Oklahoma, 1962

Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 20, 1962

May 20, 1962 · 14 events in 9 counties and zones

6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 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
0
Property damage
$250,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

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

6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Muskogee

When
May 20, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Muskogee County
Coordinates
35.580, -95.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When
May 20, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Custer County
Coordinates
35.580, -99.080

Hail, Tillman

When
May 20, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Tillman County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.380, -99.000

Hail, Cotton

When
May 20, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Cotton County
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
34.200, -98.500

Hail, Washita

When
May 20, 6:37 PM CST
Where
Washita County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.380, -99.400

Tornado, Alfalfa

When
May 20, 6:55 PM CST
Where
Alfalfa County
Rating
F2
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
36.750, -98.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Oklahoma

When
May 20, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Oklahoma County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
35.380, -97.400

Tornado, Tillman

When
May 20, 7:36 PM CST
Where
Tillman County
Rating
F0
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
34.420, -99.080

Tornado, Comanche

When
May 20, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Comanche County
Rating
F0
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
34.500, -98.530

Hail, Comanche

When
May 20, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Comanche County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
34.700, -98.400

Hail, Comanche

When
May 20, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Comanche County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.500, -98.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Comanche

When
May 20, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Comanche County
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Coordinates
34.700, -98.400

Hail, Stephens

When
May 20, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Stephens County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.500, -97.900

Tornado, Stephens

When
May 20, 11:11 PM CST
Where
Stephens County
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
34.650, -97.970

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1962Every state in 1962This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1962

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: 10095180, 10095181, 10095182, 10095183, 10095184, 10095185, 10095186, 10095187, 10095188, 10095189, 10095190, 10095191, 10095192, 10095193.