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Atoka County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 457 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 56.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,032 nationally and #70 in Oklahoma.
457
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
58
Direct injuries
$9.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Atoka County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Atoka County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 6.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 135 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 82 events fall before 1990 and 375 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Atoka County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.6M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Atoka County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 257 | 0 | $3K | 4.25 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 113 | 0 | $991K | 70 | 1958–2026 |
| Tornado | 54 | 2 | $7.6M | F4 | 1953–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 0 | $435K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $217K | 0 | 1999–2005 |
Decade by decade
Atoka County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
51 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-04-27 | EF4 | 0 | 2 | 10.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-04-30 | EF3 | 2 | 16 | 27.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-14 | EF3 | 2 | 40 | 17.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-05-25 | EF3 | 1 | 1 | 18.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-04-11 | EF2 | 1 | 1 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-04-11 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 19.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-21 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 19.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Atoka County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2011 | Tornado | TUSHKA | 2 | 40 | $0 |
| Mar 21, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| May 1, 2019 | Tornado | BENTLEY | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Feb 23, 1985 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Apr 19, 1968 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| May 25, 2015 | Tornado | CANEY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A large tornado began 5 miles west-southwest of Tushka and moved east-northeast through Tushka and about 3 miles southeast of Atoka before curving to the north-northeast and dissipating around 2 miles east of Stringtown. Almost 150 homes and business' were significantly damaged or destroyed, many numerous others sustaining minor damage. Two fatalities occurred in a mobile home to the west of Tushka. Monetary damage estimates were not available, although it is thought they would be well into the millions of dollars.
A home was struck by lightning in the early morning hours causing a fire. The lightning struck a dryer vent in the roof which sparked an electrical fire in an inside wall that spread to the attic. It was estimated that half the house was completely burned with the rest of the home sustaining some damage.
Several trees were uprooted and downed. One tree fell on a car while another fell on a house heavily damaging it. Numerous tree limbs and some power lines were also downed. Several businesses had windows knocked out and sustained roof damage. A few sheds also lost roofs.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
14,379
Population (ACS)
$158K
Median home value
28
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Atoka 102
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Atoka County, Oklahoma?
457 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $9.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Atoka County?
Hail, with 257 recorded events — 56.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Atoka County?
51 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 45 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Atoka County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Atoka County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Atoka County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Atoka County as very low risk, placing it in the 30 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Atoka 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
- Alfalfa County 673
- Beaver County 1,025
- Adair County 482
- Beckham County 801
- Blaine County 560
- Bryan County 619
Cite this page
“Atoka County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/atoka-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.