52
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$6.1M
Property damage
Tornado in Cherokee County, Oklahoma: 52 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #352 nationally and #53 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Cherokee County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Cherokee County is the 2010s, when 16 of the county's 52 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Cherokee County archive, tornado makes up 6.9% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #352 for this hazard and #53 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 88.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Cherokee County with 15 recorded events, while Sep is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-01 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 350 yd | Touched down here |
| 2006-03-12 | EF3 | 29.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-04-19 | EF3 | 3.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-05 | EF3 | 37.0 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1964-05-10 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-08-10 | EF2 | 5.0 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-11-04 | EF2 | 32.9 mi | 1,200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-20 | EF2 | 21.0 mi | 2,700 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-11-30 | EF2 | 47.0 mi | 1,100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1995-04-17 | EF2 | 4.5 mi | 123 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 1999 | HULBERT | F3 | 2 | 5 | $1.5M |
| Dec 1, 2018 | COOKSON | EF2 | 0 | 5 | $1.5M |
| May 21, 2019 | PEGGS | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $800K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2026 | ELDON | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | ZEB | EF1 | $150K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | ROBBINS | EF1 | $50K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | TAHLEQUAH ARPT | EF1 | $50K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | THOMPSON CORNER | EF1 | $10K |
| Jun 7, 2025 | METORY | EF1 | $10K |
| Jun 6, 2025 | PEGGS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 19, 2025 | STANDING ROCK | EF1 | $0 |
| May 19, 2025 | COOKSON TENKILLER AR | EF1 | $50K |
| May 19, 2025 | ELDON | EF1 | $20K |
Other hazards here
More from Cherokee County
- Thunderstorm Wind 309
- Hail 275
- Flash Flood 71
- Flood 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This is the second segment of a six segment tornado. This long-track tornado moved into Cherokee County near an inlet of Lake Tenkiller, where boat docks, lake homes, boats, and outbuildings were destroyed, and trees and power poles were snapped. The tornado moved north-northeast along the eastern shores of Lake Tenkiller, passing through Cookson and Cherokee Landing State Park. Numerous homes were damaged or destroyed, numerous boat docks were destroyed, many boats were destroyed, outbuildings were destroyed, many trees and power poles were snapped, and hangars at the airport west of Cookson were destroyed. From Lake Tenkiller, the tornado continued to move north-northeast across less populated areas of southeastern Cherokee County where a few homes were damaged, outbuildings were destroyed, and trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado moved into Adair County to the east-northeast of Welling. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 115 to 125 mph.
This is the first segment of a two-segment tornado. This large tornado developed southwest of the intersection of the N 420 Road and the W 660 Road. It moved northeast snapping and uprooting trees, and destroying outbuildings when it crossed those roads. Significant tree damage occurred as the tornado crossed the W 650 Road and approached Highway 82, where homes and businesses were severely damaged and numerous trees were snapped in Peggs. After moving through Peggs, the tornado continued to move northeast across mainly rural, rugged terrain where significant tree damage was noted for several miles. It crossed the N 495 Road snapping trees, damaging homes, and destroying outbuildings, and then moved into Delaware County. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 110 to 120 mph.
This tornado developed west of the S 490 Road and south of the W 830 Road. It moved northeast toward Park Hill, crossed Highway 82 and Murrel Road. The tornado uprooted numerous trees, damaged outbuildings, snapped numerous large tree limbs, and blew down power poles. A few trees were uprooted as it moved across Willis Road, then crossed the Illinois River and dissipated after producing more tree damage on the E 785 Road. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 95 to 105 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Cherokee County, Oklahoma?
52 tornado events are recorded in Cherokee County between 1956 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Cherokee County?
The strongest tornado on record in Cherokee County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Cherokee County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Cherokee County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/cherokee-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.