Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

Tornadoes in Payne County, Oklahoma

58 tornadoes have crossed Payne County since 1950, 45th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 3 people and injured 83. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and 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.

  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
58
Deaths
3
Injuries
83
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, May 3, 1999

The deadliest in Payne County

  1. F4 Mulhall tornado, OklahomaMay 3, 19992 killed, 26 injured
  2. F3, Payne County, OklahomaMay 15, 19901 killed, 12 injured

The strongest

  1. F4 Mulhall tornado, OklahomaMay 3, 1999F4, 35.0 mi (56 km)
  2. F3, Payne County, OklahomaMay 15, 1990F3, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  3. F3, Payne County, OklahomaJune 13, 1975F3, 5.1 mi (8 km)
  4. F3, Payne County, OklahomaMay 21, 1961F3, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  5. F3, Payne County, OklahomaMay 21, 1961F3, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  6. F2, Payne County, OklahomaJune 23, 1969F2, 13.1 mi (21 km)
  7. EF2, Payne County, OklahomaMay 24, 2011EF2, 10.4 mi (17 km)
  8. F2, Payne and Pawnee counties, OklahomaMay 1, 1954F2, 7.8 mi (13 km)
  9. F2, Payne County, OklahomaApril 26, 1991F2, 6.5 mi (10 km)
  10. EF2, Payne and Noble counties, OklahomaMay 9, 2016EF2, 6.3 mi (10 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 39 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Payne County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20241EF0
20221EF1
20211EF1
20193EF1
20171Unrated
20162EF2
20134EF0
2011118EF2
20101EF1
20091EF1
20081EF0
20031F0
19991226F4
19982F1
19942F0
19921F0
19911F2
19901112F3
19882F1
19871F0
19851F1
198439F2
19791F1
19771F1
19761F1
197518F3
19731F1
19721F2
197012F1
19691F2
19632F2
19614F3
19593F1
19571F1
19561F1
19551F0
195438F2
19521F1
19501F1

Every tornado that crossed Payne County

58 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 27, 20243:20 PM CDTEF0Payne5.230$10,000
May 2, 20226:26 PM CDTEF1Payne6.5500$50,000
July 10, 20217:25 PM CDTEF1Payne1.4100$50,000
May 18, 20199:33 AM CDTEF0Payne0.450$30,000
May 18, 20199:27 AM CDTEF0Payne0.225$10,000
April 30, 201912:13 PM CDTEF1Payne0.520$20,000
May 11, 20173:13 PM CDTUnratedPayne0.150
July 3, 20164:11 PM CDTEF1Payne0.8100
May 9, 20165:58 PM CDTEF2Payne6.3600$260,000
May 30, 20133:37 PM CDTEF0Payne0.450
May 30, 20133:26 PM CDTEF0Payne1.6200
May 30, 20133:15 PM CDTEF0Payne0.7100
May 30, 20133:08 PM CDTEF0Payne0.3100
May 24, 20115:50 PM CDTEF2Payne10.488018
May 19, 20106:03 PM CDTEF1Payne10.6200
February 10, 20093:39 PM CSTEF1Payne9.650
May 1, 20087:42 PM CDTEF0Payne0.375
May 16, 20032:20 PM CDTF0Payne0.425
May 3, 19999:25 PM CDTF4Mulhall tornado35.01,760226$13 million
November 29, 19988:10 PM CSTF0Payne2.0100$20,000
October 4, 19986:47 PM CDTF1Payne6.0100$40,000
May 6, 199410:12 PM CDTF0Payne0.130
May 6, 19949:50 PM CDTF0Payne0.130
June 19, 19929:09 PM CDTF0Payne0.230
April 26, 19917:38 PM CDTF2Payne6.5800$50,000 to $500,000
May 15, 19907:41 PM CDTF3Payne7.0440112$500,000 to $5 million
June 26, 19888:00 PM CDTF1Payne1.040$5,000 to $50,000
March 28, 19885:15 PM CSTF0Payne0.230$500 to $5,000
September 15, 19876:13 PM CDTF0Payne5.030
March 3, 19857:00 PM CSTF1Payne0.110$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 19849:20 PM CSTF2Payne6.0708$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 19846:05 PM CSTF1Logan30.010$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 19845:53 PM CSTF0Logan39.0101$50,000 to $500,000
May 2, 19798:13 PM CDTF1Payne0.313$5,000 to $50,000
March 17, 19774:40 PM CSTF1Payne1.050under $50
July 3, 19763:10 PM CDTF1Payne1.033$50 to $500
June 13, 19756:33 PM CDTF3Payne5.14408$500,000 to $5 million
September 3, 19736:20 PM CDTF1Payne15.740$500 to $5,000
June 19, 197210:25 PM CDTF2Payne0.110
April 30, 19703:45 AM CDTF1Payne0.2502$5,000 to $50,000
June 23, 19697:50 PM GMT-5F2Payne13.110$50,000 to $500,000
August 9, 19636:20 PM GMT-5F2Payne0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 26, 19632:30 AM GMT-5F1Payne0.110$500 to $5,000
May 21, 19615:15 PM GMT-5F2Payne0.110$500 to $5,000
May 21, 19615:15 PM GMT-5F2Payne0.110
May 21, 19615:15 PM GMT-5F3Payne0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 21, 19615:15 PM GMT-5F3Payne0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 2, 19595:50 PM GMT-5F1Payne0.310$500 to $5,000
May 2, 19595:30 PM GMT-5F1Payne0.110$500 to $5,000
April 18, 19594:35 PM GMT-6F0Payne0.110
June 12, 19575:55 AM GMT-5F1Payne6.810$500 to $5,000
April 8, 195611:30 PM GMT-6F1Payne6.950$50,000 to $500,000
May 26, 19555:00 AM GMT-5F0Payne0.110
July 23, 19547:45 PM GMT-5F2Payne0.21001$500 to $5,000
June 12, 19544:50 PM GMT-5F1Payne0.110$50 to $500
May 1, 19546:42 PM GMT-5F2Payne7.8107$5,000 to $50,000
May 23, 19525:00 AM GMT-5F1Payne0.110$500 to $5,000
May 7, 195012:00 AM GMT-5F1Payne0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Payne CountyThe forecast for Payne CountyThe live radar over Payne 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.