Payne County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 847 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #250 nationally and #25 in Oklahoma.
847
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
63
Direct injuries
$11.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Payne County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Payne County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 11.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 205 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 202 events fall before 1990 and 645 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Payne County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $9.8M 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 Payne County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 409 | 0 | $107K | 4 | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 329 | 0 | $887K | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 59 | 2 | $9.8M | F3 | 1950–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 0 | $105K | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Lightning | 15 | 0 | $220K | 0 | 1996–2010 |
| Flood | 6 | 1 | $25K | 0 | 2001–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
Decade by decade
Payne County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
60 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 54 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-08 | EF4 | 14 | 150 | 29.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 5 | 68 | 42.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-05-15 | EF3 | 1 | 12 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-13 | EF3 | 0 | 8 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-05-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 18 | 10.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Payne County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 1990 | Tornado | 1 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| May 4, 1999 | Tornado | STILLWATER | 1 | 3 | $100K |
| May 21, 2019 | Flood | PERKINS | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| May 24, 2011 | Tornado | LAKE CARL BLACKWELL DAM | 0 | 18 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $250K | |
| Jun 13, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| May 1, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $25K | |
| Apr 27, 1984 | 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
Strong winds caused damage across the town. Roofs were blown off three barns. Numerous 4-5 inch diameter tree limbs were downed along with a cedar tree 16-18 inches in diameter snapped off about 8 feet above ground. A mobile home had part of its metal roof taken off along with a quarter of the shingles off the north side of another mobile home to the south. Many homes across town also sustained shingle damage. The north facing overhead door to the VoAg building was blown in while the south door was bent out. However…these were not detached. A pontoon boat was also flipped and blown into the street.
Wind gusts caused minor damage to several dorms and the stadium at Oklahoma State University. An 18 by 24 foot roof structure that covers the boiler and water reservoir at a Best Western was also heavily damaged. Widespread tree damage was reported around town.
This tornado developed to the west of the Cimarron River near South Union Road and 104th Street. It moved to the east-northeast passing just south of the city limits of Ripley and dissipating about 3 miles east of Ripley. The tornado caused damage to trees, farm buildings and a few mobile homes.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
82,972
Population (ACS)
$223K
Median home value
39
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Fire | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Mar 15, 2025 | Fire | UNDERWOOD FIRE | FM |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Fire | STILLWATER FIRE | FM |
| Oct 30, 2024 | Fire | EUCHEE CREEK FIRE | FM |
| Jul 19, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Stillwater 221
- Perkins 108
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Payne County, Oklahoma?
847 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $11.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Payne County?
Hail, with 409 recorded events — 48.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Payne County?
60 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 54 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Payne County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Payne County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Payne County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Payne County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 84 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Payne 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
- Pawnee County 592
- Pittsburg County 934
- Ottawa County 611
- Pontotoc County 795
- Osage County 1,489
- Pottawatomie County 712
Cite this page
“Payne County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/payne-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.