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Kay County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 1,268 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 44.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #68 nationally and #7 in Oklahoma.
1,268
Recorded events
20
Direct deaths
312
Direct injuries
$45.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Kay County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Kay County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 16.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 299 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 310 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 Kay County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 20 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $38.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Kay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 562 | 0 | $48K | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 507 | 0 | $7.2M | 99 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 103 | 20 | $38.2M | F5 | 1950–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 75 | 0 | $61K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $198K | 0 | 1996–2008 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2009 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2010 |
Decade by decade
Kay County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
102 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 92 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-05-25 | EF5 | 80 | 273 | 56.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-05-25 | EF5 | 20 | 280 | 28.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-02 | EF4 | 2 | 29 | 108.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-03-16 | EF4 | 0 | 7 | 82.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 40.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1993-06-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 67.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-11-17 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 39.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Kay County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 1955 | Tornado | 20 | 280 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 20, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| May 17, 2001 | Lightning | PONCA CITY | 0 | 3 | $25K |
| May 8, 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $5.0M | |
| May 11, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Aug 13, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | BLACKWELL | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Jun 8, 1998 | Hail | PONCA CITY | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 1997 | Lightning | PONCA CITY | 0 | 2 | $35K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread wind damage was reported over the southeast parts of Ponca City. The damage area was from S. 8th to S. 13th from South Ave north about 4 to 5 blocks. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Several houses reported at least minor damage, with one home blown off its foundation and losing its roof. Monetary damage is estimated based on figures from Ponca City Emergency Management.
While the tornado that formed west of Ponca City was passing to the south of Kaw Lake, observers witnessed a second tornado develop near the southwest portion of Kaw Lake. The witnesses watched the tornado develop on a hill just northwest of McFadden Cove, and then move southeast across Hideaway Marina causing damage to boat shelters and docks at the marina. The tornado continued southeast as a waterspout over the southwestern portion of Kaw Lake, then moved into Osage County just east of the dam. See the Storm Data report from the NWS office in Tulsa for details of this tornado in Osage County.
Several campers and farm equipment were blown over. A boat was blown off a trailer. Part of the pavillion roof at Northern Oklahoma College was blown off. A house and shed sustained minor damage, and numerous trees were downed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
43,625
Population (ACS)
$125K
Median home value
36
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2024 | Tornado | 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 |
| 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
- Ponca City 185
- Blackwell 182
- Braman 122
- Newkirk 118
- Tonkawa 102
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Kay County, Oklahoma?
1,268 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 20 direct deaths and $45.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Kay County?
Hail, with 562 recorded events — 44.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Kay County?
102 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 92 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Kay County?
36 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Kay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Kay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kay County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 80 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Kay 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
- Johnston County 478
- Kingfisher County 785
- Jefferson County 535
- Kiowa County 1,071
- Jackson County 1,135
- Latimer County 440
Cite this page
“Kay County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/kay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.