54
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$102.9M
Property damage
Tornado in Washita County, Oklahoma: 54 recorded events between 1950 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #323 nationally and #48 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Washita County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Washita County is the 1980s, when 11 of the county's 54 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 Washita County archive, tornado makes up 6.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #323 for this hazard and #48 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 89.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Washita County with 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-05-25 | EF4 | 7.2 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 1950-04-28 | EF3 | 20.8 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2001-10-09 | EF3 | 6.0 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-10-09 | EF3 | 13.0 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 2001-10-09 | EF3 | 11.5 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1975-05-02 | EF3 | 4.7 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-06-18 | EF3 | 16.8 mi | 133 yd | Crossed in |
| 1951-06-08 | EF3 | 10.9 mi | 173 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-16 | EF2 | 18.0 mi | 1,000 yd | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-07 | EF2 | 8.8 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2001 | CORDELL | F3 | 0 | 9 | $100.0M |
| May 26, 1962 | F4 | 0 | 9 | $250K | |
| Oct 9, 2001 | COWDEN | F3 | 0 | 1 | $600K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 2024 | DILL CITY | EFU | $0 |
| Nov 18, 2024 | SENTINEL | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | CORDELL | EF1 | $250K |
| Oct 13, 2021 | FOSS | EFU | $0 |
| May 8, 2019 | CORDELL | EFU | $0 |
| May 8, 2019 | ROCKY | EF2 | $120K |
| May 18, 2017 | CLOUD CHIEF | EFU | $0 |
| May 18, 2017 | CLOUD CHIEF | EFU | $0 |
| May 18, 2017 | ROCKY | EF1 | $5K |
| May 17, 2017 | CANUTE | EF2 | $20K |
Other hazards here
More from Washita County
- Hail 436
- Thunderstorm Wind 282
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
D2. Washita County portion. Extensive tree damage was observed from the Kiowa/Washita County border, northeastward to near State Highway 115, where the tornado leveled (rated F2) the Oakdale Schoolhouse, an old structure built in the 1920s. Across the street from the schoolhouse, a diesel shop was leveled, along with a barn, garage, and an unanchored wood-floor home. Several vehicles and large pieces of farm equipment were also tossed and destroyed. About 4 miles north-northeast of Mountain View, 3 homes suffered major damage, with one rated F3. As the tornado continued northeastward, F3 damage was inflicted on a farm, where a house and several barns and outbuildings were leveled. A 10,000 gallon diesel tank ended up in an open field about one-quarter mile away from its original position.
The Cordell Tornado developed about a mile south of Cordell along County Road E1200 just west of US Highway 183. A couple of metal buildings were damaged along E1200 Road along with trees and power lines. Debris from these buildings were found about 300 yards north. The tornado moved north and northeast into Cordell near US-183 and Caddo Street and moving across the southern and eastern portions of Cordell causing roof damage for dozens of homes and a few businesses. The tornado dissipated soon after moving through a neighborhood on the northeast edge of Cordell.
This tornado developed as another tornado just a mile to the southeast was dissipating in northern Kiowa County. This second tornado moved north-northeast directly into the town of Rocky. Fortunately the tornado was relatively weak in Rocky and the damage in town was generally EF0 tree damage. The tornado turned more northeast after moving through Rocky and intensified to EF2 intensity. Northeast of town, a transmitter shelter building was damaged, a few mobile homes were significantly damaged, outbuildings damaged or destroyed, and a number of trees and power poles were damaged. Some debris from mobile homes and/or outbuildings were blown about 3/4 of a mile to the northeast. For the last two miles of the path, the tornado turned north and dissipated south of US-183 to the south-southwest of Cordell.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Washita County, Oklahoma?
54 tornado events are recorded in Washita County between 1950 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Washita County?
The strongest tornado on record in Washita County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Washita 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 Washita County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/washita-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.