Oklahoma County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 2,500 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 50.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #6 nationally and #1 in Oklahoma.
2,500
Recorded events
33
Direct deaths
742
Direct injuries
$1.3B
Property damage
The record
What the Oklahoma County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 32.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 592 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 550 events fall before 1990 and 1,950 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Oklahoma County, Oklahoma record is flash flood, responsible for 16 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $772.6M 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 Oklahoma County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1,262 | 0 | $454.8M | 5 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 831 | 1 | $65.6M | 100 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 183 | 16 | $8.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 139 | 16 | $772.6M | F4 | 1950–2026 |
| Lightning | 50 | 0 | $8.8M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 26 | 0 | $45K | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $515K | 0 | 2002–2007 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2007 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Oklahoma County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
142 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 123 touched down inside it and 19 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 | Crossed in |
| 2010-05-10 | EF4 | 2 | 49 | 24.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-08 | EF4 | 0 | 134 | 17.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-04-30 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-05-01 | EF4 | 0 | 65 | 59.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-11-19 | EF3 | 5 | 36 | 24.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-05-26 | EF3 | 1 | 4 | 34.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-11-03 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 25.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-03 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 2.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-05-06 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Oklahoma County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 1999 | Tornado | DEL CITY | 12 | 234 | $450.0M |
| Jun 1, 2013 | Flash Flood | WARR ACRES | 7 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 1, 2013 | Flash Flood | (OKC)WILL ROGERS APT | 5 | 0 | $50K |
| May 10, 2010 | Tornado | (TIK)TINKER AFB | 2 | 29 | $0 |
| Sep 22, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | JONES | 1 | 10 | $2.0M |
| Mar 29, 1988 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $0 | |
| Sep 1, 2020 | Flash Flood | (PWA)WILEY POST APT | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2013 | Flash Flood | THE VILLAGE | 1 | 0 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Three vehicles stalled at 122nd and Penn Ave. One fatality occurred at the intersection of Barnes and 118th when a middle aged man was swept away into a nearby drainage culvert. Time of fatality was around 0130 CDT on August 9th.
Several inches of rain fell into just a few hours over the southeast half of Oklahoma. Widespread flash flooding occurred, especially near creeks and streams. A few high water rescues occurred at both residences and cars as the water rose rapidly. The most significant flooding occurred near and around Lightning Creek. Several homes were flooded by the creek. Unfortunately, a 13-year old boy drowned after falling into creek near SE 40th Street and Santa Fe Avenue. No other injuries were reported. Monetary damage estimates were not available.
Widespread hail damage was reported with sizes ranging from 1.25 to 2.75 inches. 8,000 to 10,000 vehicles and numerous homes were damaged in the Edmond and Nichols Hills areas. Monetary damages were based on estimates from several media outlets.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
806,199
Population (ACS)
$223K
Median home value
51
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Fire | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Mar 18, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Fire | LUTHER FIRE | FM |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Fire | HEFNER FIRE, OKLAHOMA FMAG | FM |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Oklahoma City 438
- Edmond 357
- The Village 153
- Warr Acres 124
- Bethany 113
- Choctaw 102
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma?
2,500 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 33 direct deaths and $1.3B in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Oklahoma County?
Hail, with 1,262 recorded events — 50.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Oklahoma County?
142 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 123 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Oklahoma County?
51 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Oklahoma County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Oklahoma County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Oklahoma County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 98 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Oklahoma 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
- Okfuskee County 566
- Okmulgee County 749
- Nowata County 465
- Osage County 1,489
- Noble County 496
- Ottawa County 611
Cite this page
“Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/oklahoma-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.