Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

1982 tornadoes in Oklahoma

99 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma in 1982, 68 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 3 people and injured 218. 1 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

1981 1983 The whole country in 1982

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 1982

March 15 10 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 155:10 PM CSTF1Seminole0.510$5,000 to $50,000
March 155:57 PM CSTF3Pontotoc6.060136$500,000 to $5 million
March 156:00 PM CSTF2Hughes0.110$50,000 to $500,000
March 156:40 PM CSTF2Osage0.1101$50,000 to $500,000
March 156:45 PM CSTF1Osage0.110$50,000 to $500,000
March 156:55 PM CSTF1Washington0.110
March 157:02 PM CSTF2Washington3.017757$5 million to $50 million
March 157:10 PM CSTF2Nowata12.0177$50,000 to $500,000
March 157:15 PM CSTF2Nowata0.110$50,000 to $500,000
March 157:20 PM CSTF1Haskell0.110$50,000 to $500,000

April 2 9 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 22:25 PM CSTF2Bryan0.5301$500,000 to $5 million
April 22:30 PM CSTF1Johnston0.510$50,000 to $500,000
April 22:40 PM CSTF0Hughes0.110$50 to $500
April 22:45 PM CSTF2Rogers1.050$50,000 to $500,000
April 22:50 PM CSTF3Love0.530$500,000 to $5 million
April 23:00 PM CSTF2Mayes0.510$5,000 to $50,000
April 23:05 PM CSTF2Bryan0.510$5,000 to $50,000
April 23:10 PM CSTF3Choctaw8.0100$50,000 to $500,000
April 23:50 PM CSTF5Broken Bow tornado53.050029$500,000 to $5 million

April 16 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 164:20 PM CSTF0Cherokee0.110

May 5 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 55:10 PM CDTF0Comanche0.110under $50

May 11 18 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 115:00 PM CDTF0Jackson0.110under $50
May 115:03 PM CDTF2Jackson5.7150$50 to $500
May 115:14 PM CDTF0Jackson0.110under $50
May 115:35 PM CDTF0Jackson0.110under $50
May 115:38 PM CDTF0Jackson0.110under $50
May 115:50 PM CDTF3Jackson4.035041$50 million to $500 million
May 116:01 PM CDTF0Jackson0.110under $50
May 116:02 PM CDTF3Jackson10.0700218$50,000 to $500,000
May 116:10 PM CDTF1Roger Mills11.0150$5,000 to $50,000
May 116:55 PM CDTF3Kiowa7.0100$50,000 to $500,000
May 117:22 PM CDTF2Washita7.050$50,000 to $500,000
May 117:31 PM CDTF0Ellis0.110under $50
May 118:00 PM CDTF0Washita0.110under $50
May 118:18 PM CDTF0Beckham0.110under $50
May 118:42 PM CDTF0Custer0.110under $50
May 1110:00 PM CDTF0Harmon0.110under $50
May 1112:15 AM CDTF1Harmon0.550$5,000 to $50,000
May 1112:57 AM CDTF1Harmon0.110$5,000 to $50,000

May 14 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 147:45 PM CDTF1Pushmataha2.050$50,000 to $500,000

May 15 7 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 155:53 PM CDTF0Harmon0.110under $50
May 157:11 PM CDTF0Jackson0.110under $50
May 158:20 PM CDTF1Kiowa7.050$5,000 to $50,000
May 158:20 PM CDTF1Kiowa7.050$5,000 to $50,000
May 158:26 PM CDTF0Kiowa0.110under $50
May 1510:30 PM CDTF2Ellis3.050$5,000 to $50,000
May 1512:30 AM CDTF2Dewey0.550$50,000 to $500,000

May 16 6 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 167:45 AM CDTF2Beckham0.550$50,000 to $500,000
May 169:45 AM CDTF1Kingfisher0.550$5,000 to $50,000
May 1610:39 AM CDTF0Kingfisher0.110under $50
May 162:50 PM CDTF0Logan0.110under $50
May 166:30 PM CDTF1Woods0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 169:55 PM CDTF0Comanche4.050$500,000 to $5 million

May 19 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 198:40 PM CDTF0Dewey0.110under $50

May 20 4 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 208:04 PM CDTF1Caddo0.550$50,000 to $500,000
May 208:33 PM CDTF0Comanche0.110$500 to $5,000
May 208:37 PM CDTF1Comanche0.550$50,000 to $500,000
May 2010:00 PM CDTF0Stephens0.110under $50

May 24 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 245:45 PM CDTF0Beaver4.010under $50

May 26 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 265:00 PM CDTF1Atoka0.550$500,000 to $5 million

May 27 5 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 275:45 PM CDTF2Roger Mills0.550$50,000 to $500,000
May 277:35 PM CDTF2Tillman12.0300$500,000 to $5 million
May 278:20 PM CDTF1Caddo0.550$500,000 to $5 million
May 278:25 PM CDTF2Caddo0.55013$50,000 to $500,000
May 279:45 PM CDTF2Kingfisher0.5502$50,000 to $500,000

May 28 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 282:00 AM CDTF2Sequoyah0.550$50,000 to $500,000
May 283:14 AM CDTF2Pushmataha6.0100$500,000 to $5 million
May 283:30 AM CDTF2LeFlore5.0450$50,000 to $500,000

May 30 8 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 306:45 PM CDTF0Texas0.110under $50
May 307:25 PM CDTF0Caddo0.110under $50
May 307:30 PM CDTF1Caddo1.550$5,000 to $50,000
May 308:15 PM CDTF1Major20.050$5,000 to $50,000
May 308:25 PM CDTF0Woodward0.110under $50
May 308:30 PM CDTF0Caddo0.110under $50
May 308:35 PM CDTF0Ellis0.110under $50
May 308:40 PM CDTF0Canadian0.110under $50

June 3 5 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 35:00 PM CDTF0Okmulgee0.110under $50
June 35:35 PM CDTF0Wagoner0.110under $50
June 36:35 PM CDTF1Carter0.527under $50
June 37:48 PM CDTF0Atoka0.110under $50
June 38:37 PM CDTF1Atoka3.050under $50

June 4 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 49:00 PM CDTF0Coal0.110$50 to $500

June 9 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 96:45 PM CDTF0Okfuskee0.110under $50

June 11 3 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 114:00 AM CDTF2McClain1.050$50,000 to $500,000
June 114:00 PM CDTF1Atoka20.050$5,000 to $50,000
June 115:00 PM CDTF2Okmulgee6.050$50,000 to $500,000

June 23 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 236:40 PM CDTF0Cimarron0.110under $50

July 9 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 92:45 PM CDTF0Cimarron0.110under $50

August 15 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 156:00 PM CDTF1Texas0.110$5,000 to $50,000

August 27 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 275:00 PM CDTF2McClain1.050$5,000 to $50,000
August 275:30 PM CDTF2Wagoner1.0502$5,000 to $50,000

September 12 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 126:20 PM CDTF1Kay1.550$50 to $500

September 13 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 135:50 PM CDTF2Okfuskee1.050$500 to $5,000

November 11 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 114:45 PM CSTF1Osage0.520$5,000 to $50,000

November 22 1 tornado

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 224:10 PM CSTF2Atoka5.0150$500,000 to $5 million

December 23 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
December 2310:00 PM CSTF1LeFlore0.550$50 to $500
December 2311:45 PM CSTF2McCurtain3.01001$50,000 to $500,000

December 24 2 tornadoes

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
December 248:07 AM CSTF2Tulsa3.01007$500,000 to $5 million
December 249:40 AM CSTF1Craig0.55010$50,000 to $500,000

Crossed into Oklahoma

Tornadoes that touched down in a neighboring state and ran into Oklahoma. They are counted under the state they began in.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 1811:55 PM CSTF4Moore, TX to OK88.088012$500,000 to $5 million
April 24:40 PM CSTF3Red River, TX to OK, AR52.023314$500,000 to $5 million

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.