107
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
49
Direct injuries
$97.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Nueces County, Texas: 107 recorded events between 1953 and 2022. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #40 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Nueces County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Nueces County is the 1970s, when 30 of the county's 107 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 Nueces County archive, tornado makes up 12.8% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #40 for this hazard and #8 within Texas, putting it in the 98.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for tornado in Nueces County with 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-24 | EF3 | 1.5 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2002-10-24 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-08-09 | EF2 | 5.9 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-08-10 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-04-28 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-05-12 | EF2 | 4.9 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1968-05-09 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1967-09-22 | EF2 | 18.2 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-04-29 | EF2 | 16.0 mi | 17 yd | Touched down here |
| 1960-10-16 | EF2 | 4.7 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2002 | (CRP)CORPUS CHRISTI | F2 | 1 | 20 | $75.0M |
| Jun 24, 1970 | F3 | 1 | 15 | $250K | |
| Oct 24, 2002 | (CRP)CORPUS CHRISTI | F1 | 0 | 6 | $10.0M |
| Aug 10, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 17, 1997 | BANQUETE | F1 | 0 | 1 | $80K |
| Jun 2, 1972 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $3K | |
| May 9, 1968 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| May 8, 1968 | F0 | 0 | 1 | $250 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2022 | CHAPMAN RANCH | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2022 | PALO ALTO | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 1, 2020 | PETRONILA | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 26, 2015 | PETRONILA | EF0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2015 | CORPUS CHRISTI | EF1 | $750K |
| May 15, 2015 | GARDENDALE | EF0 | $25K |
| Jun 2, 2013 | SAN JUAN | EF0 | $0 |
| May 11, 2012 | (CRP)CORPUS CHRISTI | EF0 | $100K |
| May 8, 2012 | GARDENDALE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jan 9, 2011 | AGUA DULCE | EF1 | $5.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Nueces County
- Thunderstorm Wind 276
- Flash Flood 236
- Hail 134
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado touched down near Cunningham Middle School just north of Golihar Road where trees were snapped and uprooted. A residence just north of the school at the corner of Hudson and Stafford Streets sustained moderate roof damage and a had a fence blown down. The tornado continued to the northeast crossing Horne Road and parallel to Sarita Street. Dozens of trees were snapped and uprooted with many falling on homes or vehicles. Several residences suffered roof and siding damage in this area. Further northeast, the tornado hit a grocery store on Tarlton Street destroying a sign and blowing several windows out. Tree and minor roof damaged was observed northeast of this area as the tornado crossed Baldwin and Morgan Avenues. The last evidence of the tornado was at 16th Street and Crosstown Expressway where a nursery sustained damage and a baseball dugout was destroyed. Maximum winds were estimated around 90 mph.
Tornado touched down in an open farm field 2 miles southeast of Corpus Christi International Airport. The tornado traveled southeast snapping utility poles in front of Clear Channel radio station. It then crossed Old Brownsville Road and destroyed a small RV trailer and damaged a metal building in an adjacent lot.
A tornado touched down near the east side of the Country Club Estates subdivision at Staples St, and continued east across Wooldridge, through the intersection of Holly and Airline, and to Nile and S.P.I.D. (Hwy 358) where it dissipated. EF-0 damage occurred along the entire path with mainly fences and tree limbs damage. More notable damage was noted at the Saratoga Cove Apartments, Frost Bank, and a deluxe extended stay hotel, where fences were blown down, signs blown out, and minor shingle damage occurred.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Nueces County, Texas?
107 tornado events are recorded in Nueces County between 1953 and 2022, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Nueces County?
The strongest tornado on record in Nueces County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Nueces 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 Nueces County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/nueces-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.