Alfalfa County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 673 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 51.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #442 nationally and #46 in Oklahoma.
673
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$6.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Alfalfa County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Alfalfa County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 9.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 211 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 130 events fall before 1990 and 543 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $2.6M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Alfalfa County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 343 | 0 | $0 | 4.5 | 1957–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 244 | 0 | $2.1M | 87 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 53 | 0 | $2.6M | F3 | 1954–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 0 | $1.9M | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 1999–2000 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2008 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| High Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 61 | 2019–2019 |
Decade by decade
Alfalfa County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
52 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 44 touched down inside it and 8 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 20.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-04-17 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 34.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-10-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-09-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Alfalfa County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| Nov 1, 1998 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread damage occurred as a result of very strong winds that moved through Alfalfa county. Several silos at the Alfalfa County Feeders were destroyed. Three hundred thousand bushels of corn was destroyed inside the silos. Several outbuildings were destroyed and numerous homes sustained minor roof damage from Cherokee to Ingersol. Widespread tree damage was reported. Several 100-foot douglas fur utility poles and power lines were blown down on US Highway 64, causing it to be closed for a short period of time. Monetary damages were estimated.
This tornado developed about 4 miles west-southwest of Helena, or about a mile southeast of the community of McWillie. This tornado moved generally northeast although there was some variability in motion as it moved north of Helena and then south and east of Jet. Power poles were damaged as the tornado crossed State Highway 45 and areas west of Helena. Significant damage was observed along State Highway 58 north of Helena where a number of power poles were broken along a mile stretch of SH-58, and at least three barns were destroyed (EF2) both along SH-58 and east of SH-58 on E0300 Road. The tornado continued to produce tree and power pole damage as it moved northeast. Power poles were broken east of Jet along N2740 Road and along U.S. Highway 64 on both sides of the Alfalfa-Grant County line. The tornado then moved into Grant County with the centerline crossing the county line just north of U.S. 64.
Several severe thunderstorms caused strong winds from mid- afternoon into the evening hours. Wind gusts reached as high as 69 knots (80 mph). The strong wind gusts caused widespread damage across the town of Cherokee. Numerous power poles and lines were downed which resulted in all the residents of Cherokee having no power for a time. A hangar at the Cherokee Municipal Airport received heavy damage to the roof and several walls. A few planes were also damaged. The debris was said to have traveled several hundred yards across the runways. Several plate-glass windows were also blown out at the local Chevrolet dealership. Numerous trees and tree limbs were downed. Road signs were also blown over.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,696
Population (ACS)
$102K
Median home value
30
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Dec 21, 2020 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Cherokee 178
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma?
673 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $6.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Alfalfa County?
Hail, with 343 recorded events — 51.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Alfalfa County?
52 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 44 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Alfalfa County?
30 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Alfalfa County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Alfalfa County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Alfalfa County as very low risk, placing it in the 41 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Alfalfa County, Oklahoma severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Adair County 482
- Atoka County 457
- Beaver County 1,025
- Beckham County 801
- Blaine County 560
- Bryan County 619
Cite this page
“Alfalfa County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/alfalfa-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.