Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Oklahoma · County tornado history

Le Flore County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 76 tornadoes in Le Flore County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about 1.0 a year. That ranks it 23 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on April 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
76
Since 2000
43
Strongest
F5, March 26, 1976
Most recent
EF0, April 28, 2024
Peak month
May (31)
Per 1,000 sq mi
47
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 Le Flore County

May has brought the most, 31 of 76. About 68% touched down between 4 pm and 10 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) 18
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 35
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 15
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

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 Le Flore County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 26, 1976 F5 11.9 mi 440 yd 2 64
May 5, 1961 F4 26.4 mi 400 yd 16 58
March 26, 1976 F4 10.7 mi 440 yd 1 4
May 5, 1960 F3 23.7 mi 10 yd 1
April 7, 1980 F3 0.5 mi 127 yd 9
November 22, 1983 F3 19 mi 100 yd
April 9, 2009 EF2 10.7 mi 800 yd 4
June 25, 1958 F2 0.5 mi 200 yd 1
April 19, 1968 F2 1 mi 100 yd 1
March 13, 1953 F2 0.1 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Le Flore County was an F4 on May 5, 1961. It killed 16 people and injured 58 along its 26.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 28, 2024 EF0 4.3 mi 200 yd
November 4, 2022 EF1 6.5 mi 900 yd
November 4, 2022 EF1 11.3 mi 1,600 yd
May 2, 2022 EF1 5.6 mi 1,400 yd
April 11, 2022 EF-U 0.8 mi 100 yd
November 24, 2020 EF1 4 mi 250 yd
May 22, 2020 EF1 2.7 mi 200 yd
May 22, 2020 EF1 3 mi 225 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 Le Flore County as relatively moderate, with a score of 88 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.19 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,149,197 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 Le Flore County had?

76 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 43 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Le Flore County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on April 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Le Flore County?

An F5 on March 26, 1976, with a 11.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Le Flore 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.