Tornadoes · United States · Colorado

Tornadoes in El Paso County, Colorado

97 tornadoes have crossed El Paso County since 1950, 11th of the 54 counties in Colorado with a tornado on record, an average of 1.3 a year. They have killed 0 people and injured 19. 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
97
Deaths
0
Injuries
19
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, June 24, 1979

The strongest

  1. F3, El Paso County, ColoradoJune 13, 1977F3, 4.9 mi (8 km)
  2. F3, El Paso County, ColoradoJune 24, 1979F3, 4.3 mi (7 km)
  3. EF2, Elbert and El Paso counties, ColoradoJune 7, 2012EF2, 7.5 mi (12 km)
  4. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoJune 6, 1990F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  5. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoJune 13, 1977F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  6. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoJune 13, 1977F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  7. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoJune 13, 1977F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  8. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoApril 11, 1977F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  9. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoMay 28, 2001F2, 0.5 mi (1 km)
  10. F2, El Paso County, ColoradoMay 28, 2001F2, 0.3 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 32 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in El Paso County. Each year links to every tornado in Colorado that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20233EF0
20192EF0
20171EF0
20154EF1
20141EF0
20124EF2
20112EF0
20081EF1
20051F0
20044F1
2001713F2
20002F0
19981F0
19952F1
19942F0
19927F1
199112F0
1990122F2
19852F1
19841F1
19821F1
19812F0
197941F3
197782F3
19751F1
19721F1
19671F0
196531F1
19622F1
19571F1
19531F0
19511F1

Every tornado that crossed El Paso County

97 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 5, 20231:40 PM MDTUnratedEl Paso2.210
June 22, 20238:08 PM MDTEF0El Paso0.810
May 26, 20234:29 PM MDTUnratedEl Paso0.91
August 8, 20194:29 PM MDTUnratedEl Paso0.510
March 29, 20194:15 PM MDTEF0El Paso1.225
September 9, 20172:45 PM MDTEF0El Paso0.350
June 4, 20156:00 PM MDTEF0El Paso5.0200$2,000
June 4, 20155:53 PM MDTEF1Elbert0.2100
June 4, 20155:30 PM MDTEF1Elbert2.0400$2,000
May 9, 20153:41 PM MDTEF0El Paso3.3100
July 12, 20142:45 PM MDTEF0El Paso0.550
July 9, 20129:00 AM MDTEF0El Paso0.550
June 7, 20127:38 PM MDTEF0El Paso0.575
June 7, 20126:45 PM MDTEF2Elbert7.5880$50,000
April 26, 20127:31 PM MDTEF0El Paso0.320$10,000
August 26, 20111:45 PM MDTEF0El Paso0.150
May 19, 20114:23 PM MDTEF0El Paso1.075$20,000
August 13, 20084:16 PM MDTEF1El Paso1.3100$10,000
August 21, 20054:50 PM MDTF0El Paso0.150
September 30, 20041:10 PM MDTF0El Paso1.0100
August 9, 20044:51 PM MDTF0El Paso0.550
June 20, 20043:29 PM MDTF0El Paso0.550
June 20, 20041:12 PM MDTF1El Paso1.075
May 29, 20012:35 PM MDTF0El Paso0.250
May 28, 20019:25 PM MDTF0El Paso0.150
May 28, 20018:35 PM MDTF0El Paso0.150
May 28, 20018:30 PM MDTF0El Paso0.125
May 28, 20017:28 PM MDTF2El Paso0.3305$100,000
May 28, 20017:25 PM MDTF2El Paso0.52004$8.0 million
May 28, 20017:25 PM MDTF1El Paso0.1504$20,000
July 20, 20001:58 PM MDTF0El Paso0.120
May 25, 20004:40 PM MDTF0El Paso0.530$10,000
July 3, 19983:37 PM MDTF0El Paso0.150
August 4, 19952:18 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 22, 19954:40 PM MDTF1El Paso2.050$50,000 to $500,000
April 25, 19942:19 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
April 25, 19942:03 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
July 8, 19925:38 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 29, 19924:36 PM MDTF1El Paso3.0100
June 26, 19921:51 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 24, 19927:27 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 20, 19925:31 PM MDTF0El Paso1.050
June 20, 19925:30 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 20, 19924:56 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19918:21 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19918:16 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19918:16 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19917:45 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19917:17 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19917:16 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 21, 19916:50 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
May 22, 19917:50 PM MDTF0El Paso0.210
May 22, 19917:36 PM MDTF0El Paso3.050
May 22, 19917:24 PM MDTF0El Paso0.210
May 22, 19917:20 PM MDTF0El Paso0.210
May 22, 19916:55 PM MDTF0El Paso0.210
July 20, 19904:05 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
July 20, 19903:05 PM MDTF0El Paso1.013
July 20, 19903:05 PM MDTF0El Paso0.113
July 20, 19902:05 PM MDTF0El Paso4.023
July 9, 19906:30 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 9, 19906:58 PM MDTF0El Paso0.113$500 to $5,000
June 9, 19906:05 PM MDTF0El Paso20.050
June 9, 19905:27 PM MDTF0El Paso0.230
June 7, 199012:55 AM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 6, 199011:30 PM MDTF2El Paso2.01002$50,000 to $500,000
June 6, 199010:05 PM MDTF0El Paso0.210
June 6, 19909:47 PM MDTF0El Paso0.110
June 9, 19854:30 PM MDTF1El Paso2.050$5,000 to $50,000
June 3, 19857:15 PM MDTF1El Paso0.550
June 10, 19848:10 PM MDTF1El Paso2.050
August 10, 198211:15 AM MDTF1El Paso1.060under $50
August 2, 198111:44 PM MDTF0El Paso0.517
July 27, 198111:50 AM MDTF0El Paso0.530
July 29, 19795:00 PM MDTF0El Paso0.527$50 to $500
July 27, 19794:40 PM MDTF0El Paso1.027
July 18, 19794:00 PM MDTF0El Paso0.527
June 24, 19791:30 PM MDTF3El Paso4.3501$50,000 to $500,000
August 10, 19773:05 PM MDTF1El Paso1.060
June 13, 19775:40 PM MDTF2El Paso1.050$50,000 to $500,000
June 13, 19775:30 PM MDTF2El Paso1.0502$50,000 to $500,000
June 13, 19775:30 PM MDTF0El Paso0.520
June 13, 19775:05 PM MDTF2El Paso1.050
June 13, 19775:00 PM MDTF3El Paso4.9100
June 1, 19776:35 PM MDTF1El Paso2.020
April 11, 197712:57 PM MSTF2El Paso1.0100$50,000 to $500,000
May 12, 19753:15 PM MDTF1El Paso0.3100
May 28, 19725:00 PM MDTF1El Paso0.110$50 to $500
May 28, 19675:20 PM GMT-6F0El Paso0.110
June 17, 19654:00 PM GMT-6F1El Paso0.110$500 to $5,000
June 17, 19651:26 PM GMT-6F1El Paso0.110$500 to $5,000
June 14, 19658:24 PM GMT-6F1El Paso0.1101$5,000 to $50,000
July 18, 19623:30 PM GMT-7F0El Paso0.110
June 3, 19623:30 PM GMT-7F1El Paso0.110$50 to $500
August 5, 19574:00 PM GMT-7F1El Paso0.110$50 to $500
July 2, 19531:25 PM GMT-7F0El Paso0.110under $50
June 14, 19518:00 PM GMT-7F1El Paso0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in El Paso CountyThe forecast for El Paso CountyThe live radar over El Paso 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.