Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma
Tornadoes in Lincoln County, Oklahoma
96 tornadoes have crossed Lincoln County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 8th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of 1.3 a year. They have killed 16 people and injured 361. 3 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 at the top of the scale. Before 1950, Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes has 14 more crossing the county, back to 1896.
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
- 96
- Deaths
- 16
- Injuries
- 361
- F4 and above
- 3
- Worst on record
- F5, May 5, 1960
The deadliest in Lincoln County
The strongest
- F5 Prague–Sapulpa tornado, OklahomaMay 5, 1960
- F4, Pottawatomie, Lincoln and Creek counties, OklahomaMay 1, 1954
- F4, Pottawatomie, Lincoln and Okfuskee counties, OklahomaOctober 5, 1970
- F3, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Lincoln and Creek counties, OklahomaMay 5, 1960
- F3, Grady, Canadian, Oklahoma and Lincoln counties, OklahomaApril 20, 1974
- F3, Lincoln and Creek counties, OklahomaApril 2, 1956
- F3, Oklahoma, Logan and Lincoln counties, OklahomaMay 26, 1963
- EF3, Oklahoma and Lincoln counties, OklahomaNovember 3, 2024
- EF3, Oklahoma, Lincoln and Logan counties, OklahomaMay 19, 2013
- F3, Lincoln and Creek counties, OklahomaMay 3, 1999
Every year with a tornado
The 42 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Lincoln County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.
| Year | Tornadoes | Deaths | Injuries | Strongest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | EF1 | ||
| 2024 | 6 | 7 | EF3 | |
| 2023 | 2 | EF2 | ||
| 2021 | 2 | EF0 | ||
| 2020 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2019 | 3 | EF1 | ||
| 2018 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | EF3 | |
| 2011 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2010 | 1 | EF1 | ||
| 2004 | 6 | F1 | ||
| 2003 | 8 | F1 | ||
| 1999 | 2 | 1 | 23 | F3 |
| 1998 | 3 | 6 | F2 | |
| 1995 | 2 | F2 | ||
| 1994 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1993 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1990 | 1 | 1 | F2 | |
| 1989 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1987 | 2 | F1 | ||
| 1986 | 3 | F1 | ||
| 1985 | 1 | 3 | F1 | |
| 1983 | 4 | F2 | ||
| 1980 | 2 | 1 | F2 | |
| 1979 | 2 | F2 | ||
| 1975 | 3 | 3 | F2 | |
| 1974 | 5 | 11 | F3 | |
| 1973 | 3 | F1 | ||
| 1970 | 2 | 4 | 84 | F4 |
| 1969 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1967 | 4 | F2 | ||
| 1966 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1964 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1963 | 2 | 1 | 4 | F3 |
| 1961 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1960 | 2 | 5 | 81 | F5 |
| 1959 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1957 | 5 | F2 | ||
| 1956 | 1 | 5 | 68 | F3 |
| 1954 | 1 | 65 | F4 | |
| 1953 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1950 | 1 | F2 |
Every tornado that crossed Lincoln County
96 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.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2026 | 2:12 AM CDT | EF1 | Oklahoma | 3.6 | 75 | |||
| November 3, 2024 | 1:57 AM CST | EF3 | Oklahoma | 25.1 | 1,000 | 7 | $40 million | |
| May 13, 2024 | 4:35 AM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 20 | $20,000 | ||
| May 6, 2024 | 10:56 PM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 2.2 | 50 | $5,000 | ||
| April 27, 2024 | 10:16 PM CDT | EF1 | Lincoln | 10.3 | 250 | $30,000 | ||
| April 26, 2024 | 5:31 AM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| April 26, 2024 | 5:28 AM CDT | EF1 | Okfuskee | 9.9 | 500 | $20,000 | ||
| April 19, 2023 | 9:39 PM CDT | EF2 | Pottawatomie | 15.0 | 2,300 | $4.0 million | ||
| February 26, 2023 | 9:45 PM CST | EF2 | Pottawatomie | 6.1 | 200 | $255,000 | ||
| October 10, 2021 | 8:41 PM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 1.1 | 30 | $5,000 | ||
| October 10, 2021 | 8:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Oklahoma | 3.3 | 250 | $20,000 | ||
| January 10, 2020 | 10:34 AM CST | EF0 | Lincoln | 1.3 | 10 | $25,000 | ||
| June 15, 2019 | 11:51 PM CDT | EF1 | Lincoln | 5.2 | 50 | $60,000 | ||
| May 21, 2019 | 4:50 AM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 2.3 | 30 | $7,000 | ||
| April 30, 2019 | 11:53 AM CDT | EF1 | Lincoln | 3.0 | 30 | $3,000 | ||
| October 9, 2018 | 9:37 AM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 10 | $60,000 | ||
| May 20, 2013 | 4:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 1.2 | 100 | |||
| May 19, 2013 | 7:17 PM CDT | EF1 | Lincoln | 14.4 | 700 | $50,000 | ||
| May 19, 2013 | 6:59 PM CDT | EF2 | Lincoln | 7.3 | 450 | |||
| May 19, 2013 | 4:41 PM CDT | EF3 | Oklahoma | 20.8 | 1,200 | 4 | ||
| April 14, 2011 | 4:42 PM CDT | EF0 | Lincoln | 0.3 | 40 | |||
| May 19, 2010 | 8:12 PM CDT | EF1 | Lincoln | 1.4 | 25 | |||
| November 10, 2004 | 6:15 PM CST | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| November 10, 2004 | 6:05 PM CST | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| November 10, 2004 | 5:40 PM CST | F1 | Lincoln | 3.0 | 600 | $200,000 | ||
| June 9, 2004 | 6:53 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 2.0 | 30 | $200,000 | ||
| June 9, 2004 | 6:24 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 4.0 | 50 | $150,000 | ||
| May 29, 2004 | 10:27 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 2.5 | 300 | $250,000 | ||
| May 16, 2003 | 2:10 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.3 | 20 | |||
| May 16, 2003 | 1:20 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.3 | 20 | |||
| May 16, 2003 | 1:15 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.3 | 20 | |||
| May 16, 2003 | 1:05 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 4.9 | 40 | $20,000 | ||
| May 16, 2003 | 3:53 AM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 2.3 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| May 9, 2003 | 11:49 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 8.1 | 880 | $500,000 | ||
| May 9, 2003 | 11:06 PM CDT | F1 | Oklahoma | 7.0 | 880 | $100,000 | ||
| April 15, 2003 | 11:56 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 4.0 | 100 | $20,000 | ||
| May 3, 1999 | 10:10 PM CDT | F3 | Lincoln | 16.0 | 450 | 13 | $60 million | |
| May 3, 1999 | 9:05 PM CDT | F2 | Pottawatomie | 18.0 | 150 | 1 | 10 | $750,000 |
| October 4, 1998 | 9:52 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 8.0 | 440 | 6 | $50,000 | |
| October 4, 1998 | 9:45 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 6.0 | 580 | $40,000 | ||
| October 4, 1998 | 9:37 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 3.0 | 580 | $60,000 | ||
| June 9, 1995 | 7:15 AM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 23 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 9, 1995 | 7:00 AM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.7 | 20 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 6, 1994 | 11:45 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 30 | |||
| March 30, 1993 | 12:30 AM CST | F1 | Okfuskee | 4.5 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| March 13, 1990 | 5:59 PM CST | F2 | Cleveland | 19.0 | 200 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 15, 1989 | 3:07 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| May 31, 1987 | 5:15 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| May 19, 1987 | 5:26 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 30 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| September 29, 1986 | 7:15 AM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 4.0 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| August 15, 1986 | 6:50 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 2.0 | 50 | |||
| May 16, 1986 | 12:09 AM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| May 12, 1985 | 9:10 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | 3 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| June 27, 1983 | 9:55 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 27, 1983 | 9:15 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| April 27, 1983 | 9:00 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 0.5 | 77 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 27, 1983 | 8:30 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 50 | under $50 | ||
| May 11, 1980 | 8:40 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 3.6 | 200 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 11, 1980 | 8:16 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 10, 1979 | 6:45 PM CST | F2 | Pottawatomie | 4.6 | 100 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 1, 1979 | 1:16 AM CST | F1 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 20 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 13, 1975 | 8:12 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 1.5 | 200 | 3 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| June 13, 1975 | 7:45 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 1.5 | 200 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 13, 1975 | 6:05 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.5 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 8, 1974 | 6:20 PM CDT | F3 | Lincoln | 2.5 | 350 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 8, 1974 | 6:03 PM CDT | F2 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 1,500 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 8, 1974 | 5:55 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 1.5 | 50 | $50 to $500 | ||
| June 8, 1974 | 5:46 PM CDT | F3 | Lincoln | 6.8 | 1,300 | 8 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| April 20, 1974 | 4:00 PM CDT | F3 | Grady | 63.6 | 100 | 3 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| September 3, 1973 | 6:20 PM CDT | F1 | Payne | 15.7 | 40 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 4, 1973 | 9:58 PM CDT | F0 | Lincoln | 0.5 | 17 | under $50 | ||
| April 15, 1973 | 5:45 PM CST | F1 | Lincoln | 0.2 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| October 5, 1970 | 4:42 PM CDT | F4 | Pottawatomie | 25.0 | 150 | 4 | 84 | $5 million to $50 million |
| June 11, 1970 | 4:45 PM CDT | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 22, 1969 | 9:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 11, 1967 | 7:55 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Lincoln | 0.3 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 11, 1967 | 7:55 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 11, 1967 | 7:45 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| June 11, 1967 | 7:45 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 15, 1966 | 10:55 PM GMT-5 | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| September 26, 1964 | 9:20 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Lincoln | 0.5 | 100 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 26, 1963 | 5:45 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Lincoln | 5.7 | 333 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 26, 1963 | 4:45 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Oklahoma | 34.3 | 10 | 1 | 4 | $500 to $5,000 |
| March 5, 1961 | 4:45 PM GMT-6 | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 5, 1960 | 6:00 PM GMT-5 | F5 | Prague–Sapulpa tornado | 71.8 | 800 | 5 | 81 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| May 5, 1960 | 4:00 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Cleveland | 101.9 | 400 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| February 9, 1959 | 9:30 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Lincoln | 3.8 | 500 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| June 12, 1957 | 5:45 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Lincoln | 6.8 | 440 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 22, 1957 | 12:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 20, 1957 | 7:00 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 22, 1957 | 9:00 PM GMT-6 | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| April 3, 1957 | 12:15 AM GMT-6 | F0 | Lincoln | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| April 2, 1956 | 9:33 PM GMT-6 | F3 | Lincoln | 42.6 | 300 | 5 | 68 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| May 1, 1954 | 7:00 PM GMT-5 | F4 | Pottawatomie | 59.2 | 10 | 65 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| July 9, 1953 | 6:00 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Lincoln | 0.3 | 100 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| April 2, 1950 | 6:00 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Lincoln | 1.0 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
Lincoln County before 1950
Before 1950 the record is Thomas P. Grazulis’s list of significant tornadoes: those rated F2 or stronger, and weaker ones that killed somebody. 14 of them crossed Lincoln County, killing 52. They are not in the figures above, which are SPC's from 1950.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 1949 | 7:59 PM CST | F2 | Meeker, OK | 7.9 | 300 | 13 | ||
| April 30, 1949 | 4:50 PM CST | F3 | Stella to E Meeker, OK | 23.8 | 250 | 3 | 8 | |
| April 9, 1944 | 7:00 PM CST | F2 | Stroud, OK | |||||
| January 26, 1944 | 11:00 PM CST | F2 | Warwick/Chandler, OK | 1.3 | 100 | 5 | ||
| May 2, 1942 | 3:30 PM CST | F4 | Childsville, OK | 57.4 | 800 | 16 | 80 | |
| April 8, 1925 | 2:30 PM CST | F2 | S Tryon/NW Bristow, OK | 24.8 | 75 | |||
| March 28, 1924 | 3:30 PM CST | F4 | Shawnee, OK | 52.6 | 300 | 8 | 80 | |
| November 15, 1918 | 4:30 PM CST | F2 | Prague, OK | 4.8 | 100 | 1 | 12 | |
| April 20, 1912 | 4:20 PM CST | F3 | NW Arcadia to N Fallis, OK | 14.3 | 300 | |||
| April 12, 1911 | 12:00 PM CST | F3 | E Meeker/Payson to SE Chandler, OK | 8.9 | 2 | |||
| May 29, 1909 | 5:30 PM CST | F3 | S Stroud to Depew, OK | 13.6 | 400 | 1 | 20 | |
| May 29, 1909 | 5:17 PM CST | F4 | Arlington to N Micawber, OK | 14.9 | 200 | 6 | 20 | |
| March 30, 1897 | 5:30 PM CST | F4 | Chandler, OK | 17.7 | 800 | 14 | 40 | |
| October 28, 1896 | 7:00 PM CST | F3 | Mitchell/E Guthrie, OK | 8.3 | 70 | 3 |
About the record before 1950
- Significant tornadoes only
- Grazulis listed tornadoes rated F2 or stronger, and weaker ones that killed somebody. Most tornadoes are weaker than F2, so the list holds a fraction of the tornadoes that happened.
- The early years are thin
- A tornado is on record only where somebody saw it and wrote it down. The count rises through the 1800s with settlement and newspapers, not with the weather.
- Rated from accounts
- Grazulis rated each tornado decades later from newspaper reports, Weather Bureau records and local histories, not from a damage survey.
- The tracks are reconstructed
- Tornado Archive drew each path through the places Grazulis names, most often as a straight line from the first to the last. A track can miss a town it hit, and a tornado with one named place is a point. The counties are today’s.
- A separate record
- SPC’s database, from 1950, counts every confirmed tornado of any strength. The two are kept apart on every page and never added together.
Nearby
Warnings in force in Lincoln CountyThe forecast for Lincoln CountyThe live radar over Lincoln 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. Before 1950: Thomas P. Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 and Significant Tornadoes 1880-1989, as digitized by Tornado Archive (Maas and others, 2024). Public domain. Counties assigned by this site from today’s NWS county lines.