137
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$257K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Otero County, Colorado: 137 recorded events between 1957 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 81. That places the county #1,694 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Otero County, Colorado: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Otero County is the 2010s, when 31 of the county's 137 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 Otero County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 30.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,694 for this hazard and #14 within Colorado, putting it in the 46.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Otero County with 49 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2016 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 65 | 1 | 0 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2024 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2024 | FOWLER | 58 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2024 | MANZANOLA | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | CHERAW | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 63 | $0 |
| May 19, 2024 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 64 | $0 |
| May 4, 2024 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 57 | $0 |
| Oct 1, 2023 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 29, 2023 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2023 | (LHX)LA JUNTA ARPT | 69 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Otero County
- Hail 219
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An intense thunderstorm wind gust occurred on County Road R, hitting a ranch. Major damage occurred to a 50-foot long shed, which damaged a truck inside. Debris from the shed was thrown several hundred feet to the east. Other farm equipment sustained damage as well. Several corrals were destroyed.
Damaging straight-line winds moved through mainly northern La Junta. Hardest hit was the Fair View Cemetery, on the northwest side of town, where about 25 large trees were damaged or uprooted. Spotty roof and sign damage occurred on the north side of La Junta.
Damaging winds moved through the industrial park and airport complex north of La Junta. Several windows were blown out of the municipal golf course clubhouse. A partially erected building in the complex was destroyed. The roof of a restroom facility was blown off. Several trees were uprooted. A trailer just south of the complex was blown on its side.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Otero County, Colorado?
137 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Otero County between 1957 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Otero County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Otero County measured 81.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Otero 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Otero County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/otero-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.