Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma
1983 tornadoes in Oklahoma
90 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma in 1983, 53 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 1 people and injured 6.
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 1983
March 3 2 tornadoes
March 26 2 tornadoes
April 22 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 22 | 3:15 PM CST | F1 | Beckham | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 |
April 27 7 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 27 | 7:40 PM CDT | F1 | Kay | 12.0 | 100 | under $50 | ||
| April 27 | 7:50 PM CDT | F0 | Osage | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 27 | 8:15 PM CDT | F0 | Osage | 0.2 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 27 | 8:30 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 27 | 9:00 PM CDT | F2 | Pawnee | 0.5 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 27 | 9:00 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 0.5 | 77 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 27 | 9:15 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 50 | under $50 |
April 28 2 tornadoes
April 29 2 tornadoes
May 12 6 tornadoes
May 13 25 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13 | 6:25 PM CDT | F0 | Jefferson | 1.0 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 6:35 PM CDT | F0 | Custer | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 6:39 PM CDT | F2 | Harmon | 15.0 | 500 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 13 | 6:40 PM CDT | F1 | Custer | 9.0 | 150 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 13 | 7:05 PM CDT | F0 | Harmon | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 7:09 PM CDT | F0 | Carter | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 8:00 PM CDT | F1 | Kingfisher | 2.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 13 | 8:05 PM CDT | F3 | Kingfisher | 8.8 | 250 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 13 | 8:06 PM CDT | F1 | Kingfisher | 0.3 | 17 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 13 | 8:20 PM CDT | F0 | Kiowa | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 8:45 PM CDT | F2 | Kiowa | 0.1 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 13 | 8:45 PM CDT | F1 | Ellis | 2.5 | 40 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 13 | 9:50 PM CDT | F0 | Kiowa | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 10:14 PM CDT | F0 | Jackson | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 10:45 PM CDT | F2 | Caddo | 2.0 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 13 | 10:50 PM CDT | F1 | Logan | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 10:50 PM CDT | F0 | Caddo | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 10:55 PM CDT | F2 | Murray | 7.0 | 200 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 13 | 11:10 PM CDT | F2 | Caddo | 0.1 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 13 | 11:25 PM CDT | F0 | Comanche | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 11:45 PM CDT | F1 | Grady | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 12:20 AM CDT | F0 | Cleveland | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 12:20 AM CDT | F2 | Hughes | 0.1 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 13 | 12:30 AM CDT | F0 | Pontotoc | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 13 | 12:55 AM CDT | F0 | Seminole | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 |
May 14 2 tornadoes
May 17 5 tornadoes
May 27 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27 | 10:37 PM CDT | F0 | Ellis | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 |
June 10 3 tornadoes
June 13 10 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 13 | 4:03 PM CDT | F0 | Beaver | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 4:19 PM CDT | F0 | Roger Mills | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 4:30 PM CDT | F0 | Texas | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 4:56 PM CDT | F0 | Beckham | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 5:15 PM CDT | F0 | Harper | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 7:00 PM CDT | F0 | Washita | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 7:15 PM CDT | F0 | Tillman | 12.0 | 40 | $50 to $500 | ||
| June 13 | 7:30 PM CDT | F0 | Caddo | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 13 | 7:45 PM CDT | F0 | Caddo | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 13 | 8:40 PM CDT | F1 | Comanche | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
June 18 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 18 | 10:05 PM CDT | F0 | Kay | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 |
June 27 6 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 27 | 7:40 PM CDT | F0 | Cotton | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 27 | 9:55 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 27 | 10:02 PM CDT | F0 | Seminole | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 27 | 11:00 PM CDT | F0 | Stephens | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 27 | 11:00 PM CDT | F2 | Osage | 0.5 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 27 | 11:15 PM CDT | F2 | Rogers | 5.0 | 100 | 1 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
June 28 3 tornadoes
July 30 2 tornadoes
August 21 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 21 | 3:30 PM CDT | F0 | Cimarron | 0.2 | 10 | under $50 |
October 3 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | 10:25 PM CDT | F0 | Tulsa | 0.1 | 10 | 1 | under $50 |
October 19 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 19 | 7:03 PM CDT | F2 | Comanche | 2.6 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
November 18 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 18 | 10:50 PM CST | F1 | Cleveland | 0.2 | 17 | $500 to $5,000 |
November 22 6 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 22 | 2:38 PM CST | F2 | Choctaw | 1.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| November 22 | 3:35 PM CST | F2 | Pushmataha | 2.0 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| November 22 | 4:00 PM CST | F3 | Pushmataha | 3.0 | 100 | 3 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| November 22 | 5:40 PM CST | F3 | LeFlore | 19.0 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| November 22 | 5:55 PM CST | F0 | Wagoner | 0.3 | 100 | under $50 | ||
| November 22 | 7:50 PM CST | F1 | McIntosh | 0.3 | 100 | under $50 |
Crossed into Oklahoma
Tornadoes that touched down in a neighboring state and ran into Oklahoma. They are counted under the state they began in.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13 | 3:30 PM CDT | F1 | Tillman, TX to OK | 6.8 | 50 | under $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.