Zapata County tornado history
5 tornadoes touched Zapata County, Texas between 1950 and 2025 — about 0.1 a year. The strongest was rated F2 (May 23, 1970).
5tornadoes since 1950
F2strongest rating
0killed · 40 injured
4.5 milongest path · 1970
(E)F0(E)F1(E)F2(E)F3(E)F4(E)F5· dots = start point only
By rating
(E)F02
(E)F10
(E)F23
(E)F30
(E)F40
(E)F50
By month
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: May.
By decade
’50’60’70’80’90’00’10’20
Strongest tornadoes
| Date | Rating | Path | Width | Injured | Killed |
|---|
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 20 | 0 |
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 20 | 0 |
| Sep 7, 1956 | F2 | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 2002 | F0 | 2 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 20, 2005 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | Path | Width | Injured | Killed |
|---|
| Jul 20, 2005 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 2002 | F0 | 2 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 20 | 0 |
| May 23, 1970 | F2 | 4.5 mi | 50 yd | 20 | 0 |
| Sep 7, 1956 | F2 | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
Nearby counties
Questions
How many tornadoes has Zapata County, Texas had?
5 tornadoes touched Zapata County, Texas between 1950 and 2025 in the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database — about 0.1 per year.
What was the strongest tornado in Zapata County?
The strongest rating recorded was F2 on May 23, 1970, with a 4.5-mile path.
When is tornado season in Zapata County?
Most of its tornadoes happened in May (3 of 5). Tornadoes can occur in any month, so keep alerts on year-round.
Right now: live tornado warnings map · alerts for your location. Dates link to that day’s full storm reports where available.