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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Craig County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 53 tornadoes in Craig County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 50 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 22, 2019.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
53
Since 2000
16
Strongest
EF4, May 10, 2008
Most recent
EF1, May 22, 2019
Peak month
May (15)
Per 1,000 sq mi
70
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Craig County

May has brought the most, 15 of 53. About 58% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 13
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 22
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 12
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Craig County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 10, 2008 EF4 75.5 mi 1,760 yd 21 350
September 27, 1959 F4 20.4 mi 440 yd 1 1
June 8, 1974 F3 63.6 mi 100 yd 2 80
September 24, 1973 F3 20.8 mi 100 yd 14
April 7, 1980 F3 24.8 mi 440 yd 4
May 7, 1961 F3 8.9 mi 400 yd 1
June 11, 1970 F2 15.4 mi 150 yd 1 1
April 24, 1975 F2 5.2 mi 77 yd 3
April 16, 1960 F2 3.8 mi 200 yd 2
May 5, 1960 F2 36.6 mi 500 yd 2

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Craig County was an EF4 on May 10, 2008. It killed 21 people and injured 350 along its 75.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 22, 2019 EF1 8.6 mi 1,100 yd
May 22, 2019 EF0 0.5 mi 150 yd
May 22, 2019 EF1 1.5 mi 150 yd
May 22, 2019 EF1 5.1 mi 350 yd
April 30, 2019 EF1 6.3 mi 800 yd
April 26, 2016 EF0 10.1 mi 500 yd
March 30, 2016 EF0 2.5 mi 100 yd
May 16, 2015 EF1 4.6 mi 550 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 Craig County as relatively moderate, with a score of 67 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.78 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,517,738 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 Craig County had?

53 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 16 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Craig County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 22, 2019. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Craig County?

An EF4 on May 10, 2008, with a 75.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Craig County?

May 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.