Oklahoma, 1961

Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 7, 1961

May 7, 1961 · 16 events in 12 counties and zones

7 hail, 6 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$303,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

7 hail, 6 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Cleveland

When
May 7, 12:45 AM CST
Where
Cleveland County
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
35.350, -97.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When
May 7, 1:35 AM CST
Where
Tulsa County
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
36.200, -95.900

Tornado, Wagoner

When
May 7, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Wagoner County
Rating
F2
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
35.900, -95.500

Hail, Noble

When
May 7, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Noble County
Measured
1.25 in hail
Coordinates
36.280, -97.000

Hail, Kay

When
May 7, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Kay County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.580, -97.280

Hail, Kay

When
May 7, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Kay County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.700, -97.080

Tornado, Osage

When
May 7, 6:06 PM CST
Where
Osage County
Rating
F2
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
36.500, -96.700

Tornado, Craig

When
May 7, 9:05 PM CST
Where
Craig County
Rating
F3
Path length
8.9 mi
Path width
400 yd
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
36.800, -95.100

Hail, Craig

When
May 7, 9:05 PM CST
Where
Craig County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.780, -95.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When
May 7, 10:10 PM CST
Where
Ottawa County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
36.880, -94.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When
May 7, 10:10 PM CST
Where
Ottawa County
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Coordinates
36.880, -94.900

Tornado, Major

When
May 7, 10:15 PM CST
Where
Major County
Rating
F2
Path length
4.9 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
36.450, -98.350

Hail, Alfalfa

When
May 7, 10:15 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.700, -98.400

Hail, Woods

When
May 7, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Woods County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.700, -98.680

Tornado, Garfield

When
May 7, 11:30 PM CST
Where
Garfield County
Rating
F2
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
36.550, -97.870

Hail, Garfield

When
May 7, 11:30 PM CST
Where
Garfield County
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
36.500, -97.780

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1961Every state in 1961This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1961

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10092862, 10092863, 10092864, 10092865, 10092866, 10092867, 10092868, 10092869, 10092870, 10092871, 10092872, 10092873, 10092874, 10092875, 10092876, 10092877.