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 1981
March 4 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 4 | 4:25 PM CST | F0 | Ellis | 0.3 | 13 | | | |
April 3 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 3 | 7:00 PM CST | F1 | Choctaw | 2.0 | 33 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
April 11 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 11 | 7:00 PM CST | F0 | Kiowa | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
April 12 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 12 | 6:30 PM CST | F1 | Kiowa | 1.0 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
April 19 5 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 19 | 8:10 PM CST | F3 | Tulsa | 4.9 | 200 | | 7 | $50 million to $500 million |
| April 19 | 8:20 PM CST | F2 | Creek | 3.6 | 600 | | | $500,000 to $5 million |
| April 19 | 8:30 PM CST | F3 | Creek | 3.0 | 100 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
| April 19 | 8:35 PM CST | F3 | Tulsa | 0.5 | 10 | | 1 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| April 19 | 8:45 PM CST | F3 | Tulsa | 9.9 | 880 | 5 | 49 | $500,000 to $5 million |
April 22 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 22 | 5:15 PM CST | F0 | Jefferson | 19.9 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
April 30 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 30 | 9:00 PM CDT | F1 | Caddo | 31.9 | 10 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| April 30 | 9:15 PM CDT | F2 | Grady | 29.1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
May 13 4 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 13 | 4:45 PM CDT | F1 | Coal | 0.1 | 10 | | | under $50 |
| May 13 | 5:10 PM CDT | F2 | Coal | 4.5 | 100 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
| May 13 | 5:35 PM CDT | F1 | Atoka | 2.0 | 50 | | | under $50 |
| May 13 | 6:30 PM CDT | F1 | Pushmataha | 0.1 | 10 | | | under $50 |
May 17 14 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 17 | 3:25 PM CDT | F0 | Kay | 18.7 | 33 | | | |
| May 17 | 4:30 PM CDT | F1 | Garfield | 1.0 | 33 | | | under $50 |
| May 17 | 5:30 PM CDT | F1 | Noble | 0.5 | 10 | | | under $50 |
| May 17 | 5:46 PM CDT | F1 | Cleveland | 4.2 | 100 | | | |
| May 17 | 6:00 PM CDT | F2 | Oklahoma | 1.9 | 50 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 17 | 6:24 PM CDT | F1 | Cleveland | 1.0 | 100 | | | under $50 |
| May 17 | 7:10 PM CDT | F3 | Pottawatomie | 10.2 | 587 | | 6 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 17 | 7:15 PM CDT | F1 | Osage | 2.0 | 67 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| May 17 | 7:45 PM CDT | F2 | Seminole | 2.7 | 200 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 17 | 8:00 PM CDT | F4 | Seminole | 33.6 | 600 | | 2 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| May 17 | 8:00 PM CDT | F0 | Osage | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 17 | 8:20 PM CDT | F2 | Osage | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 17 | 9:10 PM CDT | F3 | Seminole | 15.4 | 350 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| May 17 | 11:00 PM CDT | F2 | Muskogee | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
May 22 12 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 22 | 5:17 PM CDT | F2 | Washita | 6.9 | 200 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 22 | 6:25 PM CDT | F1 | Washita | 1.0 | 50 | | | |
| May 22 | 7:07 PM CDT | F2 | Caddo | 5.0 | 300 | | | |
| May 22 | 7:15 PM CDT | F1 | Custer | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 22 | 7:29 PM CDT | F0 | Caddo | 0.3 | 10 | | | |
| May 22 | 7:30 PM CDT | F2 | Washita | 15.4 | 100 | | | |
| May 22 | 7:30 PM CDT | F2 | Custer | 10.4 | 200 | | | $500,000 to $5 million |
| May 22 | 7:49 PM CDT | F4 | Caddo | 16.7 | 1,333 | | | $500,000 to $5 million |
| May 22 | 8:00 PM CDT | F1 | Custer | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 22 | 8:32 PM CDT | F1 | Canadian | 2.0 | 100 | | | |
| May 22 | 8:55 PM CDT | F3 | Custer | 10.3 | 267 | | 12 | $5 million to $50 million |
| May 22 | 10:40 PM CDT | F2 | Blaine | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
May 23 12 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 23 | 2:00 AM CDT | F1 | Osage | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 4:00 PM CDT | F1 | Creek | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 5:00 PM CDT | F1 | Garvin | 2.0 | 50 | | | |
| May 23 | 5:30 PM CDT | F0 | Nowata | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 6:05 PM CDT | F1 | Murray | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 6:25 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawatomie | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 6:30 PM CDT | F1 | Pottawatomie | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 6:30 PM CDT | F2 | Washington | 15.2 | 100 | | 3 | |
| May 23 | 6:35 PM CDT | F2 | Nowata | 4.5 | 100 | | 3 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 23 | 7:58 PM CDT | F3 | Bryan | 9.7 | 100 | | | $500,000 to $5 million |
| May 23 | 8:00 PM CDT | F1 | Bryan | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 23 | 8:18 PM CDT | F2 | Delaware | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
May 28 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 28 | 4:45 PM CDT | F1 | Muskogee | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| May 28 | 8:00 PM CDT | F1 | Kiowa | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
June 1 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 1 | 8:00 PM CDT | F0 | Caddo | 0.1 | 10 | | | under $50 |
June 2 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 2 | 6:00 PM CDT | F0 | Texas | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
June 3 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 3 | 9:30 PM CDT | F1 | Oklahoma | 1.0 | 100 | | 2 | $500,000 to $5 million |
June 11 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 11 | 7:00 PM CDT | F0 | Cimarron | 0.1 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
June 14 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 14 | 10:50 PM CDT | F0 | Pottawatomie | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
June 15 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 15 | 1:05 AM CDT | F2 | Creek | 3.3 | 100 | | 3 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
June 30 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 30 | 4:20 PM CDT | F1 | Cleveland | 0.3 | 10 | | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
July 8 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 8 | 5:15 AM CDT | F1 | Woods | 0.5 | 20 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
July 16 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 16 | 3:30 PM CDT | F1 | Kay | 21.5 | 10 | | | |
July 20 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 20 | 8:30 PM CDT | F1 | Tulsa | 0.5 | 10 | | 5 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
July 21 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 21 | 4:00 PM CDT | F2 | Kiowa | 0.5 | 30 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| July 21 | 7:30 PM CDT | F1 | Mayes | 0.5 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
August 15 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 15 | 2:45 PM CDT | F0 | Garfield | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| August 15 | 4:00 PM CDT | F1 | Jackson | 0.1 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
September 11 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| September 11 | 8:30 PM CDT | F1 | Alfalfa | 0.1 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
September 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| September 13 | 5:10 PM CDT | F0 | Pushmataha | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
October 5 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 5 | 7:45 PM CDT | F0 | Kingfisher | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
October 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 13 | 7:00 PM CDT | F1 | Choctaw | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
October 17 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 17 | 4:45 AM CDT | F1 | Jefferson | 0.1 | 10 | | 2 | |
November 3 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| November 3 | 11:30 AM CST | F0 | Garfield | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
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.
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.