Garvin County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 768 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 52.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #321 nationally and #36 in Oklahoma.
768
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
24
Direct injuries
$23.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Garvin County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Garvin County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 10.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 155 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 204 events fall before 1990 and 564 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Garvin County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $15.5M 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 Garvin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 401 | 0 | $95K | 4 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 248 | 0 | $4.0M | 87 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 69 | 6 | $15.5M | F4 | 1953–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 36 | 0 | $135K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 2014–2025 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $3.1M | 0 | 1997–2010 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Garvin County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
65 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 56 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-04-19 | EF4 | 5 | 6 | 28.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2016-05-09 | EF4 | 1 | 0 | 8.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-03-13 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-02-17 | EF3 | 0 | 11 | 73.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-05-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-06-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 16.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-05-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-05-19 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Garvin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1972 | Tornado | 5 | 3 | $25K | |
| May 9, 2016 | Tornado | HENNEPIN | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Feb 22, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 14 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| May 7, 2008 | Tornado | PAOLI | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| May 19, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Mar 5, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Feb 18, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado developed 1.25 miles south of the community of Katie, OK, or about 3.4 miles north of Hennepin. The tornado was observed to be very dynamic as it moved east-northeast and east. Initially damage was confined to trees until the tornado crossed county road 1690 where a home was destroyed where only interior walls remained standing. To the east of this house, two mobile homes were damaged on the southern periphery of the tornado path. The tornado moved east-northeast damaging another mobile home, then east removing the roof from a home on Indian Meridian Road.||The tornado varied in movement between northeast and southeast as it approached and crossed county road 1680. A home was destroyed near county road 1680 and Indian Meridian Road where an EF4 rating was applied (DI 2, DOD 9). Further east, a fatality occurred when the tornado destroyed a modular home. After destroying another home, the tornado moved northeast and dissipated near Interstate 35.
Severe thunderstorm winds caused major damage at Pauls Valley Airport and minor roof damage in town. At the airport a maintenance shop, 14 hangars, and 8 to 10 planes were completely destroyed. Damage at the airport was estimated at $1,500,00. An Oklahoma Natural Gas shop south of Pauls Valley sustained $150,000 in damage to the roof, walls, and garage doors. The Pauls Valley armory lost most of its new roof and air conditioner in the severe storm. Outbuildings, signs, and trees were destroyed throughout town. An historic barn was also destroyed. Total damage in the area was estimated at 2 to 3 million dollars.
After the tornado dissipated west of Pauls Valley, the thunderstorm continued to produce widespread winds with areas of 60-100 mph winds near and east of the community of White Bead and west and north of Pauls Valley. Around a dozen houses had some damage, at least two outbuildings were destroyed, and tree and powerline damage occurred at various locations within the area of wind.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,860
Population (ACS)
$148K
Median home value
33
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 15, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Pauls Valley 170
- Stratford 108
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Garvin County, Oklahoma?
768 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $23.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Garvin County?
Hail, with 401 recorded events — 52.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Garvin County?
65 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 56 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Garvin County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Garvin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Garvin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Garvin County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 62 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Garvin 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
- Garfield County 1,243
- Grady County 1,217
- Ellis County 752
- Grant County 676
- Dewey County 635
- Greer County 539
Cite this page
“Garvin County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/garvin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.