Dewey County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Oklahoma Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Dewey County is lower than Oklahoma average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Dewey County is much lower than Oklahoma average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #47
| Dewey County | 0.05 |
| Oklahoma | 0.31 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Dewey County | 0.0000 |
| Oklahoma | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #68
| Dewey County | 202.19 |
| Oklahoma | 363.83 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 18,147 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Dewey County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 13 | Cold: | 8 | Dense Fog: | 11 | Drought: | 79 |
| Dust Storm: | 2 | Flood: | 531 | Hail: | 11,018 | Heat: | 18 | Heavy Snow: | 83 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 36 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 115 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 5,637 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 31 | Winter Storm: | 74 | Winter Weather: | 60 |
| Other: | 431 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Dewey County.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Dewey County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 47.3 | 1976-04-19 | 3.5 | 5 | 36.13 | -99.84 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 67 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Dewey County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 3.9 | 1951-05-19 | 2 | 36°00'N / 98°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Dewey | |
| 6.8 | 1982-05-15 | 2 | 35°53'N / 98°59'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dewey | |
| 7.8 | 1984-10-31 | 2 | 36°01'N / 99°11'W | 36°02'N / 99°06'W | 6.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dewey |
| 9.8 | 1972-04-19 | 2 | 36°03'N / 99°03'W | 36°09'N / 98°48'W | 15.50 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dewey |
| 10.7 | 2002-04-17 | 3 | 36°06'N / 99°05'W | 36°09'N / 99°04'W | 5.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 20K | 0 | Dewey |
| Brief Description: This tornado formed in northern Dewey County, near Cestos, and moved northward, entering Woodward County at 2241 CST. In Dewey County, an old, abandoned farm house, constructed of wood, with broken windows and no doors, was leveled, about 2.5 miles east-southeast of Cestos. Huge cottonwood trees nearby were uprooted. A 15 ft long bus, with no engine, was lofted over a chain-link fence and dropped on its side about 50-75 ft away, and a 1/2 ton pickup trailer bed, detached from the front of the truck, was picked up and carried about 1/2 mile, and crumpled. Numerous severe thunderstorms were observed over western Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Four tornadoes were confirmed, and there were several reports of very large hail, even one report of softball size hail (4.5 inches in diameter). The tornadoes were at night with the largest tornado, believed to be up to one mile wide, causing a maximum of F2 damage over a 34 mile path across northwest Oklahoma. Another tornado resulted in F3 damage. | |||||||||||
| 14.8 | 1955-05-25 | 2 | 36°01'N / 99°18'W | 36°04'N / 99°14'W | 5.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Dewey |
| 19.0 | 1961-05-04 | 2 | 35°53'N / 99°20'W | 1.00 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Dewey | |
| 20.0 | 1984-10-31 | 3 | 36°13'N / 99°00'W | 36°19'N / 98°58'W | 4.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Woodward |
| 20.1 | 1984-10-31 | 2 | 36°11'N / 98°54'W | 36°18'N / 98°49'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Major |
| 21.9 | 1971-06-07 | 3 | 35°44'N / 98°46'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Custer | |
| 22.5 | 2007-05-05 | 2 | 36°10'N / 99°19'W | 36°18'N / 99°13'W | 14.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0K | Woodward |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado developed about 7.5 miles south of Sharon and moved northeast. Near the beginning of the tornado path, substantial damage was noted along EW 57 Road, about two miles north of the county line, and about one mile west of Highway 34. At this location, much of the roof of a single story home was removed, an old rail car being used to store dry cement bags and animal feed was thrown and/or rolled about 140 feet south of the residence, trees and large limbs were snapped, and a pickup truck was moved about 80 feet. Beyond this location, the tornado moved through very rural areas and damage was sparse through portion of the tornado's path. Damage to structures was again noted along a path beginning about 4 miles east of Sharon. In this area, a barn was destroyed and an outbuilding had its windows blown out. Further northeast along the path, more outbuildings were damaged, at least two barns were destroyed, a recreational vehicle was destroyed, and a semi trailer overturned. Several large trees were also downed as the tornado continued northeast before dissipating about 6 miles east northeast of Sharon, just south of Highway 183. In total, 56 utility poles were destroyed along the tornado's path. Monetary damages were estimated. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level storm system moved slowly into south central Colorado during the afternoon. A dry line had become established and was located along the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle border. Also, favorable upper level winds were rotating around the upper level storm system, crossing the dryline over western Oklahoma. As the afternoon progressed, convergence along the dryline became maximized over this area. Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours and they quickly became supercells. Two of the supercells produced several tornadoes. The northern tornadic storm produced five tornadoes from southwest of Roll to just east of Arnett. The southern tornadic storm also produced five tornadoes in Oklahoma from near Sweetwater to near Sharon. Large hail was also observed. The supercells moved northeast out of Oklahoma during the late evening hours. Monetary values for the tornado damage were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 25.5 | 1977-08-02 | 2 | 35°52'N / 98°39'W | 35°47'N / 98°33'W | 8.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dewey |
| 26.6 | 1985-04-22 | 2 | 35°34'N / 98°55'W | 35°40'N / 98°47'W | 8.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Custer |
| 26.9 | 1984-10-31 | 3 | 36°19'N / 98°58'W | 36°21'N / 98°40'W | 16.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Major |
| 28.4 | 1967-06-10 | 2 | 36°06'N / 99°30'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Ellis | |||
| 28.5 | 1959-05-25 | 2 | 35°32'N / 99°03'W | 35°36'N / 98°55'W | 8.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Custer |
| 28.6 | 1954-04-29 | 2 | 35°48'N / 99°45'W | 36°07'N / 99°18'W | 33.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Roger Mills |
| 28.8 | 1981-05-22 | 2 | 35°33'N / 99°11'W | 35°35'N / 99°00'W | 10.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Custer |
| 29.0 | 1967-06-10 | 4 | 35°36'N / 99°23'W | 35°41'N / 99°16'W | 8.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 4 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Custer |
| 29.9 | 1977-03-02 | 2 | 35°32'N / 99°12'W | 35°35'N / 99°05'W | 7.40 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Custer |
| 29.9 | 1964-05-05 | 2 | 35°42'N / 99°33'W | 35°49'N / 99°24'W | 11.60 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Roger Mills |
| 30.2 | 1981-05-22 | 3 | 35°29'N / 99°02'W | 35°36'N / 98°55'W | 10.30 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 12 | 25.0M | 0 | Custer |
| 30.3 | 1959-05-04 | 2 | 35°33'N / 99°08'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Custer | |||
| 31.6 | 1967-01-25 | 2 | 35°29'N / 99°00'W | 35°38'N / 98°35'W | 25.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Custer |
| 32.6 | 1950-05-24 | 2 | 36°27'N / 99°02'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Woodward | |
| 33.6 | 2010-03-08 | 2 | 35°33'N / 99°27'W | 35°39'N / 99°20'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0K | Roger Mills |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A relatively long track tornado touched down in a rural area to the southwest of Hammon, and then tracked to the northeast towards the town of Hammon. This tornado was on the ground for around 40 minutes, moving mainly over rural areas. Initially, the only damage from the tornado was snapped trees and power poles/lines. As the tornado tracked northeast near the end of the tornado track, the tornado clipped the southeastern edge of the town of Hammon. A couple of trailers, the county barn, and a home sustained major damage. Other buildings, trees, power lines/poles, and cars also received significant damage near and around the town of Hammon. The tornado finally dissipated to the northeast of Hammon. Monetary damages were estimated. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm system moved east through New Mexico and into the Texas panhandle during the day on the 8th. Thunderstorms developed over northern Texas and crossed into southern Oklahoma during the morning and early afternoon hours. This area of thunderstorms weakened as they crossed the Red River, leaving widespread cloud cover over the region. However, later in the afternoon, the skies cleared over western Oklahoma, and this allowed for heating to commence in advance of the dry line that was sharpening up over the Texas panhandle. Thunderstorms moved into western Oklahoma and became severe over Roger Mills county. Initially, marginally severe hail up to quarter size was reported, but the storm eventually spawned two tornadoes, one of them significant. The first tornado occurred southwest of Hammon, with EF2 damage reported on the southeast side of Hammon. The second tornado occurred farther east, but did not produce any damage. | |||||||||||
| 33.7 | 1982-05-15 | 2 | 35°57'N / 99°38'W | 36°00'N / 99°36'W | 3.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ellis |
| 33.7 | 1991-05-26 | 3 | 36°26'N / 99°20'W | 36°26'N / 99°08'W | 12.50 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Woodward |
| 34.0 | 1959-03-25 | 2 | 35°33'N / 98°43'W | 35°39'N / 98°32'W | 12.30 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Custer |
| 34.6 | 1967-06-10 | 2 | 35°51'N / 98°25'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Blaine | |
| 35.0 | 2004-05-29 | 2 | 35°56'N / 98°28'W | 35°55'N / 98°19'W | 9.10 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Blaine |
| Brief Description: The second tornado of this storm began 3 miles NE of American Horse Lake, or 9 miles WNW of Geary. This tornado also was obscured by rain for much of its life cycle, but was documented at close range by the Doppler on Wheels (DOW). The center of the tornadic circulation initially moved ESE, approaching American Horse Road around 1824 (all times CST), 6-7 miles WNW of Geary, then turned to the ENE. Damage occurred over a wide swath to the right of the center of circulation, and was the combined result of the tornado and damaging winds from the very strong mesocyclone within which it was embedded. A peak instantaneous wind gust was measured by the DOW at 81 m/s (157 knots, or 181 mph) at a height of 6.5 meters AGL in the mesocyclone circulation just north of Geary at 1836. Four miles NW of Geary, several smaller-scale vortices developed around the initial circulation center - one of which became the dominant circulation and formed about a half a mile south of the original center at 1832. Due to continuity of the parent mesocyclone circulation and the continuous damage path, these circulation centers are considered to be sub-vortices within the same tornado, and not separate tornadoes. The newly-formed circulation center moved slightly south of due east, and crossed US270/281 at 1837 CST, 2 miles NNW of Geary. The tornado crossed into Canadian County at 1838 CST, 11.8 WNW of Calumet. The tornado caused widespread tree damage with trees downed or uprooted across the area. Several barns were also damaged or destroyed in Blaine county. A house sustained some roof damage and power lines were downed in the area. A stock trailer was found rolled and farm machinery damaged. An old church one mile north of Geary also lost its roof. On this day one supercell thunderstorm produced all the tornadoes in the state of Oklahoma and a majority of the extremely large hail. This storm began in extreme west central Oklahoma, moved through center sections of the state, and ended in extreme eastern Oklahoma. The storm affected portions of both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas. | |||||||||||
| 36.0 | 1979-05-02 | 2 | 36°05'N / 98°23'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Logan | |
| 36.0 | 1962-05-25 | 3 | 35°31'N / 98°43'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Custer | |
| 36.2 | 2001-10-09 | 3 | 35°29'N / 99°22'W | 35°32'N / 99°14'W | 7.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Custer |
| Brief Description: B1. Custer County portion. About 1 mile northeast of where the tornado crossed into Custer County, a home of wood frame with brick exterior, had most of its interior and exterior walls destroyed. The tornado then continued across an unpopulated area, causing major damage to trees and fences, before dissipating 2.5 miles west of Foss Dam. A major tornado outbreak occurred across western Oklahoma during the afternoon and early evening of October 9th. Nineteen tornadoes were confirmed, with three rated F3. The first F3 tornado developed in northeast Beckham County, near Elk City, and tracked northeastward for 11 miles before dissipating. As the tornado entered Custer County, a home of wood frame with brick exterior had most of its interior and exterior walls destroyed. The tornado then continued across an unpopulated area, causing major damage to trees and fences, before dissipating 2.5 miles west of Foss Dam. The second F3 tornado developed in Washita County, near Cordell. The Oklahoma State Emergency Management Office estimated that 477 single-family homes were damaged, 132 considered uninhabitable. In addition, 40 businesses were damaged, 22 considered uninhabitable. Damage was estimated near 100 million dollars, and nine injuries were reported. The last F3 tornado developed in Kiowa County and produced F3 damage soon after entering Washita County. Several vehicles and large pieces of farm equipment were tossed and destroyed. About 4 miles north-northeast of Mountain View, 3 homes suffered major damage, with one rated F3. As the tornado continued northeastward, F3 damage was inflicted on a farm, where a house and several barns and outbuildings were leveled. A 10,000 gallon diesel tank ended up in an open field about one-quarter mile away from its original position. For simplicity, the tornadoes that occurred on this day were identified by the supercell thunderstorm that produced them, beginning with A and ending with E. Each tornado was then given its own number. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by supercell thunderstorm A is called A3. In addition, some tornadoes tracked across multiple counties. | |||||||||||
| 37.1 | 1956-07-02 | 2 | 35°58'N / 98°21'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Blaine | |||
| 37.3 | 2009-04-26 | 2 | 35°52'N / 99°44'W | 35°57'N / 99°37'W | 9.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Ellis |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado moved into Ellis County from northern Roger Mills County. Reported by various media outlets, storm chasers. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed along and east of a dry line over the eastern Texas panhandle. The atmosphere was extremely unstable and wind shear was more than sufficient to support severe thunderstorms, including supercell thunderstorms. Showers and thunderstorms that developed early in the day, gave way to more severe thunderstorms by mid afternoon. Severe weather of all types occurred, with numerous locations receiving very large hail. Tornadoes were also reported in Roger Mills and Ellis counties, with some significant damage reported. Flooding also became an issue as some of the same areas received heavy rainfall for the second day in a row. Monetary damages were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 37.6 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 35°49'N / 98°27'W | 35°54'N / 98°16'W | 12.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Blaine |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 37.7 | 1979-05-02 | 2 | 36°21'N / 98°39'W | 36°16'N / 98°18'W | 20.30 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Major |
| 39.4 | 1961-05-04 | 2 | 35°36'N / 99°48'W | 35°46'N / 99°26'W | 23.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Roger Mills |
| 40.0 | 1951-04-05 | 2 | 36°32'N / 98°55'W | 36°34'N / 98°52'W | 3.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Woods |
| 40.3 | 1956-04-08 | 2 | 36°16'N / 98°30'W | 36°14'N / 98°15'W | 14.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Major |
| 40.6 | 1955-06-15 | 2 | 36°06'N / 99°45'W | 36°10'N / 99°41'W | 5.90 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Ellis |
| 41.2 | 1967-06-10 | 4 | 35°50'N / 98°18'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Blaine | |||
| 41.9 | 2007-05-05 | 2 | 35°53'N / 99°46'W | 35°56'N / 99°45'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 612K | 0K | Ellis |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado developed 4 miles north-northeast of Roll in northern Roger Mills County and crossed the Canadian River into southern Ellis County at 9:36 pm CDT. Two houses and two mobile homes were destroyed in the Packsaddle area of southern Ellis County to the east of US Highway 283 (about 18 miles south-southwest of Harmon), and a roof was removed from another mobile home. At least one of these homes suffered a complete removal of the roof and some damage to the exterior walls. Several cars were damaged or destroyed, as well as trees and power lines. Monetary values were estimated. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level storm system moved slowly into south central Colorado during the afternoon. A dry line had become established and was located along the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle border. Also, favorable upper level winds were rotating around the upper level storm system, crossing the dryline over western Oklahoma. As the afternoon progressed, convergence along the dryline became maximized over this area. Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours and they quickly became supercells. Two of the supercells produced several tornadoes. The northern tornadic storm produced five tornadoes from southwest of Roll to just east of Arnett. The southern tornadic storm also produced five tornadoes in Oklahoma from near Sweetwater to near Sharon. Large hail was also observed. The supercells moved northeast out of Oklahoma during the late evening hours. Monetary values for the tornado damage were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 42.9 | 1981-05-22 | 2 | 35°19'N / 99°00'W | 35°24'N / 98°56'W | 6.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Washita |
| 43.4 | 1965-06-04 | 2 | 36°36'N / 98°54'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Woods | |
| 43.8 | 1955-06-04 | 2 | 35°30'N / 98°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Caddo | |||
| 43.9 | 1981-05-22 | 2 | 35°43'N / 98°18'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Blaine | |||
| 44.1 | 1961-05-04 | 2 | 36°02'N / 99°48'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Ellis | |||
| 44.4 | 1982-05-16 | 2 | 35°26'N / 99°26'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Beckham | |
| 44.7 | 2002-04-17 | 2 | 36°29'N / 98°45'W | 36°36'N / 98°29'W | 15.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 35K | 0 | Woods |
| Brief Description: This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that moved out of Major County at 0032 CST. The tornado curved to the right as it crossed the Cimarron River and moved northeastward for 15 miles before entering Alfalfa County at 0005 CST on April 18th. In Woods County, about 2 miles southwest of the intersection of State Highway 45 and the Woods County line, the roof of a trailer house was completely removed, and an exterior wall on the northeast side of the house was badly damaged and partially removed from the structure. The owner of the house received minor abrasions to his arm. Across the road from the house, a barn was unroofed, and most of the walls were destroyed. Otherwise, only tree damage was observed across Woods County. Numerous severe thunderstorms were observed over western Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Four tornadoes were confirmed, and there were several reports of very large hail, even one report of softball size hail (4.5 inches in diameter). The tornadoes were at night with the largest tornado, believed to be up to one mile wide, causing a maximum of F2 damage over a 34 mile path across northwest Oklahoma. Another tornado resulted in F3 damage. | |||||||||||
| 44.9 | 1965-05-25 | 2 | 36°24'N / 98°24'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Major | |||
| 45.1 | 1968-06-09 | 2 | 35°50'N / 99°48'W | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Roger Mills | |||
| 45.3 | 1990-04-24 | 2 | 36°01'N / 99°50'W | 36°24'N / 99°43'W | 19.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Ellis |
| 45.7 | 2001-10-09 | 3 | 35°17'N / 99°00'W | 35°21'N / 98°58'W | 6.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 9 | 100.0M | 0 | Washita |
| Brief Description: C1. This tornado developed on the southwest side of Cordell, where a mobile home and metal warehouse were blown into a farmhouse. The tornado then moved through south, east and northeast portions of Cordell, including a business district and a large residential area. Most damage south of Main Street was rated F0 or F1. North of Main Street, the damage path widened to approximately 500 yards, with the tornado then inflicting widespread F1 to F2 damage up to 12th Street. Hundreds of homes were damaged in this area. As the tornado began to exit the northeast side of Cordell, F3 damage was sustained to several homes on 9th Street, just west of Crider Road. An F4 rating was considered; however, the structural integrity of most structures was at or below average, and was taken into consideration. Another interesting note is that several eye-witnesses reported that the tornado was widest and contained the most violent-looking winds at this time. The tornado eventually exited Cordell and dissipated 3.5 miles northeast of town. The Oklahoma State Emergency Management Office estimated that 477 single-family homes were damaged, 132 considered uninhabitable. In addition, 40 businesses were damaged, 22 considered uninhabitable. Damage was estimated near 100 million dollars, and nine injuries were reported. A major tornado outbreak occurred across western Oklahoma during the afternoon and early evening of October 9th. Nineteen tornadoes were confirmed, with three rated F3. The first F3 tornado developed in northeast Beckham County, near Elk City, and tracked northeastward for 11 miles before dissipating. As the tornado entered Custer County, a home of wood frame with brick exterior had most of its interior and exterior walls destroyed. The tornado then continued across an unpopulated area, causing major damage to trees and fences, before dissipating 2.5 miles west of Foss Dam. The second F3 tornado developed in Washita County, near Cordell. The Oklahoma State Emergency Management Office estimated that 477 single-family homes were damaged, 132 considered uninhabitable. In addition, 40 businesses were damaged, 22 considered uninhabitable. Damage was estimated near 100 million dollars, and nine injuries were reported. The last F3 tornado developed in Kiowa County and produced F3 damage soon after entering Washita County. Several vehicles and large pieces of farm equipment were tossed and destroyed. About 4 miles north-northeast of Mountain View, 3 homes suffered major damage, with one rated F3. As the tornado continued northeastward, F3 damage was inflicted on a farm, where a house and several barns and outbuildings were leveled. A 10,000 gallon diesel tank ended up in an open field about one-quarter mile away from its original position. For simplicity, the tornadoes that occurred on this day were identified by the supercell thunderstorm that produced them, beginning with A and ending with E. Each tornado was then given its own number. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by supercell thunderstorm A is called A3. In addition, some tornadoes tracked across multiple counties. | |||||||||||
| 46.1 | 1951-06-08 | 3 | 35°23'N / 98°48'W | 35°20'N / 98°37'W | 10.90 Miles | 173 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Washita |
| 46.6 | 1965-05-13 | 2 | 36°24'N / 99°40'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Ellis | |||
| 46.6 | 1961-05-04 | 3 | 35°38'N / 98°21'W | 35°42'N / 98°12'W | 9.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Blaine |
| 46.7 | 1958-06-21 | 3 | 36°18'N / 99°45'W | 0.50 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Ellis | |
| 47.0 | 1965-04-04 | 2 | 35°17'N / 99°07'W | 35°19'N / 99°04'W | 3.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Washita |
| 47.1 | 2004-05-29 | 2 | 35°40'N / 98°19'W | 35°43'N / 98°11'W | 9.80 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Canadian |
| Brief Description: The tornado, 2.5 N of Geary in Blaine county, crossed into Canadian County at 1838 CST. Damage remained confined to the right side of the track of the circulation center. The tornado and the parent mesocyclone then turned to the NE, inflicting F1 and low-F2 damage to several rural homes northeast of Geary. Seven miles NE of Geary, the center turned back to the E at 1852, paralleling 220th Street (EW91 Road) for about 2 miles. It then turned to the NE at 1902 and eventually to the N by 1908. The tornado was wrapped in rain during its entire latter stages, and therefore was not visible. Doppler on Wheels (DOW) data indicate that the tornadic circulation crossed into Kingfisher County 11 miles west of Okarche. One farmstead, approximately 5-6 miles northeast of Geary, received heavy damage with the 100 year old farmhouse sustaining substantial damage and several outbuildings and barns destroyed. On this day one supercell thunderstorm produced all the tornadoes in the state of Oklahoma and a majority of the extremely large hail. This storm began in extreme west central Oklahoma, moved through center sections of the state, and ended in extreme eastern Oklahoma. The storm affected portions of both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas. | |||||||||||
| 47.5 | 1995-05-17 | 2 | 36°28'N / 98°34'W | 36°32'N / 98°21'W | 12.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 47.7 | 1965-05-06 | 2 | 36°04'N / 98°10'W | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Kingfisher | |||
| 47.7 | 1960-03-28 | 2 | 36°18'N / 99°54'W | 36°28'N / 99°31'W | 24.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Ellis |
| 47.8 | 1955-06-17 | 2 | 36°30'N / 98°27'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Alfalfa | |
| 48.3 | 1959-05-25 | 2 | 35°29'N / 99°40'W | 35°31'N / 99°37'W | 3.80 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Roger Mills |
| 48.5 | 1962-05-25 | 4 | 35°16'N / 99°12'W | 35°18'N / 99°05'W | 7.20 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Washita |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.