Amarillo, TX Tornado History — 139 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Amarillo, TX had?
Amarillo has had 139 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Amarillo?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Amarillo was an EF1 on April 25, 2025.
When is tornado season in Amarillo?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Amarillo, with 56 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Amarillo
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 25 total, averaging 1.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Amarillo since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Amarillo. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Amarillo
2 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Amarillo since 1950, across 2 events. 31 injuries have been reported across all events. 1995 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on April 17, 1970, which caused 1 fatality along a 130.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Amarillo
About Tornadoes in Amarillo
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Panhandle spring weather showed its full force at Amarillo on April 18, 1970, when an F4 tornado traveled 130 miles, killing one person and injuring 13 along the way. Storms of that scale draw on ingredients the High Plains assembles each spring: humid Gulf of Mexico air pooling against the dryline, hot dry air off the elevated terrain southwest of the city, and jet-stream disturbances swinging out of the Rockies. The pattern keeps a dependable calendar — quiet through winter, stirring in early spring, cresting toward early summer, then fading into the heat of midsummer.
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center's database, the source for the event list elsewhere on this page, shows how faithfully that season repeats. An F2 on May 24, 1957 held the ground for roughly 70 miles across the surrounding plains; an F3 on May 10, 1982 injured one person along an eight-mile path; and an F2 on May 7, 1995 killed one person and injured 12 near the city.
Recent decades keep the same rhythm while testing its edges. An EF2 crossed the area on June 14, 2016, and another EF2 arrived ahead of the usual season on March 13, 2021, running 21 miles with a path up to 1,000 yards across. On April 26, 2025, the season produced both an EF1 and an EF0 in a single afternoon. When moisture returns and the dryline sharpens each spring, the Amarillo area enters its watchful season.