Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma
Tornadoes in Dewey County, Oklahoma
55 tornadoes have crossed Dewey County since 1950, 49th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.4 years. They have killed 1 person and injured 9. None was rated F4 or above.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- 55
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 9
- F4 and above
- 0
- Worst on record
- EF3, May 24, 2011
The deadliest in Dewey County
The strongest
- EF3, Blaine, Major and Dewey counties, OklahomaMay 24, 2011
- F3, Dewey and Woodward counties, OklahomaApril 17, 2002
- F2, Roger Mills, Ellis and Dewey counties, OklahomaApril 29, 1954
- EF2, Woodward and Dewey counties, OklahomaMay 5, 2007
- F2, Dewey County, OklahomaApril 19, 1972
- F2, Dewey County, OklahomaAugust 2, 1977
- F2, Dewey County, OklahomaOctober 31, 1984
- F2, Dewey County, OklahomaMay 25, 1955
- F2, Dewey County, OklahomaMay 19, 1951
- F2, Dewey County, OklahomaMay 4, 1961
Every year with a tornado
The 32 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Dewey County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.
Every tornado that crossed Dewey County
55 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2019 | 8:40 PM CDT | EF1 | Dewey | 3.1 | 100 | $4,000 | ||
| May 18, 2017 | 4:11 PM CDT | Unrated | Dewey | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| May 16, 2015 | 5:05 PM CDT | EF1 | Dewey | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| May 6, 2015 | 6:33 PM CDT | EF0 | Dewey | 0.3 | 30 | |||
| April 26, 2013 | 6:31 PM CDT | EF0 | Dewey | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| May 24, 2011 | 3:20 PM CDT | EF3 | Blaine | 13.2 | 880 | 1 | 2 | |
| May 19, 2010 | 3:24 PM CDT | EF0 | Dewey | 5.9 | 40 | |||
| May 5, 2007 | 10:51 PM CDT | EF2 | Woodward | 16.0 | 600 | $315,000 | ||
| March 20, 2006 | 4:18 PM CST | F0 | Dewey | 0.2 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| March 27, 2004 | 1:20 PM CST | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 5, 2002 | 10:10 PM CDT | F1 | Dewey | 1.0 | 75 | $40,000 | ||
| April 17, 2002 | 11:33 PM CDT | F3 | Dewey | 8.0 | 600 | $30,000 | ||
| September 21, 1998 | 5:45 PM CDT | F0 | Blaine | 0.5 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| September 5, 1992 | 8:55 PM CDT | F0 | Dewey | 0.2 | 40 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| September 5, 1992 | 8:45 PM CDT | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| September 5, 1992 | 8:26 PM CDT | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| May 15, 1991 | 11:23 PM CDT | F0 | Dewey | 0.3 | 30 | |||
| March 26, 1991 | 6:25 PM CST | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| October 31, 1984 | 6:19 PM CST | F2 | Dewey | 6.0 | 200 | |||
| April 20, 1984 | 2:55 PM CST | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 19, 1982 | 8:40 PM CDT | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 15, 1982 | 12:30 AM CDT | F2 | Dewey | 0.5 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| October 16, 1980 | 5:00 AM CDT | F1 | Dewey | 10.4 | 400 | 3 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| August 21, 1979 | 4:10 PM CDT | F0 | Dewey | 8.8 | 10 | |||
| August 2, 1977 | 6:30 PM CDT | F2 | Dewey | 8.0 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| March 2, 1977 | 2:45 PM CST | F1 | Dewey | 3.8 | 300 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 8, 1975 | 8:58 PM CDT | F1 | Dewey | 2.0 | 50 | |||
| April 19, 1972 | 2:15 PM CST | F2 | Dewey | 15.5 | 77 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 27, 1969 | 8:57 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 27, 1969 | 7:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| September 20, 1965 | 6:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| September 20, 1965 | 6:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.5 | 100 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 6, 1965 | 8:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | 1 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| July 25, 1964 | 4:10 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 500 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 5, 1964 | 12:15 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 1.0 | 400 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 1, 1964 | 4:40 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 4, 1961 | 5:15 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Dewey | 1.0 | 400 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 4, 1961 | 5:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 1.0 | 400 | |||
| April 30, 1961 | 3:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 30, 1961 | 3:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 30, 1961 | 3:00 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 4, 1959 | 6:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.3 | 100 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 4, 1959 | 5:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 7.2 | 300 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 3, 1959 | 8:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| June 19, 1958 | 4:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 1.5 | 30 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| July 1, 1956 | 7:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | 1 | ||
| June 17, 1956 | 5:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| July 4, 1955 | 4:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 25, 1955 | 9:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Dewey | 5.1 | 300 | 1 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| April 29, 1954 | 6:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| April 29, 1954 | 4:00 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Roger Mills | 33.3 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 20, 1952 | 3:30 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Harmon | 0.1 | 20 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 8, 1952 | 4:45 PM GMT-6 | F0 | Beckham | 45.9 | 100 | $50 to $500 | ||
| May 19, 1951 | 8:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Dewey | 2.0 | 67 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 16, 1950 | 8:30 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Dewey | 7.3 | 100 | 1 | $500 to $5,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Dewey CountyThe forecast for Dewey CountyThe live radar over Dewey 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.