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Hughes County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 421 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 51.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,169 nationally and #74 in Oklahoma.
421
Recorded events
8
Direct deaths
52
Direct injuries
$9.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Hughes County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hughes County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 5.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 110 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 99 events fall before 1990 and 322 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hughes County, Oklahoma record is tornado, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.9M 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 Hughes County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 217 | 0 | $0 | 4.5 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 150 | 0 | $651K | 78 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 40 | 8 | $8.9M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2012 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $103K | 0 | 1997–1999 |
Decade by decade
Hughes County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
44 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 37 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-04-28 | EF4 | 5 | 32 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-09-14 | EF4 | 2 | 6 | 67.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-04-27 | EF3 | 2 | 4 | 27.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-02-17 | EF3 | 0 | 11 | 73.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-05-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-06-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hughes County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1950 | Tornado | 5 | 32 | $250K | |
| Apr 28, 2024 | Tornado | SPAULDING | 2 | 4 | $1.5M |
| Apr 20, 2025 | Tornado | SPAULDING | 1 | 1 | $400K |
| May 2, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Sep 15, 1950 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| Feb 18, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 28, 1966 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado began south of Spaulding, moving to the north into Spaulding and then northeast. EF1 damage was found in Spaulding at a manufactured home which suffered major damage along E138 Road where one man was killed and a woman injured. Several homes had at least minor damage, with several homes losing roofs, windows, and walls.
A damage survey conducted by National Severe Storms Laboratory meteorologists confirmed F2 damage approximately 6 miles southwest of Dustin, when 80 percent of a house roof was blown off. As the tornado moved east-northeast sporadic roof damage was sustained to other homes; an antenna was wrapped around a telephone pole; trees were damaged; farm buildings were destroyed; power poles were bent, and two feeders were bent up. The tornado then tracked into McIntosh County. See storm data from the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa for more information on the McIntosh County segment of this tornado. Eye witnesses described the tornado as multiple-vortex.
Widespread wind damage occurred throughout the community of Holdenville. The most significant damage occurred in the vicinity of Stroup Park, where numerous large (24-36+ inch diameter) trees were snapped or uprooted along with numerous large limbs blown down. Multiple power poles were blown down and a few homes had minor roof damage on the north side of the community as well. Additional power poles were snapped near the base further south, near the intersection of East 5th Avenue and Hinckley Street. Time is radar estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
13,389
Population (ACS)
$102K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2024 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | 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 |
| Feb 10, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Holdenville 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hughes County, Oklahoma?
421 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 8 direct deaths and $9.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hughes County?
Hail, with 217 recorded events — 51.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hughes County?
44 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 37 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hughes County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hughes County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hughes County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hughes County as very low risk, placing it in the 34 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hughes 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
- Haskell County 445
- Jackson County 1,135
- Harper County 611
- Jefferson County 535
- Harmon County 497
- Johnston County 478
Cite this page
“Hughes County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/hughes-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.