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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Ottawa County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 49 tornadoes in Ottawa County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 56 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on October 30, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
49
Since 2000
25
Strongest
EF4, May 10, 2008
Most recent
EF1, October 30, 2024
Peak month
May (23)
Per 1,000 sq mi
101
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 Ottawa County

May has brought the most, 23 of 49. About 53% touched down between 1 pm and 7 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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 26
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
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 Ottawa County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 10, 2008 EF4 75.5 mi 1,760 yd 21 350
April 3, 1956 F4 41.8 mi 400 yd 59
September 24, 1973 F3 20.8 mi 100 yd 14
April 7, 1980 F3 24.8 mi 440 yd 4
August 7, 1960 F3 4.7 mi 200 yd
April 27, 2014 EF2 11.4 mi 325 yd 1 37
January 25, 1967 F2 2 mi 10 yd 6
April 24, 1975 F2 5.2 mi 77 yd 3
May 5, 1960 F2 36.6 mi 500 yd 2
May 21, 1961 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 Ottawa County was an EF4 on May 10, 2008. It killed 21 people and injured 350 along its 75.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 30, 2024 EF1 7.8 mi 750 yd
October 30, 2024 EF1 2.1 mi 350 yd
May 8, 2024 EF1 0.3 mi 60 yd
May 8, 2024 EF1 4 mi 450 yd
May 8, 2024 EF-U 0.1 mi 75 yd
May 8, 2024 EF-U 0.1 mi 75 yd
May 6, 2024 EF0 24.1 mi 1,100 yd
January 2, 2023 EF1 0.6 mi 200 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 Ottawa County as relatively moderate, with a score of 74 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.46 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,931,679 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 Ottawa County had?

49 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 25 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Ottawa County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on October 30, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Ottawa County?

An EF4 on May 10, 2008, with a 75.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Ottawa 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.