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Oklahoma · County tornado history

Sequoyah County, Oklahoma tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 55 tornadoes in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 47 of 77 counties in Oklahoma with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on November 4, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
55
Since 2000
24
Strongest
F4, May 5, 1960
Most recent
EF-U, November 4, 2024
Peak month
May (28)
Per 1,000 sq mi
77
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 Sequoyah County

May has brought the most, 28 of 55. About 55% 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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 20
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 8
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
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 Sequoyah County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 5, 1960 F4 62.4 mi 200 yd 16 106
January 22, 1957 F4 0.1 mi 880 yd 10 20
May 5, 1960 F4 5.4 mi 10 yd 5 13
April 21, 1996 F3 10.1 mi 1,050 yd 2 89
May 5, 1960 F3 4.5 mi 10 yd 1
May 5, 1960 F3 23.7 mi 10 yd 1
May 26, 1973 F3 18.7 mi 250 yd 6
May 4, 1999 F3 38.2 mi 0 yd
May 1, 1954 F2 39.2 mi 10 yd 6
November 30, 2018 EF2 47 mi 1,100 yd 5

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Sequoyah County was an F4 on May 5, 1960. It killed 16 people and injured 106 along its 62.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 4, 2024 EF-U 0.2 mi 100 yd
January 2, 2023 EF-U 2.5 mi 200 yd
October 10, 2021 EF1 13.7 mi 900 yd
May 3, 2021 EF1 10.3 mi 900 yd
May 3, 2021 EF1 28.8 mi 2,200 yd 1
May 25, 2020 EF0 0.5 mi 100 yd
November 30, 2018 EF2 47 mi 1,100 yd 5
November 30, 2018 EF1 7.1 mi 400 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 Sequoyah County as relatively moderate, with a score of 86 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 $3,252,574 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 Sequoyah County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Sequoyah County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on November 4, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Sequoyah County?

An F4 on May 5, 1960, with a 62.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Sequoyah 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.