Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 15, 1990

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 15, 1990
Start: 1990-05-15T14:50
End: 1990-05-15T23:45
Location: Oklahoma

May 15, 1990 · NWS OKC · 56 events in 21 counties and zones

42 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 7 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 20
Property damage: $3.3 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 56

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

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

Hail, Major

When: May 15, 2:50 PM CST
Where: Major County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.180, -98.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: May 15, 3:20 PM CST
Where: Dewey County
Coordinates: 36.030, -98.970

Hail, Dewey

When: May 15, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Dewey County
Measured: 4.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.130, -98.720

Hail, Blaine

When: May 15, 3:47 PM CST
Where: Blaine County
Measured: 4.5 in hail
Coordinates: 36.070, -98.580

Hail, Caddo

When: May 15, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Caddo County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.550, -98.570

Hail, Garfield

When: May 15, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Garfield County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.220, -98.030

Hail, Blaine

When: May 15, 4:38 PM CST
Where: Blaine County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.930, -98.250

Tornado, Blaine

When: May 15, 4:50 PM CST
Where: Blaine County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Coordinates: 35.880, -98.220

Hail, Blaine

When: May 15, 4:52 PM CST
Where: Blaine County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.120, -98.380

Hail, Kingfisher

When: May 15, 4:53 PM CST
Where: Kingfisher County
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Coordinates: 35.850, -98.180

Tornado, Canadian

When: May 15, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Canadian County
Rating: F1
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Coordinates: 35.480, -98.270

Hail, Kingfisher

When: May 15, 5:12 PM CST
Where: Kingfisher County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 35.870, -97.930

Hail, Major

When: May 15, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Major County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.250, -98.180

Hail, Garfield

When: May 15, 5:27 PM CST
Where: Garfield County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.200, -97.880

Hail, Canadian

When: May 15, 5:38 PM CST
Where: Canadian County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.600, -97.970

Hail, Canadian

When: May 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Canadian County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.650, -97.830

Hail, Kingfisher

When: May 15, 6:16 PM CST
Where: Kingfisher County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.070, -97.850

Hail, Oklahoma

When: May 15, 6:17 PM CST
Where: Oklahoma County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 35.720, -97.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Logan

When: May 15, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Logan County
Coordinates: 36.070, -97.470

Hail, Kingfisher

When: May 15, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Kingfisher County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.100, -97.900

Tornado, Payne

When: May 15, 6:41 PM CST
Where: Payne County
Rating: F3
Path length: 7 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 12 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 36.120, -97.150

Hail, Lincoln

When: May 15, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Lincoln County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 35.750, -97.020

Hail, Pawnee

When: May 15, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Pawnee County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.250, -96.700

Hail, Payne

When: May 15, 7:23 PM CST
Where: Payne County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.120, -97.050

Hail, Pawnee

When: May 15, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Pawnee County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.250, -96.770

Hail, Garfield

When: May 15, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Garfield County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.430, -97.580

Hail, Noble

When: May 15, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Noble County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.470, -97.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Creek

When: May 15, 7:55 PM CST
Where: Creek County
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates: 36.200, -96.480

Hail, Pawnee

When: May 15, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Pawnee County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.230, -96.470

Hail, Creek

When: May 15, 8:13 PM CST
Where: Creek County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.020, -96.380

Hail, Creek

When: May 15, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Creek County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.930, -96.170

Tornado, Creek

When: May 15, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Creek County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.950, -96.250

Hail, Creek

When: May 15, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Creek County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.950, -96.250

Hail, Osage

When: May 15, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.550, -96.720

Hail, Garfield

When: May 15, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Garfield County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.430, -97.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When: May 15, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Tulsa County
Coordinates: 36.250, -95.950

Tornado, Tulsa

When: May 15, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Tulsa County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Coordinates: 35.900, -95.930

Hail, Wagoner

When: May 15, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Wagoner County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 35.880, -95.720

Hail, Osage

When: May 15, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.500, -96.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Osage

When: May 15, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 36.480, -96.030

Hail, Washington

When: May 15, 10:05 PM CST
Where: Washington County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.600, -95.980

Hail, Pawnee

When: May 15, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Pawnee County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.500, -96.750

Hail, Rogers

When: May 15, 10:20 PM CST
Where: Rogers County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 36.450, -95.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Rogers

When: May 15, 10:20 PM CST
Where: Rogers County
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Coordinates: 36.520, -95.580

Tornado, Rogers

When: May 15, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Rogers County
Rating: F2
Path length: 4 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Injuries: 8 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 36.430, -95.550

Tornado, Mayes

When: May 15, 10:40 PM CST
Where: Mayes County
Rating: F2
Path length: 8 mi
Path width: 123 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 36.430, -95.420

Hail, Osage

When: May 15, 10:40 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.570, -96.070

Hail, Mayes

When: May 15, 10:40 PM CST
Where: Mayes County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 36.430, -95.270

Hail, Mayes

When: May 15, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Mayes County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.470, -95.050

Hail, Osage

When: May 15, 11:10 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.670, -96.500

Hail, Delaware

When: May 15, 11:19 PM CST
Where: Delaware County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 36.580, -94.800

Hail, Washington

When: May 15, 11:25 PM CST
Where: Washington County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.530, -95.920

Hail, Caddo

When: May 15, 11:30 PM CST
Where: Caddo County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.870, -98.400

Hail, Osage

When: May 15, 11:35 PM CST
Where: Osage County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.600, -96.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Mayes

When: May 15, 11:38 PM CST
Where: Mayes County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 36.530, -95.220

Hail, Washington

When: May 15, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Washington County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 36.600, -95.980

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Payne	1990-05-15				Direct

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1990 Every state in 1990 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1990 Warnings in Oklahoma, May 1990

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: 10102114, 10102115, 10102116, 10102117, 10102118, 10102119, 10102120, 10102121, 10102122, 10102123, 10102124, 10102125, 10102126, 10102127, 10102128, 10102129, 10102130, 10102131, 10102132, 10102133, 10102134, 10102135, 10102136, 10102137, 10102138, 10102139, 10102140, 10102141, 10102142, 10102143, 10102144, 10102145, 10102146, 10102147, 10102148, 10102149, 10102150, 10102151, 10102152, 10102153, and more.