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Tornado in Wheeler County, Texas
59 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.
NCEI records 59 tornado events in Wheeler County, Texas, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 27 years.
May is the busiest month, with 30 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 14 events against 28 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 6.5 per 100 square miles compares with 3.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 31 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 7 at (E)F2, 6 at (E)F3, 3 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Texas
| Measure | Wheeler County | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 59 | 10,090 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.5 | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 119.7 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 595 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
2Mar
1Apr
9May
30Jun
14Jul
2Aug
1Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec
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 59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | $32K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2025 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Feb 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Feb 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2017 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Tornado | F2 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F2 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1997 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1997 | Tornado | F3 | $1.7M | — | — | 13 | County |
| 11 Jun 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1995 | Tornado | F4 | $8.0M | $2.0M | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1995 | Tornado | F4 | $2.0M | $1.0M | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1993 | Tornado | F1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1991 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1990 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1990 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1990 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 24 Apr 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1980 | Tornado | F2 | $250 | — | — | 6 | County |
| 20 May 1978 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1977 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1977 | Tornado | F3 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1969 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1969 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1969 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 1968 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 1967 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1965 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 7 May 1965 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1955 | Tornado | F4 | $25K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 18 Apr 1955 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Wheeler County had?
59 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 Wheeler County?
25 Jun 2026 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Wheeler County?
The tornado of 8 Jun 1995, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $8.0M and crop damage at $2.0M.
How does Wheeler County compare with Texas for tornado?
6.5 events per 100 square miles against 3.9 statewide; the county holds 59 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.