54
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$153K
Property damage
Tornado in Dawson County, Texas: 54 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #323 nationally and #65 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Dawson County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Dawson County is the 1980s, when 15 of the county's 54 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 Dawson County archive, tornado makes up 14.4% of all recorded severe weather across 4 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #323 for this hazard and #65 within Texas, putting it in the 89.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Dawson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-06-19 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-08 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-05-31 | EF2 | 18.6 mi | 67 yd | Crossed in |
| 1965-06-08 | EF2 | 19.4 mi | 17 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-29 | EF1 | 4.4 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-29 | EF1 | 6.8 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2000-03-02 | EF1 | 2.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-25 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1995-06-04 | EF1 | 2.0 mi | 110 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-11 | EF1 | 0.4 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1965 | F2 | 0 | 8 | $25K | |
| Jun 20, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2025 | SPARENBURG | EF1 | $20K |
| May 29, 2025 | PUNKIN CENTER | EF1 | $3K |
| Jun 11, 2024 | SAND | EFU | $0 |
| May 18, 2021 | ARVANA | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2010 | FRIENDSHIP | EF0 | $0 |
| May 28, 2008 | EVELENA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 28, 2008 | PATRICIA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 28, 2008 | FRIENDSHIP | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2008 | PATRICIA | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2008 | SPARENBURG | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Dawson County
- Hail 163
- Thunderstorm Wind 106
- Flash Flood 52
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This was the estimated path of a brief tornado in the vicinity of Sparenberg to the southeast of Lamesa. Irrigation pivots were found lying towards the southeast. This was estimated to have been due to wind speeds of approximately 90 MPH. This tornado is rated EF-1. Open dirt fields in the vicinity did not allow for further survey damage. The time of occurrence is radar estimated. The cost of damages is also estimated.
A dusty tornado was reported west of Highway 137, northwest of Lamesa. Damage was surveyed at a home, with the awning and trees being damaged. This tornado had an estimated wind speed of 100 MPH and was rated EF-1. Open fields along the estimated tornado path limited the details of the tornado track. The tornado track and time of occurrence is radar estimated. The cost of damages is also estimated.
The NWS damage survey viewed images of a tornado 2.5 miles west southwest of Sparenberg along Farm to Market Road 828. Greg Morgan, local television meteorologist and spotter, provided visual confirmation of this weak tornado lasting approximately one minute. Mr. Morgan and other eyewitnesses estimated a tornado touchdown time of 3:45 pm CDT, and radar imagery confirmed this estimate.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Dawson County, Texas?
54 tornado events are recorded in Dawson County between 1950 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Dawson County?
The strongest tornado on record in Dawson County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Dawson 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 Dawson County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/dawson-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.