Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 712 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 50.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #381 nationally and #40 in Oklahoma.
712
Recorded events
12
Direct deaths
159
Direct injuries
$46.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 9.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 168 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 157 events fall before 1990 and 555 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $40.4M 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 Pottawatomie County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 359 | 0 | $10K | 3 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 203 | 0 | $4.0M | 78 | 1957–2026 |
| Tornado | 95 | 9 | $40.4M | F5 | 1953–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 3 | $958K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $200K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2004 |
Decade by decade
Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
92 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 76 touched down inside it and 16 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-05-05 | EF5 | 5 | 81 | 71.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-10-05 | EF4 | 4 | 84 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-19 | EF4 | 2 | 10 | 23.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-09-14 | EF4 | 2 | 6 | 67.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-05-10 | EF4 | 1 | 32 | 22.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1960-05-04 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 28 | 37.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-10-04 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Pottawatomie County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 1970 | Tornado | 4 | 80 | $25.0M | |
| May 19, 2013 | Tornado | PINK | 2 | 6 | $0 |
| Sep 14, 1957 | Tornado | 2 | 6 | $250K | |
| May 4, 1999 | Tornado | SHAWNEE | 1 | 10 | $500K |
| Apr 30, 2025 | Flash Flood | MACOMB | 1 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 4, 2016 | Flash Flood | PINK | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 18, 2015 | Flash Flood | MACOMB | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| May 24, 2011 | Tornado | DALE | 0 | 32 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The large tornado moved east-northeast into Pottawatomie County then curving northeast as it approached State Highway 102. The tornado moved through a mobile home park north of Independence Road after crossing State Highway 102. Just northeast of the mobile home park, a permanent home was destroyed with much of the debris blown well to the northeast. It continued northeast crossing Interstate 40 near the intersection of US-177, then curved north-northeast finally dissipating near Wolverine Road and Coker Road. One fatality occurred in the mobile home park, and another man was killed in his vehicle.
Significant roadway flooding occurred near the intersection of Oklahoma Highways 102 and 59B due to water rise from both the Little River and Sand Creek. Emergency management and broadcast media reported multiple water rescues near this intersection. A man drowned when his car was swept off the road by floodwaters. A responding law enforcement officer was injured as well. Event time is approximate, and residual flooding is likely to have occurred beyond the listed end time.
A 49 year old woman was traveling on a rural road near Pink, OK when her car was swept of the road by floodwaters, resulting in a direct fatality. The car was found in the creek soon after, but her body was not found until the following Tuesday.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
73,463
Population (ACS)
$165K
Median home value
44
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2025 | Fire | EAST THUNDERBIRD FIRE | FM |
| Mar 15, 2025 | Fire | CLEAR POND FIRE | FM |
| Apr 30, 2024 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 24, 2023 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jun 29, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Shawnee 195
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma?
712 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 12 direct deaths and $46.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Pottawatomie County?
Hail, with 359 recorded events — 50.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Pottawatomie County?
92 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 76 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Pottawatomie County?
44 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Pottawatomie County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Pottawatomie County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pottawatomie County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 82 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Pottawatomie 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
- Pontotoc County 795
- Pushmataha County 558
- Pittsburg County 934
- Roger Mills County 696
- Payne County 847
- Rogers County 934
Cite this page
“Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/pottawatomie-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.