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Oklahoma · County tornado history

McClain County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 80 tornadoes in McClain County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about 1.1 a year. That ranks it 17 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on November 3, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
80
Since 2000
42
Strongest
EF5, May 20, 2013
Most recent
EF1, November 3, 2024
Peak month
May (33)
Per 1,000 sq mi
138
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 McClain County

May has brought the most, 33 of 80. About 79% 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) 29
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 32
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 13
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 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 McClain County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 3, 1999 F5 (the Bridge Creek and Moore tornado) 37 mi 1,430 yd 36 583
May 20, 2013 EF5 (the Moore tornado) 13.8 mi 1,900 yd 24 212
May 24, 2011 EF4 33.3 mi 880 yd 1 48
May 24, 2011 EF4 23.1 mi 880 yd 61
November 19, 1973 F3 24.2 mi 500 yd 5 36
April 19, 2023 EF3 10.9 mi 1,200 yd 1 2
February 26, 2023 EF2 26.1 mi 900 yd 12
March 13, 1953 F2 2 mi 100 yd 2
May 25, 1997 F2 6 mi 1,320 yd 2
March 13, 1990 F2 28 mi 200 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch McClain County was the Bridge Creek and Moore tornado, an F5 on May 3, 1999. It killed 36 people and injured 583 along its 37-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 3, 2024 EF1 7 mi 200 yd
April 27, 2024 EF2 4.9 mi 125 yd
April 27, 2024 EF0 1.7 mi 40 yd
April 27, 2024 EF1 0.5 mi 40 yd
April 27, 2024 EF1 4.4 mi 225 yd
May 11, 2023 EF1 9.4 mi 250 yd
May 11, 2023 EF0 0.4 mi 30 yd
May 11, 2023 EF0 2.1 mi 30 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 McClain County as relatively moderate, with a score of 89 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.69 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,548,044 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 McClain County had?

80 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 42 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in McClain County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on November 3, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in McClain County?

An EF5 on May 20, 2013, the Moore tornado, with a 13.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in McClain 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.