Tornadoes · United States · Texas
Tornadoes in Bowie County, Texas
58 tornadoes have crossed Bowie County since 1950, 55th of the 254 counties in Texas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 4 people and injured 50. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- 58
- Deaths
- 4
- Injuries
- 50
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- F4, March 12, 1971
The deadliest in Bowie County
The strongest
- F4, Bowie County, TexasMarch 12, 1971
- F3, Bowie, Little River, Sevier, Hempstead and Howard counties, Texas and ArkansasApril 30, 1954
- F3, Franklin, Titus, Red River, Bowie, Little River and Sevier counties, Texas and ArkansasMay 4, 1999
- F3, Red River, Bowie, McCurtain and Little River counties, Texas and Oklahoma and ArkansasApril 2, 1982
- EF3, Bowie County, TexasNovember 4, 2022
- F3, Bowie County, TexasNovember 1, 1977
- F2, McCurtain, Bowie and Cass counties, Oklahoma and TexasMay 14, 2003
- F2, Bowie County, TexasMay 27, 1979
- F2, Bowie County, TexasFebruary 12, 1950
- EF2, Bowie County, TexasJanuary 21, 2018
Every year with a tornado
The 33 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Bowie County. Each year links to every tornado in Texas that year.
Every tornado that crossed Bowie County
58 tornadoes, newest first. 1 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files it under that state rather than Texas.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2025 | 7:51 AM CST | EF1 | Bowie | 18.9 | 580 | $500,000 | ||
| March 4, 2025 | 7:47 AM CST | EF1 | Bowie | 18.6 | 850 | $60,000 | ||
| July 8, 2024 | 5:17 PM CDT | EF1 | Bowie | 0.2 | 240 | $75,000 | ||
| May 24, 2024 | 7:05 PM CDT | EF1 | Bowie | 1.8 | 275 | |||
| November 4, 2022 | 7:17 PM CDT | EF3 | Bowie | 15.7 | 800 | $7.0 million | ||
| May 16, 2020 | 5:05 PM CDT | EF1 | Bowie | 0.2 | 30 | $20,000 | ||
| May 16, 2020 | 3:37 PM CDT | Unrated | Cass | 2.6 | 40 | |||
| January 21, 2018 | 9:43 PM CST | EF0 | Bowie | 0.5 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| January 21, 2018 | 9:26 PM CST | EF2 | Bowie | 7.1 | 560 | $2.5 million | ||
| May 9, 2016 | 9:06 PM CDT | EF1 | Bowie | 0.1 | 120 | |||
| May 9, 2016 | 8:59 PM CDT | EF1 | Bowie | 2.0 | 390 | $10,000 | ||
| December 27, 2015 | 3:06 PM CST | EF0 | Bowie | 2.9 | 75 | $15,000 | ||
| April 3, 2012 | 4:44 PM CDT | EF0 | Bowie | 2.2 | 50 | |||
| November 29, 2009 | 5:57 PM CST | EF1 | Bowie | 3.3 | 75 | $75,000 | ||
| October 29, 2009 | 7:02 PM CDT | EF0 | Bowie | 4.0 | 75 | |||
| May 14, 2009 | 3:58 AM CDT | EF0 | Bowie | 1.2 | 75 | |||
| May 2, 2009 | 4:44 PM CDT | EF0 | Bowie | 1.0 | 75 | |||
| April 10, 2008 | 8:12 AM CDT | EF2 | Bowie | 5.5 | 200 | 1 | $1.0 million | |
| March 3, 2008 | 8:13 AM CST | EF1 | Bowie | 5.0 | 75 | $750,000 | ||
| September 5, 2007 | 3:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Bowie | 3.0 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| May 14, 2003 | 8:10 PM CDT | F2 | McCurtain to TX | 78.3 | 100 | $250,000 | ||
| March 26, 2000 | 9:29 PM CST | F1 | Bowie | 1.3 | 20 | |||
| March 26, 2000 | 9:28 PM CST | F1 | Red River | 4.8 | 20 | $2,000 | ||
| December 4, 1999 | 2:06 PM CST | F0 | Bowie | 2.1 | 0 | |||
| May 4, 1999 | 2:04 PM CDT | F3 | Franklin to AR | 71.5 | 50 | 1 | 22 | $125 million |
| January 22, 1999 | 5:10 PM CST | F1 | Bowie | 0.3 | 0 | $40,000 | ||
| May 9, 1993 | 5:45 PM CDT | F1 | Bowie | 3.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| October 7, 1992 | 8:15 PM CDT | F1 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 16, 1990 | 4:35 PM CDT | F2 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| May 16, 1990 | 4:25 PM CDT | F1 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| May 16, 1990 | 4:00 PM CDT | F2 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| November 15, 1987 | 7:10 PM CST | F0 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| April 4, 1986 | 5:30 PM CST | F0 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| April 4, 1986 | 5:20 PM CST | F0 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| April 4, 1986 | 5:10 PM CST | F1 | Bowie | 0.2 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| February 5, 1986 | 5:40 PM CST | F0 | Bowie | 0.5 | 30 | |||
| October 18, 1984 | 5:30 PM CDT | F0 | Bowie | 1.0 | 30 | |||
| May 2, 1984 | 5:50 PM CDT | F0 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 2, 1984 | 5:10 PM CDT | F0 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| March 4, 1983 | 12:15 PM CST | F2 | Bowie | 5.0 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 25, 1982 | 8:54 PM CDT | F1 | Bowie | 2.0 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 25, 1982 | 7:50 PM CDT | F1 | Bowie | 3.0 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 2, 1982 | 4:40 PM CST | F3 | Red River to OK, AR | 52.0 | 233 | 1 | 4 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| March 29, 1981 | 3:30 AM CST | F1 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 27, 1979 | 6:25 PM CDT | F2 | Bowie | 10.1 | 100 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 3, 1979 | 7:30 PM CDT | F1 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 1, 1979 | 4:00 PM CST | F1 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| November 1, 1977 | 11:11 AM CST | F3 | Bowie | 5.9 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 29, 1975 | 9:30 PM CDT | F2 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| January 10, 1975 | 2:00 AM CST | F2 | Bowie | 4.0 | 107 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 24, 1973 | 5:45 AM CST | F2 | Bowie | 2.0 | 300 | 8 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| March 12, 1971 | 7:30 PM CST | F1 | Bowie | 1.0 | 440 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| March 12, 1971 | 6:30 PM CST | F4 | Bowie | 5.1 | 880 | 1 | 5 | |
| April 25, 1970 | 9:00 AM CST | F1 | Bowie | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 29, 1967 | 3:35 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Bowie | 1.0 | 17 | |||
| March 8, 1962 | 7:15 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Bowie | 0.5 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 30, 1954 | 11:30 AM GMT-5 | F3 | Bowie to AR | 111.6 | 1,760 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| February 12, 1950 | 12:30 AM GMT-6 | F2 | Bowie | 8.0 | 833 | 1 | 8 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Bowie CountyThe forecast for Bowie CountyThe live radar over Bowie CountyEvery county in Texas
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.