185
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Cotton County, Oklahoma: 185 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #1,166 nationally and #56 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Cotton County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Cotton County is the 1990s, when 50 of the county's 185 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 Cotton County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 33.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,166 for this hazard and #56 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 62.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Cotton County with 52 recorded events, while Jan 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2000 | WALTERS | 0 | 0 | 3 | $42K |
| Mar 29, 1988 | 61 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | WALTERS | 55 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | WALTERS | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2025 | RANDLETT | 61 | $10K |
| May 25, 2025 | WALTERS | 50 | $0 |
| May 2, 2025 | WALTERS | 53 | $0 |
| May 2, 2025 | COOKIETOWN | 52 | $50K |
| Apr 30, 2025 | WALTERS | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2025 | WALTERS | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2025 | WALTERS | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2025 | WALTERS | 51 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cotton County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Five large transmission poles were downed on the north side of Walters. The high school lost about one third of its overlayment on the west side of the gym. Nine homes were destroyed, 6 severely damaged, and 15 with minor to moderate damage. Thirty homes in total were damaged, 20 of them mobile homes.
There were numerous reports of tree damage, power poles down, and minor roof damage to homes. A couple of small structures, such as storage sheds, were also destroyed. The time of this reported was estimated based on radar.
Several reports of minor roof damage, tree limbs (6-inch diameter) broken, and one 45×50 barn completely demolished. The barn that was destroyed blew across US70 – 1/2 a mile east of SH65, taking down power lines and striking one vehicle that was driving eastbound.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Cotton County, Oklahoma?
185 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Cotton County between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Cotton County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Cotton County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Cotton 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Cotton County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/cotton-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.