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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Dewey County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 55 tornadoes in Dewey County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 45 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on June 15, 2019.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
55
Since 2000
12
Strongest
EF3, May 24, 2011
Most recent
EF1, June 15, 2019
Peak month
May (21)
Per 1,000 sq mi
54
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 Dewey County

May has brought the most, 21 of 55. About 84% 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) 24
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Dewey County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 24, 2011 EF3 13.2 mi 880 yd 1 2
April 17, 2002 F3 8 mi 600 yd
May 25, 1955 F2 5.1 mi 300 yd 1
May 19, 1951 F2 2 mi 67 yd
April 29, 1954 F2 33.3 mi 10 yd
May 4, 1961 F2 1 mi 400 yd
April 19, 1972 F2 15.5 mi 77 yd
August 2, 1977 F2 8 mi 10 yd
May 15, 1982 F2 0.5 mi 50 yd
October 31, 1984 F2 6 mi 200 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Dewey County was an EF3 on May 24, 2011. It killed 1 person and injured 2 along its 13.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 15, 2019 EF1 3.1 mi 100 yd
May 18, 2017 EF-U 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 16, 2015 EF1 0.5 mi 50 yd
May 6, 2015 EF0 0.3 mi 30 yd
April 26, 2013 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 24, 2011 EF3 13.2 mi 880 yd 1 2
May 19, 2010 EF0 5.9 mi 40 yd
May 5, 2007 EF2 17 mi 600 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 Dewey County as relatively low, with a score of 39 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.73 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $769,198 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 Dewey County had?

55 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Dewey County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on June 15, 2019. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Dewey County?

An EF3 on May 24, 2011, with a 13.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Dewey 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.