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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Atoka County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 49 tornadoes in Atoka County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 53 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 21, 2019.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
49
Since 2000
24
Strongest
F4, April 27, 1966
Most recent
EF1, May 21, 2019
Peak month
April (18)
Per 1,000 sq mi
50
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Atoka County

April has brought the most, 18 of 49. About 69% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 11
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 20
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 13
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Atoka County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 1966 F4 10.2 mi 300 yd 2
April 14, 2011 EF3 17 mi 1,320 yd 2 40
April 30, 2019 EF3 27.6 mi 1,400 yd 2 16
May 25, 2015 EF3 18.8 mi 700 yd 1 1
April 11, 2001 F2 13 mi 200 yd 1 1
March 21, 1991 F2 19 mi 400 yd 6
April 11, 2001 F2 19 mi 500 yd 4
February 23, 1985 F2 10 mi 500 yd 3
April 14, 1953 F2 0.3 mi 23 yd
April 28, 1956 F2 27.9 mi 300 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Atoka County was an EF3 on April 14, 2011. It killed 2 people and injured 40 along its 17-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 21, 2019 EF1 1.6 mi 100 yd
April 30, 2019 EF3 27.6 mi 1,400 yd 2 16
May 9, 2016 EF-U 0.3 mi 30 yd
May 9, 2016 EF1 12.9 mi 900 yd
May 25, 2015 EF1 1 mi 400 yd
May 25, 2015 EF2 8 mi 1,000 yd
May 25, 2015 EF3 18.8 mi 700 yd 1 1
April 14, 2011 EF1 0.5 mi 125 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Atoka County as relatively low, with a score of 50 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.75 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $935,800 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Atoka County had?

49 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 24 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Atoka County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 21, 2019. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Atoka County?

An F4 on April 27, 1966, with a 10.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Atoka County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.