Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

1973 tornadoes in Oklahoma

75 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma in 1973, 27 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 12 people and injured 210. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1972 1974 The whole country in 1973

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.

F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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 1973

January 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
January 18	2:20 AM CST	F2	Seminole	5.1	30		4	$50,000 to $500,000

March 13 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
March 13	11:53 AM CST	F2	Greer	4.5	100		$5,000 to $50,000
March 13	12:27 PM CST	F2	Comanche	0.1	10	5	$5,000 to $50,000
March 13	12:35 PM CST	F1	Cotton	6.6	33		$5,000 to $50,000
March 13	12:50 PM CST	F0	Jefferson	0.5	33		$500 to $5,000
March 13	3:08 PM CST	F2	Kay to KS	51.6	250	1	$500,000 to $5 million

March 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 24	1:40 PM CST	F0	Jefferson	0.5	17

March 28 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 28	4:40 PM CST	F1	Craig	28.0	33			$5,000 to $50,000

April 15 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 15	5:45 PM CST	F1	Lincoln	0.2	50			$5,000 to $50,000

April 19 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 19	11:00 PM CST	F2	Stephens	2.0	83		4	$5,000 to $50,000
April 19	11:45 PM CST	F2	Garvin	16.8	250		2	$500,000 to $5 million

April 20 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 20	12:15 AM CST	F3	Pontotoc	7.9	100		21	$500,000 to $5 million

April 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 21	8:00 PM CST	F1	Craig	0.1	120			$5,000 to $50,000
April 21	8:40 PM CST	F1	Craig	5.1	40

April 30 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 30	9:20 PM CDT	F2	Alfalfa	13.4	100	6	$50,000 to $500,000
April 30	9:35 PM CDT	F1	Garfield	1.0	33		$500 to $5,000
April 30	10:25 PM CDT	F2	Kay	0.4	67		$5,000 to $50,000

May 1 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 1	10:00 AM CDT	F0	Texas	1.0	150
May 1	2:45 PM CDT	F1	Cherokee	0.1	10			$5,000 to $50,000

May 6 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
May 6	3:00 PM CDT	F2	Seminole	9.1	70	$50,000 to $500,000
May 6	7:00 PM CDT	F0	Pittsburg	5.2	40	$5,000 to $50,000
May 6	8:10 PM CDT	F1	Grant	1.0	50	$5,000 to $50,000

May 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 18	7:00 PM CDT	F1	Kay	8.7	33

May 22 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 22	10:30 PM CDT	F1	Tillman	3.6	100			$50,000 to $500,000

May 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 23	1:15 AM CDT	F1	Pontotoc	5.9	100			$500 to $5,000

May 24 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 24	5:00 PM CDT	F0	Comanche	0.4	33			$500 to $5,000
May 24	5:00 PM CDT	F4	Canadian	13.3	300	2	4	$500,000 to $5 million

May 26 8 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 26	4:00 PM CDT	F3	Washington	0.3	100		3	$500 to $5,000
May 26	4:00 PM CDT	F2	Tulsa	2.0	33			$500 to $5,000
May 26	4:30 PM CDT	F1	Mayes	10.5	60			$5,000 to $50,000
May 26	5:00 PM CDT	F4	Muskogee	3.6	500	5	25	$50,000 to $500,000
May 26	5:40 PM CDT	F3	Sequoyah	18.7	250		6	$50,000 to $500,000
May 26	9:00 PM CDT	F2	McIntosh	5.7	200			$50,000 to $500,000
May 26	9:10 PM CDT	F1	Pittsburg	15.5	80			$5,000 to $50,000
May 26	10:00 PM CDT	F2	LeFlore	1.5	33			$5,000 to $50,000

June 2 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 2	1:15 AM CDT	F2	Comanche	3.6	100	2	$50,000 to $500,000
June 2	3:55 PM CDT	F1	Cherokee	0.5	100		under $50
June 2	8:00 PM CDT	F1	Mayes	0.5	100		$5,000 to $50,000

June 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 3	5:30 PM CDT	F1	Harper	0.1	23			$50 to $500

June 4 9 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 4	1:45 AM CDT	F1	Love	5.9	100		$5,000 to $50,000
June 4	7:00 PM CDT	F2	Kay	12.4	100		$5,000 to $50,000
June 4	7:00 PM CDT	F1	Canadian	2.0	50		$500 to $5,000
June 4	7:30 PM CDT	F2	Creek	1.5	33		$5,000 to $50,000
June 4	8:00 PM CDT	F1	Osage	1.5	50		$500 to $5,000
June 4	8:12 PM CDT	F0	Cleveland	0.4	17		$500 to $5,000
June 4	9:58 PM CDT	F0	Lincoln	0.5	17		under $50
June 4	10:48 PM CDT	F1	Garvin	0.2	17		$500 to $5,000
June 4	12:30 AM CDT	F1	Carter	0.5	17	1	$5,000 to $50,000

June 16 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 16	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Pittsburg	30.9	100		2	$5,000 to $50,000
June 16	8:20 PM CDT	F1	Adair	0.1	40			$500 to $5,000

June 18 9 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
June 18	5:30 PM CDT	F3	Osage	2.5	40		$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	5:45 PM CDT	F3	Caddo	16.8	133		$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	6:00 PM CDT	F2	Kiowa	0.5	83		$50 to $500
June 18	6:50 PM CDT	F2	Tillman	0.5	100		under $50
June 18	6:50 PM CDT	F1	Tillman	0.5	40		under $50
June 18	7:00 PM CDT	F2	Caddo	0.5	67		$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	7:15 PM CDT	F3	Tillman	3.3	50	29	$50,000 to $500,000
June 18	7:25 PM CDT	F0	Tillman	0.2	13	29	$500,000 to $5 million
June 18	8:00 PM CDT	F1	Grady	3.8	50	1	$500 to $5,000

July 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 6	6:20 PM CDT	F1	McCurtain	0.5	50			$5,000 to $50,000

August 10 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 10	6:30 PM CDT	F1	McIntosh	0.4	17			$5,000 to $50,000

September 3 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 3	6:20 PM CDT	F1	Payne	15.7	40			$500 to $5,000

September 4 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 4	2:58 PM CDT	F1	Kay	15.8	200			$500 to $5,000

September 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 24	7:40 PM CDT	F3	Craig	20.8	100		14	$50,000 to $500,000

October 10 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 10	8:30 AM CDT	F1	Beckham	35.8	10			$50,000 to $500,000
October 10	7:05 PM CDT	F1	Garfield	0.1	50			$500 to $5,000

October 11 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
October 11	2:15 AM CDT	F1	Oklahoma	5.2	50			$50,000 to $500,000

November 19 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 19	5:15 PM CST	F1	Ellis	4.3	40			$5,000 to $50,000
November 19	7:30 PM CST	F3	McClain	24.2	500	5	36	$500,000 to $5 million
November 19	7:40 PM CST	F1	Kingfisher	5.9	50		2	$50,000 to $500,000
November 19	7:45 PM CST	F2	Kay	13.7	60		6	$500,000 to $5 million
November 19	8:10 PM CST	F1	Kay	2.7	150			$500,000 to $5 million

November 20 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 20	12:01 AM CST	F1	Roger Mills	0.5	30		7	$50,000 to $500,000

November 23 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 23	10:30 PM CST	F1	Mayes	1.0	40			$5,000 to $50,000

November 24 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
November 24	4:35 PM CST	F1	McCurtain	11.8	40			$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Every tornado in Oklahoma since 1950 Warnings in force in Oklahoma The 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.