65
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
32
Direct injuries
$1.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Woodward County, Oklahoma: 65 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #196 nationally and #32 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Woodward County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Woodward County is the 2010s, when 19 of the county's 65 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 Woodward County archive, tornado makes up 6.5% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #196 for this hazard and #32 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 93.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Woodward County with 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-04-14 | EF3 | 34.0 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 2002-04-17 | EF3 | 8.0 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1991-05-26 | EF3 | 12.5 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-10-31 | EF3 | 20.0 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-05-05 | EF2 | 16.0 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1960-03-28 | EF2 | 24.2 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1950-05-24 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
| 1950-05-04 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-25 | EF1 | 2.6 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-07-07 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2012 | TANGIER | EF3 | 6 | 29 | $0 |
| May 25, 1950 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| May 10, 1979 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2025 | MOORELAND ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| May 25, 2024 | MUTUAL | EF1 | $40K |
| Jul 7, 2023 | WOODWARD | EF1 | $0 |
| May 18, 2017 | MUTUAL | EF0 | $10K |
| May 24, 2016 | WOODWARD | EF0 | $10K |
| Apr 15, 2012 | TANGIER | EF3 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | MOORELAND | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | MOORELAND | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | MOORELAND | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2012 | TANGIER | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Woodward County
- Hail 514
- Thunderstorm Wind 399
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado developed approximately just south of Arnett (Ellis County) at 11:42 pm CDT on April 14, 2012 and moved northeast. Only minor damage, downed trees and power poles/lines, was seen as the tornado moved over mainly rural portions of Woodward County, southwest of the city of Woodward. At approximately 12:12 am CDT on April 15, 2012, the tornado struck two mobile homes 5 miles southwest of Woodward. The damage here was determined to be EF-2 in intensity, and also resulted in 3 fatalities. The heaviest damage, rated EF-3, was reported as the tornado entered the southwest sides of Woodward around 12:18 am CDT. Several homes and businesses were heavily damaged as the tornado continued northeast.|Several more mobile homes were destroyed by the tornado on the north side of Woodward, and resulted in 3 additional fatalities. The tornado finally exited the city of Woodward at approximately 12:23 am CDT, eventually dissipating approximately 4 miles north of Woodward at 12:27 am CDT.
Storm spotters and chasers observed this tornado developing near Mutual and moving northeast. Emergency management reported that at least two barns were destroyed, a trailer and farm equipment were overturned, a home received minor damage, and a mobile home received roof damage. Power poles were also damaged along the path.
A tornado touched down four miles south of Sharon and moved to the east-northeast. A car was blown off state highway 34, 3.8 miles south of Sharon, and a cow was killed by the tornado nearby. Otherwise no other damage is known to indicate the tornado's intensity. At times this tornado was multiple vortex.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Woodward County, Oklahoma?
65 tornado events are recorded in Woodward County between 1950 and 2025, causing 6 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Woodward County?
The strongest tornado on record in Woodward County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Woodward 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 Woodward County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/woodward-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.