59
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
59
Direct injuries
$9.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Payne County, Oklahoma: 59 recorded events between 1950 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #257 nationally and #42 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Payne County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Payne County is the 2010s, when 12 of the county's 59 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 Payne County archive, tornado makes up 7.0% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #257 for this hazard and #42 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 91.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Payne County with 29 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-08 | EF4 | 29.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-02 | EF3 | 42.6 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1990-05-15 | EF3 | 7.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-13 | EF3 | 5.1 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-21 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-21 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-05-09 | EF2 | 6.4 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-24 | EF2 | 10.4 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-04-26 | EF2 | 6.5 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-26 | EF2 | 6.0 mi | 70 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 1990 | F3 | 1 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| May 4, 1999 | STILLWATER | F2 | 1 | 3 | $100K |
| May 24, 2011 | LAKE CARL BLACKWELL DAM | EF2 | 0 | 18 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F2 | 0 | 8 | $250K | |
| Jun 13, 1975 | F3 | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| May 1, 1954 | F2 | 0 | 7 | $25K | |
| Apr 30, 1970 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jul 24, 1954 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2024 | (SWO)STILLWATER AIRPORT | EF0 | $10K |
| May 2, 2022 | PERKINS | EF1 | $50K |
| Jul 11, 2021 | YALE | EF1 | $50K |
| May 18, 2019 | INGALLS | EF0 | $30K |
| May 18, 2019 | STILLWATER | EF0 | $10K |
| Apr 30, 2019 | CUSHING | EF1 | $20K |
| May 11, 2017 | PERKINS | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2016 | STILLWATER | EF1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2016 | (SWO)STILLWATER AIRPORT | EF2 | $50K |
| May 30, 2013 | CUSHING | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Payne County
- Hail 409
- Thunderstorm Wind 329
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado moved into Payne County from Noble County near Glencoe road moving northeast and then north-northeast crossing back into Noble County between Country Club Road and Sangre Road. At least two houses and two outbuildings were damaged in Payne County in addition to tree and power pole damage.
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.
A tornado touched down within the bend of the Cimarron River southwest of Yale and traveled almost a mile and a half to the southeast. At the beginning of the path, the tornado damaged oil tanks and trees. Multiple barns were heavily damaged as the tornado moved southeast across E3530 Road. The tornado then turned more south-southeast damaging numerous trees, a barn and a pivot irrigator.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Payne County, Oklahoma?
59 tornado events are recorded in Payne County between 1950 and 2024, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Payne County?
The strongest tornado on record in Payne County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Payne 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 Payne County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/payne-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.