Tornadoes · United States · Texas
Tornadoes in Cooke County, Texas
62 tornadoes have crossed Cooke County since 1950, 42nd of the 254 counties in Texas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.2 years. They have killed 12 people and injured 124. 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.
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
- 62
- Deaths
- 12
- Injuries
- 124
- F4 and above
- 0
- Worst on record
- EF3, May 25, 2024
The deadliest in Cooke County
The strongest
- EF3 Valley View tornado, TexasMay 25, 2024
- F3, Love, Cooke and Carter counties, Texas and OklahomaMay 7, 1995
- F3, Montague and Cooke counties, TexasMay 7, 1995
- F3, Cooke County, TexasApril 6, 1955
- F3, Cooke County, TexasMarch 31, 1959
- F2, Cooke County, TexasApril 26, 1994
- F2, Cooke County, TexasMarch 30, 1968
- F2, Cooke County, TexasOctober 28, 1974
- F2, Cooke County, TexasMarch 27, 1975
- F2, Cooke County, TexasApril 19, 1968
Every year with a tornado
The 33 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Cooke County. Each year links to every tornado in Texas that year.
Every tornado that crossed Cooke County
62 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2025 | 6:02 PM CDT | Unrated | Cooke | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| May 25, 2024 | 9:39 PM CDT | EF3 | Valley View tornado | 47.3 | 1,400 | 7 | 80 | $19 million |
| December 13, 2022 | 7:44 AM CST | EF0 | Cooke | 0.4 | 150 | $30,000 | ||
| March 21, 2022 | 5:17 PM CDT | EF1 | Cooke | 18.3 | 150 | |||
| April 21, 2017 | 7:22 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 0.3 | 25 | |||
| May 9, 2015 | 4:55 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 0.7 | 40 | |||
| May 24, 2011 | 7:34 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 1.6 | 100 | |||
| May 11, 2011 | 2:30 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 1.6 | 75 | $18,000 | ||
| September 8, 2010 | 7:30 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 0.0 | 50 | |||
| March 26, 2009 | 8:34 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 0.3 | 30 | |||
| May 3, 2007 | 7:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Cooke | 0.5 | 30 | |||
| March 30, 2006 | 7:15 PM CST | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 15 | |||
| April 11, 2001 | 3:55 AM CDT | F1 | Cooke to OK | 19.0 | 150 | $20,000 | ||
| April 11, 2001 | 3:34 AM CDT | F1 | Cooke | 7.8 | 100 | $10,000 | ||
| April 11, 2001 | 2:47 AM CDT | F1 | Cooke | 5.5 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| March 28, 2000 | 6:20 PM CST | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 25, 1997 | 10:11 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 2.0 | 40 | |||
| May 25, 1997 | 9:41 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 23 | |||
| May 25, 1997 | 9:39 PM CDT | F1 | Cooke | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| May 25, 1997 | 9:10 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 0.5 | 30 | |||
| May 25, 1997 | 8:36 PM CDT | F2 | Cooke | 1.0 | 73 | $100,000 | ||
| November 7, 1996 | 4:12 PM CST | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| April 21, 1996 | 10:25 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 1.0 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| April 21, 1996 | 9:20 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| April 21, 1996 | 9:05 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 2.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| April 21, 1996 | 9:00 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 2.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| May 7, 1995 | 4:20 PM CDT | F3 | Love to OK | 34.1 | 880 | 3 | 6 | $50 million to $500 million |
| May 7, 1995 | 4:10 PM CDT | F3 | Montague | 26.0 | 880 | 2 | 11 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| April 26, 1994 | 4:10 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 4.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 26, 1994 | 4:05 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 26, 1994 | 3:50 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 1.0 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 26, 1994 | 3:45 PM CDT | F2 | Cooke | 16.0 | 200 | 8 | $5 million to $50 million | |
| April 26, 1994 | 3:37 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 8, 1993 | 9:00 PM CDT | F1 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 15, 1990 | 7:50 PM CDT | F1 | Cooke | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| November 24, 1987 | 5:45 PM CST | F1 | Cooke | 0.2 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| November 24, 1987 | 5:30 PM CST | F1 | Cooke | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| March 19, 1979 | 5:30 PM CST | F1 | Cooke | 0.2 | 90 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| October 24, 1976 | 3:00 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 1.0 | 10 | |||
| October 24, 1976 | 3:00 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 1.0 | 10 | |||
| September 3, 1976 | 7:00 PM CDT | F1 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| April 19, 1976 | 5:20 PM CST | F1 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 13, 1975 | 9:10 PM CDT | F0 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| March 27, 1975 | 12:45 AM CDT | F2 | Cooke | 2.0 | 320 | 2 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| October 30, 1974 | 3:45 PM CST | F2 | Cooke | 0.5 | 40 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| October 30, 1974 | 3:20 PM CST | F0 | Cooke | 4.5 | 10 | |||
| October 28, 1974 | 4:17 AM CST | F2 | Cooke | 3.3 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 19, 1972 | 8:45 PM CST | F1 | Cooke | 0.2 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 19, 1968 | 11:00 AM GMT-6 | F2 | Cooke | 1.5 | 23 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| March 30, 1968 | 9:45 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Cooke | 3.6 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| February 8, 1966 | 9:00 PM GMT-6 | F0 | Cooke | 0.8 | 23 | |||
| July 29, 1964 | 6:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| July 27, 1964 | 4:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Cooke | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| November 19, 1963 | 11:00 AM GMT-6 | F1 | Cooke | 0.5 | 17 | |||
| June 7, 1961 | 8:30 AM GMT-5 | F2 | Cooke | 1.0 | 100 | $50 to $500 | ||
| June 26, 1959 | 9:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Cooke | 0.8 | 100 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| March 31, 1959 | 7:30 PM GMT-6 | F3 | Cooke | 6.8 | 1,760 | 16 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| June 20, 1958 | 8:30 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Cooke | 0.3 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 2, 1957 | 6:30 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Denton | 1.5 | 67 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 2, 1957 | 3:00 AM GMT-6 | F0 | Denton | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 6, 1955 | 4:20 AM GMT-6 | F3 | Cooke | 15.1 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| March 31, 1955 | 3:00 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Cooke | 1.1 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Cooke CountyThe forecast for Cooke CountyThe live radar over Cooke 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.