62
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
107
Direct injuries
$69.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Cooke County, Texas: 62 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #221 nationally and #42 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Cooke County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Cooke County is the 1990s, when 18 of the county's 62 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Cooke County archive, tornado makes up 8.7% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #221 for this hazard and #42 within Texas, putting it in the 92.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Cooke County with 20 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-25 | EF3 | 47.3 mi | 1,400 yd | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-07 | EF3 | 34.1 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-07 | EF3 | 26.0 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1959-03-31 | EF3 | 6.8 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 1955-04-06 | EF3 | 15.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-05-25 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 73 yd | Touched down here |
| 1994-04-26 | EF2 | 16.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-03-27 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 320 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-10-30 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-10-28 | EF2 | 3.3 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2024 | PRAIRIE PT | EF3 | 7 | 80 | $15.0M |
| Apr 1, 1959 | F3 | 0 | 16 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 26, 1994 | Gainesville to 8 NE G | F2 | 0 | 8 | $50.0M |
| Mar 28, 1975 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Oct 30, 1974 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2025 | MUENSTER | EFU | $0 |
| May 26, 2024 | MOUNTAIN SPGS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 26, 2024 | PRAIRIE PT | EF3 | $15.0M |
| Dec 13, 2022 | CALLISBURG | EF0 | $30K |
| Mar 21, 2022 | LEO | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2017 | VALLEY VIEW | EF0 | $0 |
| May 9, 2015 | GAINESVILLE MUNI ARP | EF0 | $0 |
| May 25, 2011 | ERA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 11, 2011 | BURNS CITY | EF0 | $18K |
| Sep 9, 2010 | LINDSAY | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cooke County
- Hail 353
- Thunderstorm Wind 218
- Flash Flood 66
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Montague County tornado continued moving northeast into Cooke County three miles northeast of Saint Jo, then across northwest Cooke County to near Bulcher before dissipating. The tornado heavily damaged or destroyed seven homes, damaged or destroyed numerous barns, outbuildings, telephone and power lines, and trees.
The tornado formed just northwest of the intersection of FM 371 and Cooke County Road 122, about 2 miles northwest of Callisburg. One residence just west of FM 371 sustained minor roof damage, a window broken due to a snapped tree limb, and a storage door buckled in. Substantial tree damage also occurred on the property surrounding this residence. The tornado crossed FM 371 and moved northeast through a grove of trees for approximately 400 yards. Substantial tree damage was observed within this part of the track. The tornado dissipated after transiting this grove of trees. Maximum estimated winds were 85 mph.
Tornado number three touched down 4 miles northwest of Gainesville. It then moved into Oklahoma, 6 miles north-northwest of Gainesville (5S Thackerville, OK). A mobile home and a storage shed were heavily damaged northwest of Gainesville.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Cooke County, Texas?
62 tornado events are recorded in Cooke County between 1955 and 2025, causing 7 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Cooke County?
The strongest tornado on record in Cooke County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Cooke County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Cooke County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/cooke-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.