Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

1957 tornadoes in Oklahoma

107 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma in 1957, 81 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 22 people and injured 53. 5 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1956 1958 The whole country in 1957

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Every tornado in Oklahoma in 1957

January 21 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 216:55 PM GMT-6F1Muskogee5.7400$5,000 to $50,000

January 22 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 223:30 AM GMT-6F2Pottawatomie63.7440$5,000 to $50,000
January 226:00 AM GMT-6F2Haskell6.150$500 to $5,000
January 226:45 AM GMT-6F4Sequoyah0.18801020$50,000 to $500,000

April 2 15 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 23:30 PM GMT-6F1Jefferson2.010$500 to $5,000
April 24:50 PM GMT-6F2Murray11.74001$5,000 to $50,000
April 24:55 PM GMT-6F2Murray2.060012$50,000 to $500,000
April 25:29 PM GMT-6F4Marshall5.220026$500,000 to $5 million
April 25:58 PM GMT-6F4Bryan7.920033$50,000 to $500,000
April 26:30 PM GMT-6F2Jackson43.71501$5,000 to $50,000
April 26:40 PM GMT-6F0Pottawatomie0.110under $50
April 27:05 PM GMT-6F0Jackson8.8100$5,000 to $50,000
April 27:15 PM GMT-6F1Choctaw16.810$5,000 to $50,000
April 29:00 PM GMT-6F2Latimer23.38802$5,000 to $50,000
April 29:05 PM GMT-6F2Pittsburg11.7440$5,000 to $50,000
April 29:30 PM GMT-6F1McCurtain11.2880$5,000 to $50,000
April 29:50 PM GMT-6F0LeFlore0.110under $50
April 210:30 PM GMT-6F0Oklahoma0.110under $50
April 211:45 PM GMT-6F1Love0.110

April 3 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 312:15 AM GMT-6F0Lincoln0.110under $50

April 18 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 187:45 PM GMT-6F0Woods0.110under $50
April 189:30 PM GMT-6F1Harmon1.5200$5,000 to $50,000

April 19 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 191:40 AM GMT-6F1Tulsa0.110$500 to $5,000
April 191:45 AM GMT-6F1Washington9.4400$5,000 to $50,000
April 194:00 PM GMT-6F1Sequoyah0.110

April 20 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 201:40 AM GMT-6F0Ellis0.110$50 to $500
April 206:30 PM GMT-6F1Stephens0.1101$500 to $5,000

April 22 12 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 226:00 PM GMT-6F2Jackson0.110$500 to $5,000
April 226:30 PM GMT-6F2Greer0.110$500 to $5,000
April 227:01 PM GMT-6F1Washita0.110
April 228:00 PM GMT-6F0Alfalfa0.150$500 to $5,000
April 228:00 PM GMT-6F3Caddo1.02001$50,000 to $500,000
April 228:15 PM GMT-6F2Caddo30.910$50,000 to $500,000
April 229:00 PM GMT-6F2Kingfisher3.6200$50,000 to $500,000
April 229:00 PM GMT-6F0Lincoln0.110under $50
April 2210:00 PM GMT-6F0Kay0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 2211:04 PM GMT-6F0Creek0.110under $50
April 2211:30 PM GMT-6F0Tulsa0.110under $50
April 2211:40 PM GMT-6F1Carter0.110

April 23 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 231:05 AM GMT-6F1Sequoyah19.110$500 to $5,000

April 25 4 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 2510:00 PM GMT-6F0Creek0.110under $50
April 2510:05 PM GMT-6F2Hughes2.0200$50,000 to $500,000
April 2510:35 PM GMT-6F1Okfuskee11.1100$5,000 to $50,000
April 2511:12 PM GMT-6F1Rogers0.150$500 to $5,000

May 10 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 103:16 AM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110under $50

May 12 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 1211:00 PM GMT-5F0Caddo0.110under $50

May 15 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 156:10 PM GMT-5F0Kingfisher0.110under $50
May 156:30 PM GMT-5F1Kingfisher0.1500$500 to $5,000

May 16 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 161:32 AM GMT-5F1Ellis6.9200$500 to $5,000

May 20 11 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 206:00 PM GMT-5F0Pawnee0.5100under $50
May 206:45 PM GMT-5F2Osage0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 207:00 PM GMT-5F2Lincoln0.110$500 to $5,000
May 208:00 PM GMT-5F0Creek0.110
May 208:00 PM GMT-5F0Nowata0.110under $50
May 208:30 PM GMT-5F1Tulsa3.6500$50,000 to $500,000
May 209:04 PM GMT-5F0Okmulgee0.110under $50
May 2011:30 PM GMT-5F1Rogers0.110
May 2012:00 AM GMT-5F1Craig0.110under $50
May 2012:00 AM GMT-5F1Craig0.110under $50
May 2012:10 AM GMT-5F3Mayes20.42001$500 to $5,000

May 22 11 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 227:00 AM GMT-5F0Comanche0.110under $50
May 227:15 AM GMT-5F2Kiowa14.710$5,000 to $50,000
May 227:38 AM GMT-5F0Kay2.023$50 to $500
May 228:00 AM GMT-5F1Kiowa0.110
May 229:00 AM GMT-5F2Oklahoma2.050$5,000 to $50,000
May 229:00 AM GMT-5F1Noble0.1100$500 to $5,000
May 229:58 AM GMT-5F0Pawnee0.110
May 2211:30 AM GMT-5F0Canadian0.110$500 to $5,000
May 2212:00 PM GMT-5F1Lincoln0.110
May 229:30 PM GMT-5F0Sequoyah0.110under $50
May 229:30 PM GMT-5F0Sequoyah0.110$5,000 to $50,000

May 24 12 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 2411:40 AM GMT-5F1Bryan0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 245:30 PM GMT-5F1Tillman9.710$5,000 to $50,000
May 246:30 PM GMT-5F4Cotton21.688045$50,000 to $500,000
May 247:00 PM GMT-5F2Garvin30.8440$50,000 to $500,000
May 249:00 PM GMT-5F0Comanche0.110under $50
May 2410:00 PM GMT-5F2Stephens0.110$500 to $5,000
May 2410:00 PM GMT-5F1McClain0.110under $50
May 2411:00 PM GMT-5F1Ottawa1.010$5,000 to $50,000
May 2411:25 PM GMT-5F2Stephens2.510$50 to $500
May 2411:25 PM GMT-5F0Okmulgee10.810under $50
May 2412:43 AM GMT-5F0McIntosh0.110under $50
May 2412:45 AM GMT-5F0McIntosh0.110under $50

May 25 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 251:05 AM GMT-5F2Johnston1.0200$5,000 to $50,000
May 251:10 AM GMT-5F1Coal0.110
May 251:15 AM GMT-5F1Pontotoc11.5150$500 to $5,000

May 29 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 299:15 PM GMT-5F0Ellis0.110under $50
May 2912:37 AM GMT-5F0Kay0.110under $50

May 30 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 305:15 PM GMT-5F0Garvin0.110under $50

June 12 5 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 121:30 AM GMT-5F0Washington0.110under $50
June 125:45 AM GMT-5F1Lincoln6.8440$500 to $5,000
June 125:55 AM GMT-5F1Payne6.810$500 to $5,000
June 128:40 AM GMT-5F1Mayes8.4101$5,000 to $50,000
June 1211:00 AM GMT-5F1Canadian0.110

July 1 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 13:00 AM GMT-5F0Tulsa0.110under $50
July 13:20 AM GMT-5F2Tulsa0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 14:00 AM GMT-5F2Creek0.110under $50

July 20 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 2010:00 PM GMT-5F2Carter0.110under $50

August 14 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 145:00 PM GMT-5F0Sequoyah0.110
August 146:30 PM GMT-5F0Mayes0.110
August 147:00 PM GMT-5F1Delaware4.3880$500 to $5,000

September 14 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 146:30 PM GMT-5F4Cleveland67.544026$50,000 to $500,000
September 146:56 PM GMT-5F2Pottawatomie0.5433$50,000 to $500,000
September 1410:00 PM GMT-5F0Hughes0.110under $50

September 20 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 206:30 PM GMT-5F0Custer0.110under $50
September 2011:00 PM GMT-5F0Stephens0.110under $50

October 13 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
October 136:20 PM GMT-5F0Beaver0.110under $50

Nearby

Every tornado in Oklahoma since 1950Warnings in force in OklahomaThe live radar over Oklahoma

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.