40
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
28
Direct injuries
$2.9M
Property damage
Tornado in Gaines County, Texas: 40 recorded events between 1957 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #620 nationally and #106 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Gaines County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Gaines County is the 1980s, when 13 of the county's 40 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 Gaines County archive, tornado makes up 8.3% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #620 for this hazard and #106 within Texas, putting it in the 78.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Gaines County with 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-04-19 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2015-11-16 | EF2 | 5.6 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-04-10 | EF2 | 2.6 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-06-06 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1982-05-12 | EF2 | 21.0 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1961-06-18 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-05-01 | EF1 | 2.5 mi | 120 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-04-10 | EF1 | 2.2 mi | 130 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-16 | EF1 | 2.5 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-28 | EF1 | 2.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 1982 | F2 | 0 | 17 | $2.5M | |
| Sep 29, 1982 | F1 | 0 | 9 | $250K | |
| Jun 19, 1961 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 2024 | LOOP | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2023 | SEMINOLE ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| May 23, 2023 | CEDAR LAKE | EFU | $0 |
| Nov 17, 2015 | SEMINOLE | EF2 | $0 |
| Jun 12, 2015 | LOOP | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 15, 2010 | SEMINOLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2008 | SEMINOLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2007 | LOOP | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2007 | SEMINOLE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 6, 2006 | SEMINOLE | F0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Gaines County
- Hail 233
- Thunderstorm Wind 137
- Flash Flood 67
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This second tornado was spawned about two miles east of were tornado #1 dissipated. This tornado tracked to the northeast and overturned two center-pivot irrigation systems. The second system looked as if a couple of sections had become airborne from the resulting damage which snapped off a large wheel.
The first tornado of this supercell formed just south of U.S. Highway 180 and moved to the ENE for much of its life, then veered sharply to the north as it roped-out crossing the highway. Two telephone poles were downed along the highway–one holding a transformer.
This cell formed near the New Mexico state line and moved to the northeast through northern Andrews County then into southern Gaines County. After crossing into Gaines County the storm, although small, developed a strong mesocyclone, and showed a classic hook echo on radar. About 6 miles south of U.S. Highway 180 and 3 miles west of the Dawson County line, a tornado formed. The tornado displayed a classic funnel shape with a relatively thin condensation funnel to the ground. The tornado eventually dissipated about 1 mile west of the Dawson County line still about 3 miles south of Highway 180.The tornado travelled across open lands with the only damage reported being the roof taken off a shed and shingles taken off a house. The house was thought to have not taken a direct hit. This damage was near the point of tornadogenesis.The storm began to weaken as it entered into Dawson County.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Gaines County, Texas?
40 tornado events are recorded in Gaines County between 1957 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Gaines County?
The strongest tornado on record in Gaines County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Gaines 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 Gaines County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/gaines-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.