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Stephens County, Oklahoma severe weather history spans 1,039 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 57.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #126 nationally and #15 in Oklahoma.
1,039
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
29
Direct injuries
$13.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Stephens County, Oklahoma severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Stephens County, Oklahoma severe weather history averages 13.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 260 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 184 events fall before 1990 and 855 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Stephens County, Oklahoma record is flash flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $10.9M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Stephens County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 595 | 0 | $139K | 5.25 | 1956–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 297 | 0 | $2.3M | 85 | 1955–2025 |
| Tornado | 70 | 1 | $10.9M | F3 | 1951–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 61 | 2 | $200K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $153K | 0 | 1996–2003 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2020–2025 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2006–2006 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2007 |
Decade by decade
Stephens County, Oklahoma severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
75 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-15 | EF3 | 1 | 2 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-03 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 21.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-03-13 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-04-10 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 12.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-03-02 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-05-04 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-05-01 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-10 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 74.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-11-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Stephens County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 1977 | Tornado | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 1, 2019 | Flash Flood | LOCO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 12, 2016 | Flash Flood | DUNCAN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 3, 2024 | Tornado | COMANCHE | 0 | 6 | $5.0M |
| Feb 22, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Apr 20, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| Feb 22, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jun 11, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
High water rescue due to heavy rain. One foot of water was over US 81 in central part of Duncan. According to police reports, an 8 year old boy (whose body was found 14 days later) tried to cross a bridge at highway 81 and Oak when he went down 10 to 12 feet into rushing water.
This tornado developed near US Highway 81 and the Jefferson County line south of Comanche and moved northeast for nearly 22 miles. At least two dozen buildings were damaged by the tornado including a number of homes that were destroyed. Hundreds of trees were reported downed along the path as well as numerous power lines and power poles. Numerous large trees were destroyed and debarked at the tornado moved over the Comanche Golf Course and Comanche Lake to the east of the town of Comanche with the tree damage significant enough for an EF3 rating. After crossing Comanche Lake, the tornado continued northeast crossing State Highway 7 between Duncan and Velma, and dissipating a few miles southwest of Lake Fuqua.
The same thunderstorm that produced the tornado near Comanche produced another tornado that began northeast of Lake Fuqua and moved northeast into Garvin County. At least one home suffered significant roof damage along State Highway 29 and trees and power poles were damaged along the path.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
43,551
Population (ACS)
$145K
Median home value
35
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 15, 2025 | Fire | WILDHORSE FIRE | FM |
| 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 |
| Dec 21, 2020 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Duncan 338
- Marlow 156
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Stephens County, Oklahoma?
1,039 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $13.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Stephens County?
Hail, with 595 recorded events — 57.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Stephens County?
75 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 68 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Stephens County?
35 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Stephens County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Stephens County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Stephens County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 66 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Stephens 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
- Sequoyah County 703
- Texas County 1,112
- Seminole County 501
- Tillman County 971
- Rogers County 934
- Tulsa County 2,391
Cite this page
“Stephens County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/stephens-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.