Grady County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 1,217 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 52.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #79 nationally and #11 in Oklahoma.
1,217
Recorded events
16
Direct deaths
135
Direct injuries
$133.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Grady County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Grady County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 16.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 267 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 250 events fall before 1990 and 967 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Grady County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 15 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $128.2M 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 Grady County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 643 | 0 | $127K | 4.5 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 434 | 1 | $2.2M | 85 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 96 | 15 | $128.2M | F5 | 1951–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 38 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $124K | 0 | 1999–2005 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2015–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Grady County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
91 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 82 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-05-03 | EF5 | 36 | 583 | 37.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-24 | EF4 | 2 | 4 | 13.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-24 | EF4 | 1 | 48 | 33.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-24 | EF4 | 0 | 61 | 23.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-03-13 | EF3 | 1 | 8 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-05-06 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-05-03 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-20 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 63.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-04-30 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Grady County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 1999 | Tornado | AMBER | 12 | 39 | $90.0M |
| May 24, 2011 | Tornado | NORGE | 1 | 48 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | Tornado | 1 | 8 | $250K | |
| May 1, 1981 | Tornado | 1 | 4 | $250K | |
| Oct 6, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 8, 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Chickasha | 0 | 12 | $50K |
| May 3, 1999 | Tornado | CHICKASHA | 0 | 4 | $500K |
| May 3, 1999 | Tornado | LAVERTY | 0 | 4 | $75K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado A9 (Grady County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. The beginning time of this tornado was changed from 1723 CST to 1726 CST. Please refer to the original version of May Storm Data for more information.
This tornado is labeled C1 (Segment #1 of the Chickasha-Blanchard-Newcastle tornado). The tornado formed on the south side of Chickasha, quickly doing EF-2 damage. Mobile homes were damaged and destroyed, trees were uprooted/destroyed, outbuildings were destroyed, and many buildings lost significant portions of their roofs. One fatality occurred as a mobile home was destroyed in the south portion of Chickasha. As the tornado moved northeast of Chickasha, it gained significant strength, with several areas receiving EF-4 damage. Well-built homes were destroyed. Trees were debarked with only stumps remaining. Cars were thrown hundreds of feet. Almost continuous EF-3/occasional EF-4 damage occurred northeast until it crossed into McClain county 1.5 miles south of Highway 9. The tornado was probably at its strongest as it neared/crossed the McClain county line. Wind speeds there were estimated near 200 mph. Monetary damage estimates were not available.
Major flash flooding developed across a large portion of Grady County after several hours of heavy rain. In Chickasha, streets began closing at 2255 CST on the 22nd due to the rain, however it was not until approximately 0600 CST on the 23rd that the worst flooding developed. That was when Line Creek overflowed its banks allowing water to pour into downtown to a depth of 5 feet in spots. Approximately 30 people were rescued from the roof of cars and homes, and between 200 and 400 people were evacuated from their home. All of Chickasha, except the southwest corner of downtown, was flooded, with the worst flooding concentrated along US Routes 62 and 81 leading into Chickasha. Sixty-three businesses received major damage, while 50 homes and the Vo-tech Center sustained minor to major damage. During the night additional road closings, including US Route 62/277 between Chickasha and Blanchard (McClain County), was closed along with Highway 92 between Chickasha and Tuttle.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
56,606
Population (ACS)
$206K
Median home value
37
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2025 | Fire | NORGE FIRE | FM |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Minco 133
- Chickasha Arpt 106
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Grady County, Oklahoma?
1,217 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 16 direct deaths and $133.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Grady County?
Hail, with 643 recorded events — 52.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Grady County?
91 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 82 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Grady County?
37 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Grady County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Grady County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grady County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Grady 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
- Garvin County 768
- Grant County 676
- Garfield County 1,243
- Greer County 539
- Ellis County 752
- Harmon County 497
Cite this page
“Grady County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/grady-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.