aug 1980, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Cameron County compare with Texas for tornado?
7.6 events per 100 square miles against 3.9 statewide; the county holds 68 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.