Oklahoma, 1981

Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 28, 1981

May 28, 1981 · NWS NG · 8 events in 7 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail, 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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

5 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kay

When
May 28, 12:05 PM CST
Where
Kay County
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
36.680, -97.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Payne

When
May 28, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Payne County
Measured
87 kt (100 mph)
Coordinates
35.980, -96.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Pawnee

When
May 28, 1:15 PM CST
Where
Pawnee County
Measured
87 kt (100 mph)
Coordinates
36.370, -96.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Payne

When
May 28, 1:30 PM CST
Where
Payne County
Coordinates
36.100, -96.880

Tornado, Muskogee

When
May 28, 3:45 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County
Rating
F1
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
35.620, -95.170

Hail, McCurtain

When
May 28, 3:55 PM CST
Where
McCurtain County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
34.420, -94.580

Tornado, Kiowa

When
May 28, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Kiowa County
Rating
F1
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
35.000, -99.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Cotton

When
May 28, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Cotton County
Coordinates
34.350, -98.300

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.
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.
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 1981Every state in 1981This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1981

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: 10106713, 10106714, 10106715, 10106716, 10106717, 10106718, 10106719, 10106720.