69
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
24
Direct injuries
$15.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Garvin County, Oklahoma: 69 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #172 nationally and #31 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Garvin County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Garvin County is the 2020s, when 13 of the county's 69 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 Garvin County archive, tornado makes up 9.0% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #172 for this hazard and #31 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 94.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Garvin County with 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-04-19 | EF4 | 28.2 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 2016-05-09 | EF4 | 8.9 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-03-13 | EF3 | 22.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1961-02-17 | EF3 | 73.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1960-05-05 | EF3 | 7.3 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1953-06-05 | EF3 | 16.9 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-03 | EF2 | 4.9 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-13 | EF2 | 28.0 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1984-05-02 | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 77 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-05-19 | EF2 | 3.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1972 | F4 | 5 | 3 | $25K | |
| May 9, 2016 | HENNEPIN | EF4 | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Feb 22, 1975 | F2 | 0 | 14 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| May 7, 2008 | PAOLI | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| May 19, 1977 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Mar 5, 1961 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Feb 18, 1961 | F3 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2026 | WYNNEWOOD | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 25, 2026 | PAULS VALLEY | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 25, 2026 | PAULS VALLEY | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2025 | HENNEPIN | EF1 | $10K |
| May 17, 2025 | WHITEBEAD | EF1 | $5K |
| Nov 3, 2024 | ANTIOCH | EF1 | $50K |
| Nov 3, 2024 | ANTIOCH | EF1 | $10K |
| Nov 3, 2024 | FOSTER | EFU | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2023 | WYNNEWOOD | EF0 | $0 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | HENNEPIN | EF1 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Garvin County
- Hail 401
- Thunderstorm Wind 248
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado developed 1.25 miles south of the community of Katie, OK, or about 3.4 miles north of Hennepin. The tornado was observed to be very dynamic as it moved east-northeast and east. Initially damage was confined to trees until the tornado crossed county road 1690 where a home was destroyed where only interior walls remained standing. To the east of this house, two mobile homes were damaged on the southern periphery of the tornado path. The tornado moved east-northeast damaging another mobile home, then east removing the roof from a home on Indian Meridian Road.||The tornado varied in movement between northeast and southeast as it approached and crossed county road 1680. A home was destroyed near county road 1680 and Indian Meridian Road where an EF4 rating was applied (DI 2, DOD 9). Further east, a fatality occurred when the tornado destroyed a modular home. After destroying another home, the tornado moved northeast and dissipated near Interstate 35.
A tornado briefly touched down five miles east-southeast of Paoli. At this location, a mobile home was moved off of its foundation, causing damage to the home. A few trees were also damaged near the residence. One person received minor injuries as a result of being inside of the mobile home. No other damage was reported. Monetary damages were estimated.
This tornado moved from about 8 miles due west of Pauls Valley to 5.7 miles west of Pauls Valley, primarily along E1570 Road. One home suffered roof damage, a barn suffered roof and siding damage, and numerous trees were damaged by this tornado.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Garvin County, Oklahoma?
69 tornado events are recorded in Garvin County between 1953 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Garvin County?
The strongest tornado on record in Garvin County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Garvin 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 Garvin County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/garvin-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.