Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 23, 1971

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 23, 1971
Start: 1971-05-23T08:28
End: 1971-05-23T16:00
Location: Oklahoma

May 23, 1971 · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 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: $25,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: May 23, 8:28 AM CST
Where: Garfield County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 36.280, -97.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: May 23, 8:28 AM CST
Where: Garfield County
Coordinates: 36.380, -97.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When: May 23, 8:36 AM CST
Where: Kay County
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates: 36.700, -97.080

Hail, Stephens

When: May 23, 1:20 PM CST
Where: Stephens County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.500, -97.680

Hail, Carter

When: May 23, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Carter County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.500, -97.580

Tornado, Pontotoc

When: May 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Pontotoc County
Rating: F0
Path width: 33 yd
Coordinates: 34.700, -96.800

Tornado, Mayes

When: May 23, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Mayes County
Rating: F1
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 36.500, -95.200

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

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1971 Every state in 1971 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1971

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: 10094549, 10094550, 10094551, 10094552, 10094553, 10094554, 10094555.