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Tornado in Cooke County, Texas
62 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.
Cooke County, Texas, has 62 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 33 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 19 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 26 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 10,090 tornado events recorded in Texas; its 7.1 per 100 square miles compares with 3.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 7 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 26 at (E)F0, 19 at (E)F1, 9 at (E)F2, 5 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 3 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Texas
| Measure | Cooke County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 62 | 10,090 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.1 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 14.7 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 7 | 595 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
9Apr
19May
16Jun
3Jul
2Aug
0Sep
2Oct
5Nov
4Dec
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 62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 May 2025 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2024 | Tornado | EF3 | $15M | — | 7 | 80 | County |
| 25 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $18K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Mar 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $1K | — | — | County |
| 3 May 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2006 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1997 | Tornado | F2 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Nov 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1995 | Tornado | F3 | $600K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1995 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F2 | $50M | — | — | 8 | County |
| 26 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1993 | Tornado | F1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1990 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 1987 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Oct 1976 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Oct 1976 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1975 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 30 Oct 1974 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Oct 1974 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Oct 1974 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Feb 1966 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 1964 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1964 | Tornado | — | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 1963 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1961 | Tornado | F2 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1959 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1959 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 16 | County |
| 20 Jun 1958 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1957 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 1955 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1955 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Cooke County had?
62 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 Cooke County?
19 May 2025 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Cooke County?
The tornado of 26 Apr 1994, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $50M.
How does Cooke County compare with Texas for tornado?
7.1 events per 100 square miles against 3.9 statewide; the county holds 62 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.