43
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$4.2M
Property damage
Tornado in Quay County, New Mexico: 43 recorded events between 1950 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #537 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Quay County, New Mexico: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Quay County is the 1990s, when 11 of the county's 43 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 Quay County archive, tornado makes up 6.9% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #537 for this hazard and #7 within New Mexico, putting it in the 81.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Quay County with 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-17 | EF2 | 39.8 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1968-06-18 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-11 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1963-07-12 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-06-03 | EF2 | 4.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-03-23 | EF1 | 2.7 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1995-06-02 | EF1 | 11.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-27 | EF1 | 5.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-15 | EF1 | 10.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-07-17 | EF1 | 3.8 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2007 | LOGAN | EF1 | 0 | 12 | $3.5M |
| Jun 28, 1992 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Jul 18, 1972 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Jun 3, 1961 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2023 | NARA VISA | EFU | $0 |
| May 30, 2021 | BARD | EF0 | $0 |
| May 17, 2021 | NARA VISA | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2008 | (TCC)TUCUMCARI ARPT | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 23, 2007 | LOGAN | EF1 | $3.5M |
| Aug 15, 2004 | SAN JON | F0 | $0 |
| May 30, 2001 | RAGLAND | F0 | $0 |
| May 25, 1999 | LOGAN | F0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 1998 | SAN JON | F0 | $0 |
| May 31, 1996 | LOGAN | F0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Quay County
- Hail 349
- Thunderstorm Wind 182
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A small and possibly elevated landspout type tornado developed on the far east end of a rear flank outflow that swung south through east over Logan as a storm centered about 5 miles to the west moved north over Ute Lake. Damage along the track as it moved over the west side of Logan was intermittent with damage indicators pointing to winds of general 80 to 90 mph with peak winds near the south and north ends of the track estimated at 105 mph. Average track width was around 100 yards. Logan had no tornado siren system but citizens reported nearly 30 to 50 minutes notice of an approaching severe thunderstorm. About a dozen injuries were reported with only two transported to Tucumcari for brief treatment in hospital. Heaviest damage was mainly confined to about 50 manufactured homes and recreational vehicles tossed and rolled mainly on the south end of the lake resort community. Damage to site constructed homes and buildings was limited to window, roof and soffit damage except for one 1910 era frame home that lost its roof.
Severe thunderstorms produced large hail and three tornadoes. A small tornado at Rosebud in Harding County ripped down 30 to 40 power poles and damaged utility buildings. A tornado in northern Quay County continued into Hartley County, of the Texas panhandle and lifted up two miles east of Romero. The tornado just north of Glen Rio was brief. Due to the open country no damage occurred with these events. All paths are an estimate. Wind damage northwest of Nara Visa accounted for 70 plus power poles and several out buildings.
Police officer observed a tornado touching the ground for about two minutes near the Tucumcari airport, moving northeast. The Quay County Sun newspaper reported the tornado between the I-40 frontage road (on the south side) and county road 62, and east of county road AK. No damage was reported from this brief tornado as it crossed open fields.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Quay County, New Mexico?
43 tornado events are recorded in Quay County between 1950 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Quay County?
The strongest tornado on record in Quay County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Quay 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 Quay County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/quay-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.