Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

Tornadoes in Canadian County, Oklahoma

112 tornadoes have crossed Canadian County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 5th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of 1.5 a year. They have killed 21 people and injured 267. 4 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 at the top of the scale.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

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

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

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

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    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. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

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

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

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

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    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.

Now

Tornadoes
112
Deaths
21
Injuries
267
F4 and above
4
Worst on record
EF5, May 24, 2011

The deadliest in Canadian County

  1. EF5 El Reno–Piedmont tornado, OklahomaMay 24, 20119 killed, 181 injured
  2. EF3 El Reno tornado, OklahomaMay 31, 20138 killed, 26 injured
  3. EF3, Canadian County, OklahomaMay 25, 20192 killed, 29 injured
  4. F4 Union City tornado, OklahomaMay 24, 19732 killed, 4 injured

The strongest

  1. EF5 El Reno–Piedmont tornado, OklahomaMay 24, 2011EF5, 63.1 mi (102 km)
  2. F4, Caddo and Canadian counties, OklahomaMay 22, 1981F4, 16.7 mi (27 km)
  3. F4 Union City tornado, OklahomaMay 24, 1973F4, 13.3 mi (21 km)
  4. F4, Canadian and Oklahoma counties, OklahomaApril 30, 1978F4, 9.3 mi (15 km)
  5. F3, Grady, Canadian, Oklahoma and Lincoln counties, OklahomaApril 20, 1974F3, 63.6 mi (102 km)
  6. F3, Canadian and Kingfisher counties, OklahomaMay 3, 1999F3, 22.0 mi (35 km)
  7. F3, Blaine, Canadian and Kingfisher counties, OklahomaMay 3, 1999F3, 21.0 mi (34 km)
  8. EF3 El Reno tornado, OklahomaMay 31, 2013EF3, 16.2 mi (26 km)
  9. EF3, Canadian County, OklahomaMay 25, 2019EF3, 2.2 mi (4 km)
  10. F2, Grady, Canadian and Oklahoma counties, OklahomaApril 30, 1970F2, 46.7 mi (75 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 46 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Canadian County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261EF2
20251EF0
20244EF2
20231EF1
20222EF0
20212EF1
20191229EF3
20171EF0
20161EF0
20151EF0
20138827EF3
20123EF1
201129181EF5
20102EF0
20081EF1
200775EF2
20062F1
20046F2
20031F1
20001F0
1999124F3
19983F0
19951F1
199223F1
19912F0
19902F1
19881F0
19831F2
19821F0
19812F4
19793F1
19786F4
197423F3
1973224F4
197026F2
19671F0
19641F1
19631F2
19617F2
19591F1
19573F2
19563F2
19541F2
19532F2
19521F1
195115F2

Every tornado that crossed Canadian County

112 tornadoes, newest first. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 22, 20261:30 AM CDTEF2Canadian2.0180
June 3, 20254:35 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.620$3,000
May 19, 20249:41 PM CDTEF0Canadian1.2300$2,000
May 19, 20249:41 PM CDTEF0Canadian2.930$5,000
May 19, 20249:32 PM CDTEF2Canadian3.5300$100,000
April 27, 20244:29 PM CDTEF1Canadian6.8150$100,000
February 26, 20238:57 PM CSTEF1Grady10.7200$255,000
October 24, 20229:27 AM CDTEF0Canadian2.950$5,000
April 23, 20227:15 PM CDTUnratedCanadian0.350
October 26, 202111:54 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.320$5,000
October 13, 20214:59 AM CDTEF1Canadian6.4150$50,000
May 25, 201910:28 PM CDTEF3Canadian2.275229$400,000
May 18, 20175:05 PM CDTEF0Blaine3.450$12,000
April 26, 20168:08 PM CDTEF0Canadian4.150$12,000
March 25, 20156:12 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.750
May 31, 20136:55 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.550
May 31, 20136:51 PM CDTEF1Canadian5.7600$150,000
May 31, 20136:29 PM CDTEF2Canadian5.01501$20,000
May 31, 20136:13 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.5350
May 31, 20136:12 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.5120
May 31, 20136:03 PM CDTEF3El Reno tornado16.24,576826$300,000
May 31, 20135:55 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.330$1,000
May 29, 20135:00 PM CDTEF1Canadian0.220$20,000
May 29, 20129:15 PM CDTEF0Canadian1.030
May 29, 20128:26 PM CDTEF1Canadian1.030$5,000
April 13, 201212:52 AM CDTEF1Canadian2.075
May 24, 20114:37 PM CDTEF0Canadian1.550
May 24, 20113:50 PM CDTEF5El Reno–Piedmont tornado63.11,7609181
May 10, 20104:46 PM CDTEF0Canadian0.230
May 10, 20104:46 PM CDTEF0Canadian4.040
May 7, 20084:57 PM CDTEF1Canadian7.5120$150,000
August 19, 20072:32 AM CDTEF1Canadian7.075$50,000
August 19, 20072:00 AM CDTEF0Canadian3.030$10,000
May 8, 200712:21 AM CDTEF1Canadian0.230$25,000
May 8, 200712:08 AM CDTEF1Canadian0.680
May 8, 200711:43 PM CDTEF1Canadian1.8150$3.0 million
May 8, 200711:26 PM CDTEF0Canadian2.240$100,000
March 29, 20074:05 PM CDTEF2Canadian7.5505$500,000
April 24, 20067:30 PM CDTF1Canadian2.5200$1.5 million
April 24, 20067:23 PM CDTF1Canadian2.530$1,000
May 29, 20048:45 PM CDTF1Canadian1.050$150,000
May 29, 20048:22 PM CDTF0Canadian0.120
May 29, 20048:14 PM CDTF1Canadian2.020$10,000
May 29, 20048:04 PM CDTF1Canadian4.550$30,000
May 29, 20047:17 PM CDTF2Blaine19.71,760$2.5 million
March 27, 20046:54 PM CSTF0Canadian0.110
May 9, 20039:53 PM CDTF1Canadian0.550$3,000
October 22, 20005:36 PM CDTF0Canadian0.230$1,000
May 3, 199910:03 PM CDTF3Canadian22.0350$180,000
May 3, 19999:56 PM CDTF0Canadian1.050$30,000
May 3, 19998:58 PM CDTF1Canadian10.0150$10,000
May 3, 19998:48 PM CDTF2Canadian8.1200$50,000
May 3, 19998:34 PM CDTF1Canadian6.0150$50,000
May 3, 19998:29 PM CDTF3Blaine21.004$320,000
May 3, 19998:25 PM CDTF0Canadian0.10
May 3, 19998:16 PM CDTF0Canadian1.00
May 3, 19998:13 PM CDTF0Canadian0.8100
May 3, 19998:03 PM CDTF0Canadian0.10
May 3, 19997:00 PM CDTF0Canadian0.20
May 3, 19996:58 PM CDTF0Canadian4.1100$10,000
June 13, 19987:45 PM CDTF0Canadian0.130
June 13, 19987:17 PM CDTF0Canadian0.230
June 13, 19987:15 PM CDTF0Canadian0.230
June 3, 19959:25 PM CDTF1Canadian5.0200$50,000 to $500,000
October 7, 19923:55 PM CDTF1Canadian0.2233$50,000 to $500,000
May 11, 199212:20 PM CDTF0Canadian6.073
April 12, 19914:05 PM CDTF0Canadian1.030
March 26, 199111:43 PM CSTF0Canadian0.120
May 26, 19907:51 PM CDTF0Canadian0.123
May 15, 19906:05 PM CDTF1Canadian5.050
June 15, 19881:15 PM CDTF0Canadian1.020
May 17, 198310:55 PM CDTF2Canadian10.0200$50,000 to $500,000
May 30, 19828:40 PM CDTF0Canadian0.110under $50
May 22, 19818:32 PM CDTF1Canadian2.0100
May 22, 19817:49 PM CDTF4Caddo16.71,333$500,000 to $5 million
November 20, 19792:20 PM CSTF1Canadian0.227$5,000 to $50,000
August 22, 19797:55 PM CDTF0Canadian0.110$500 to $5,000
August 22, 19797:14 PM CDTF1Canadian0.110$500 to $5,000
June 21, 197812:15 PM CDTF1Canadian1.540$5,000 to $50,000
April 30, 19787:20 PM CDTF4Canadian9.31,760$500,000 to $5 million
April 30, 19786:57 PM CDTF0Canadian6.177$500 to $5,000
April 30, 19786:55 PM CDTF0Canadian6.670$500 to $5,000
April 30, 19786:40 PM CDTF1Canadian2.050$50,000 to $500,000
April 30, 19786:40 PM CDTF1Canadian5.750$5,000 to $50,000
May 23, 19747:35 PM CDTF1Canadian0.1100$5,000 to $50,000
April 20, 19744:00 PM CDTF3Grady63.61003$500,000 to $5 million
June 4, 19737:00 PM CDTF1Canadian2.050$500 to $5,000
May 24, 19735:00 PM CDTF4Union City tornado13.330024$500,000 to $5 million
June 19, 19706:45 PM CDTF0Canadian0.110
April 30, 19702:00 AM CDTF2Grady46.75006$5 million to $50 million
June 10, 196710:35 PM GMT-5F0Canadian16.910$500,000 to $5 million
May 1, 19645:30 PM GMT-5F1Canadian0.110$500 to $5,000
June 16, 19634:10 AM GMT-5F2Canadian0.8150under $50
May 4, 19619:25 PM GMT-5F0Canadian0.110
May 4, 19617:45 PM GMT-5F1Canadian12.610$500 to $5,000
May 4, 19617:15 PM GMT-5F2Canadian9.010$5,000 to $50,000
April 30, 19617:00 PM GMT-5F2Canadian0.510
April 30, 19616:30 PM GMT-5F2Canadian18.1200$5,000 to $50,000
April 8, 19613:45 PM GMT-6F2Canadian1.3100$5,000 to $50,000
March 26, 19612:30 PM GMT-6F2Canadian29.310$5,000 to $50,000
March 25, 19592:45 PM GMT-6F1Canadian0.5200$500 to $5,000
June 12, 195711:00 AM GMT-5F1Canadian0.110
May 22, 195711:30 AM GMT-5F0Canadian0.110$500 to $5,000
April 22, 19578:15 PM GMT-6F2Caddo30.910$50,000 to $500,000
July 2, 19567:37 PM GMT-5F2Canadian16.2400$5,000 to $50,000
June 3, 19564:55 AM GMT-5F1Canadian0.110$50,000 to $500,000
June 3, 19564:55 AM GMT-5F2Canadian0.110$50,000 to $500,000
April 29, 195410:00 PM GMT-5F2Canadian2.010
November 18, 195310:40 PM GMT-6F0Canadian0.117$50 to $500
April 14, 19536:50 PM GMT-6F2Canadian16.2440$50,000 to $500,000
July 7, 19522:30 PM GMT-5F1Canadian3.650
February 19, 19516:30 PM GMT-6F2Caddo43.9205$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Canadian CountyThe forecast for Canadian CountyThe live radar over Canadian CountyEvery county in 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.