Canadian County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 1,260 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 56.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #69 nationally and #8 in Oklahoma.
1,260
Recorded events
20
Direct deaths
186
Direct injuries
$32.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Canadian County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Canadian County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 16.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 284 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 302 events fall before 1990 and 958 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Canadian County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 19 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $22.7M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Canadian County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 711 | 0 | $629K | 7 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 375 | 1 | $7.1M | 131 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 109 | 19 | $22.7M | F4 | 1951–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 49 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $633K | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $75K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Canadian County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
113 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 102 touched down inside it and 11 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-24 | EF5 | 9 | 181 | 63.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-24 | EF4 | 2 | 4 | 13.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-05-22 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 16.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-04-30 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-31 | EF3 | 8 | 26 | 16.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-25 | EF3 | 2 | 29 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-04 | EF3 | 1 | 0 | 9.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-05-03 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-05-03 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 21.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-20 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 63.6 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Canadian County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2013 | Tornado | CALUMET | 8 | 26 | $300K |
| May 24, 2011 | Tornado | CALUMET | 7 | 112 | $0 |
| May 26, 2019 | Tornado | EL RENO | 2 | 29 | $400K |
| May 24, 1973 | Tornado | 2 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 29, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | EL RENO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 29, 2007 | Tornado | YUKON | 0 | 5 | $500K |
| Oct 7, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Nov 15, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A man was driving a tractor trailer eastbound on I-40 near mile marker 126 when his truck was hit by severe winds associated with a bow echo. The vehicle veered into the median, where it struck the cable barrier and overturned. The driver was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected from the vehicle and died on the scene.
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.
Highways 4 and 92 were closed due to high water. At 6:38 AM CDT, a motorist had to be rescued at Mustang Road and Wagner due the high water. Several other roads in town had to be closed as well due to the flooding. A bridge on Oak Street was severely damaged, requiring significant renovation. Also, extensive farm land was flooded on the north side of town. Two homes at Kingsway Court had 12-18 inches of water in them. Monetary damages were estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
168,985
Population (ACS)
$246K
Median home value
39
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 |
| Jun 1, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Yukon 226
- Mustang 136
- Piedmont 135
- El Reno 130
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Canadian County, Oklahoma?
1,260 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 20 direct deaths and $32.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Canadian County?
Hail, with 711 recorded events — 56.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Canadian County?
113 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 102 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Canadian County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Canadian County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Canadian County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Canadian County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Canadian 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
- Caddo County 1,302
- Carter County 897
- Bryan County 619
- Cherokee County 755
- Blaine County 560
- Choctaw County 420
Cite this page
“Canadian County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/canadian-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.