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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 137 tornadoes in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about 1.8 a year. That ranks it 1 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on November 3, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
137
Since 2000
58
Strongest
F5, May 3, 1999
Most recent
EF3, November 3, 2024
Peak month
May (57)
Per 1,000 sq mi
191
FEMA tornado risk
Very High

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 Oklahoma County

May has brought the most, 57 of 137. About 62% 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) 42
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 47
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 24
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 19
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1
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 Oklahoma 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 10, 2010 EF4 24 mi 2,000 yd 2 49
May 8, 2003 F4 17.3 mi 700 yd 134
April 30, 1978 F4 9.3 mi 1,760 yd
November 19, 1973 F3 24.2 mi 500 yd 5 36
May 26, 1963 F3 34.3 mi 10 yd 1 4
April 28, 1960 F3 11.7 mi 333 yd 57
May 8, 1986 F3 4 mi 200 yd 15
June 8, 1974 F3 8.9 mi 250 yd 14
May 6, 2015 EF3 2 mi 700 yd 12

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Oklahoma 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 EF3 25.1 mi 1,000 yd 7
November 3, 2024 EF-U 0.1 mi 10 yd
November 3, 2024 EF3 2.4 mi 400 yd 6
May 19, 2024 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 6, 2024 EF1 1.1 mi 30 yd
May 6, 2024 EF1 2.2 mi 75 yd
April 27, 2024 EF1 8.5 mi 150 yd
April 19, 2023 EF0 2.6 mi 250 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 Oklahoma County as very high, with a score of 100 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 $54,245,076 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 Oklahoma County had?

137 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 58 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Oklahoma County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on November 3, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Oklahoma County?

An F5 on May 3, 1999, the Bridge Creek and Moore tornado, with a 37-mile path.

When is tornado season in Oklahoma 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.