59
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
29
Direct injuries
$3.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Eddy County, New Mexico: 59 recorded events between 1959 and 2019. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #257 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Eddy County, New Mexico: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Eddy County is the 1990s, when 27 of the county's 59 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 Eddy County archive, tornado makes up 5.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #257 for this hazard and #3 within New Mexico, putting it in the 91.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Eddy County with 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-03-12 | EF2 | 14.7 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-07 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 73 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-05-31 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 283 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-04-30 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-11 | EF1 | 10.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-10 | EF1 | 8.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-07-05 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1979-05-20 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-04-15 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-04-04 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 167 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 1991 | F2 | 0 | 21 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 8, 1992 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| May 1, 1976 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2019 | HOPE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 13, 2019 | MALAGA | EF2 | $20K |
| Sep 17, 2016 | CARLSBAD | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 15, 2016 | HOPE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2014 | OTIS | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2010 | ESPUELA | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2009 | WHITES CITY | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 26, 2007 | LAKEWOOD | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 24, 2007 | LAKEWOOD | EF0 | $0 |
| May 30, 2006 | WHITES CITY | F0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Eddy County
- Hail 547
- Thunderstorm Wind 218
- Flash Flood 217
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A supercell thunderstorm moved southeast across Eddy County and produced a weak tornado approximately 17 miles north northeast of Carlsbad, NM. Eyewitness reports from a storm spotter in the area indicate the tornado began around 5:50 pm CDT and lasted only a few minutes. This tornado, rated an EF0, touched down in open fields and no damage was reported.
The public reported the first brief touchdown of this tornado at 1825 MST about 12 miles southeast of Whites City, NM. Here, there were 2 tree limbs found within the path of the tornado in addition to golf ball size hail associated with the storm. At 1842, a trained weather spotter from the local media reported a tornado about 10 miles south southwest of Malaga, NM. The position of the report was adjusted slightly according to radar. Please see the attached photos for images of the tornado.
A supercell thunderstorm with a well-defined wall cloud produced at least two brief tornadoes. Two barns lost their roofs due to strong winds. Numerous funnel clouds were also reported. Reports came from a SKYWARN Spotter.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Eddy County, New Mexico?
59 tornado events are recorded in Eddy County between 1959 and 2019, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Eddy County?
The strongest tornado on record in Eddy County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Eddy 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 Eddy County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/eddy-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.