Tornadoes · United States · Colorado

Tornadoes in Arapahoe County, Colorado

103 tornadoes have crossed Arapahoe County since 1950, 8th of the 54 counties in Colorado with a tornado on record, an average of 1.4 a year. They have killed 0 people and injured 11. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
103
Deaths
0
Injuries
11
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
EF2, May 18, 2025

The strongest

  1. EF2, Arapahoe and Adams counties, ColoradoMay 18, 2025EF2, 4.3 mi (7 km)
  2. F2, Denver and Arapahoe counties, ColoradoJune 8, 1986F2, 1.1 mi (2 km)
  3. EF2, Arapahoe and Elbert counties, ColoradoMay 18, 2025EF2, 0.9 mi (2 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 45 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Arapahoe County. Each year links to every tornado in Colorado that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20254EF2
20231Unrated
20221Unrated
20211EF0
201831EF1
20172EF1
201441EF1
20122EF0
20111EF0
20102EF0
200922EF1
20082EF0
20072EF0
20062F0
20051F0
200211F1
20001F0
19991F0
19989F1
19968F0
19941F0
19925F0
19915F1
19901F0
19891F1
19882F0
19871F1
198616F2
19855F1
19843F1
19832F1
19824F1
19811F0
19802F1
19791F0
19771F0
19761F1
19752F1
19743F1
19711F0
19692F0
19672F1
19662F0
19653F1
19641F1

Every tornado that crossed Arapahoe County

103 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 10, 20254:25 PM MDTUnratedArapahoe0.450
May 18, 20251:30 PM MDTEF2Arapahoe4.3200
May 18, 20251:23 PM MDTEF1Arapahoe2.675
May 18, 20251:07 PM MDTEF2Arapahoe0.950
July 6, 20233:28 PM MDTUnratedArapahoe0.025
July 29, 20224:25 PM MDTUnratedArapahoe0.050
May 22, 20212:07 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.025
July 27, 20184:18 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe4.550
July 27, 20184:06 PM MDTEF0Adams3.350
July 27, 20183:49 PM MDTEF1Arapahoe1.3501$200,000
October 6, 20174:25 PM MDTEF1Arapahoe0.025
June 5, 20172:32 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.025
June 8, 20141:43 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
June 8, 201412:58 PM MDTEF1Arapahoe0.31001
May 21, 20144:20 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
May 21, 20142:05 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
June 7, 20125:21 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
June 6, 20127:45 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
July 6, 20115:22 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
August 16, 20101:57 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
June 10, 20106:52 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
June 7, 20092:23 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150$10,000
June 7, 20091:50 PM MDTEF1Arapahoe5.51002$500,000
August 20, 20084:43 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
June 20, 20086:50 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
May 4, 20077:00 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
April 26, 20077:02 PM MDTEF0Arapahoe0.150
August 20, 20066:58 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 4, 20067:55 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 3, 20054:03 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
August 29, 20023:11 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.1501$6.0 million
June 22, 20001:48 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.120
May 24, 19991:27 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.10
July 24, 19983:50 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.230
July 23, 19984:15 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.130
July 23, 19983:53 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.130
July 15, 19983:01 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.130
July 15, 19982:50 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.130
July 9, 19984:20 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.150$10,000
June 21, 19983:14 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.130
May 24, 19981:46 PM MDTF0Arapahoe2.050$100,000
May 24, 19981:32 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.130
August 15, 19965:00 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
August 15, 19964:39 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
August 9, 19964:15 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
August 9, 19964:08 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 31, 199610:09 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 31, 199610:05 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 31, 19969:29 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 12, 19962:17 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.150
July 16, 19947:00 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
September 20, 19925:34 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
September 20, 19924:35 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
July 1, 19927:35 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
July 1, 19926:55 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
June 21, 19924:50 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
August 12, 19914:40 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
June 6, 19916:40 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.110
June 6, 19916:21 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.110
May 24, 19913:19 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.210
May 24, 199111:20 AM MDTF0Arapahoe0.210
June 6, 19907:45 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.223
June 8, 19894:15 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.120$50,000 to $500,000
June 10, 19885:35 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.120
June 10, 19885:17 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.220
June 28, 19875:45 PM MDTF1Arapahoe2.040
June 8, 19865:10 PM MDTF2Denver1.1506$500,000 to $5 million
August 3, 19853:50 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.320
July 30, 19854:27 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.550
June 25, 19853:19 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.050
June 3, 19853:48 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.5100
June 3, 19853:45 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.5100$500 to $5,000
July 6, 19843:00 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.040$5,000 to $50,000
June 3, 19843:09 PM MDTF1Arapahoe2.050
June 3, 19841:47 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.050
June 4, 19833:40 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.037under $50
June 2, 19832:27 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.070$500 to $5,000
June 14, 19822:09 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.0200under $50
June 14, 19821:50 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.5100under $50
June 3, 19822:51 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.5100under $50
June 3, 19822:51 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.5100under $50
August 16, 19813:55 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.520
June 19, 19803:45 PM MDTF1Arapahoe1.940
May 14, 19802:30 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.530
July 6, 19793:00 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.320
July 25, 19773:15 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.120
September 14, 19762:15 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.133$500 to $5,000
May 18, 19751:40 PM MDTF1Arapahoe0.5110
May 12, 19751:40 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.350
July 28, 19743:32 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.123
May 24, 19742:45 PM MDTF0Arapahoe0.120
May 24, 19742:36 PM MDTF1Arapahoe2.527
April 19, 197111:20 AM MSTF0Arapahoe0.317
August 5, 19695:40 PM GMT-6F0Arapahoe0.110
August 5, 19695:40 PM GMT-6F0Arapahoe0.110
July 3, 19678:40 PM GMT-6F0Arapahoe0.110
June 20, 19674:15 PM GMT-6F1Arapahoe0.110$5,000 to $50,000
August 7, 19669:00 PM GMT-6F0Arapahoe0.110
July 21, 19666:14 PM GMT-6F0Adams0.110
July 15, 19652:05 PM GMT-6F0Arapahoe0.110
June 30, 19652:05 PM GMT-6F1Arapahoe0.110under $50
June 23, 19651:30 PM GMT-6F0Arapahoe0.110
July 2, 196412:00 PM GMT-7F1Arapahoe0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Arapahoe CountyThe forecast for Arapahoe CountyThe live radar over Arapahoe CountyEvery county in Colorado

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.