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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Ellis County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 77 tornadoes in Ellis County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about 1.0 a year. That ranks it 19 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on June 15, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
77
Since 2000
24
Strongest
EF3, May 23, 2019
Most recent
EF1, June 15, 2023
Peak month
May (26)
Per 1,000 sq mi
63
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 Ellis County

May has brought the most, 26 of 77. About 78% 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) 38
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 22
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 14
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Ellis County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 14, 2012 EF3 34 mi 400 yd 6 29
June 21, 1958 F3 0.5 mi 67 yd
May 23, 2019 EF3 15.7 mi 1,500 yd
April 24, 1990 F2 19 mi 250 yd 5
May 5, 2007 EF2 8 mi 300 yd 1
April 29, 1954 F2 33.3 mi 10 yd
June 15, 1955 F2 5.9 mi 500 yd
March 28, 1960 F2 24.2 mi 200 yd
May 4, 1961 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 13, 1965 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Ellis County was an EF3 on April 14, 2012. It killed 6 people and injured 29 along its 34-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 15, 2023 EF1 4.8 mi 200 yd
May 23, 2019 EF3 15.7 mi 1,500 yd
April 17, 2019 EF0 1.3 mi 10 yd
April 17, 2019 EF1 1.6 mi 50 yd
November 16, 2015 EF2 27.2 mi 400 yd
November 16, 2015 EF1 43 mi 200 yd
April 14, 2012 EF3 34 mi 400 yd 6 29
June 11, 2011 EF0 1 mi 10 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 Ellis County as relatively low, with a score of 38 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.86 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $540,282 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 Ellis County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Ellis County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on June 15, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Ellis County?

An EF3 on May 23, 2019, with a 15.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Ellis 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.