Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

Tornadoes in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma

71 tornadoes have crossed Pontotoc County since 1950, 30th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.1 years. They have killed 9 people and injured 128. 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
71
Deaths
9
Injuries
128
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, May 9, 1959

The deadliest in Pontotoc County

  1. F4, Pontotoc County, OklahomaMay 9, 19597 killed, 12 injured
  2. F3, Pontotoc County, OklahomaMarch 15, 19821 killed, 36 injured
  3. EF3 Sulphur tornado, OklahomaApril 27, 20241 killed, 30 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Pontotoc County, OklahomaMay 9, 1959F4, 6.2 mi (10 km)
  2. F3, Pontotoc, Garvin, Seminole and Hughes counties, OklahomaFebruary 17, 1961F3, 73.0 mi (117 km)
  3. F3, Pontotoc County, OklahomaMay 4, 1960F3, 18.3 mi (29 km)
  4. EF3, Murray and Pontotoc counties, OklahomaMay 9, 2016EF3, 16.6 mi (27 km)
  5. F3, Pontotoc County, OklahomaMarch 21, 1991F3, 11.0 mi (18 km)
  6. EF3 Sulphur tornado, OklahomaApril 27, 2024EF3, 9.9 mi (16 km)
  7. F3, Pontotoc County, OklahomaApril 20, 1973F3, 7.9 mi (13 km)
  8. F3, Pontotoc County, OklahomaMarch 15, 1982F3, 6.0 mi (10 km)
  9. F2, Pontotoc, Hughes, Okfuskee and Sequoyah counties, OklahomaMay 1, 1954F2, 39.2 mi (63 km)
  10. F2, Pontotoc and Coal counties, OklahomaApril 11, 2001F2, 14.5 mi (23 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 36 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Pontotoc County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
202572EF1
20243130EF3
20211EF1
20191EF1
20182EF1
20174EF0
20162EF3
20152EF1
20131EF0
20115EF1
20012F2
20002F0
19971F0
19941F0
19922F2
199122F3
19851F0
19841F0
19832F1
19821136F3
19791F1
19771F1
19752F2
1973221F3
19713F2
19704F2
196822F2
19621F2
1961111F3
196036F3
19591712F4
19581F2
19571F1
195436F2
19531F2
19501F1

Every tornado that crossed Pontotoc County

71 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 24, 20254:10 AM CDTEF1Pontotoc2.650$75,000
April 19, 202510:10 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc0.430$50,000
April 19, 202510:03 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc4.31001$750,000
March 4, 20255:25 AM CSTEF1Pontotoc4.8150$75,000
March 4, 20255:16 AM CSTEF1Pontotoc1.040$300,000
March 4, 20255:11 AM CSTEF1Pontotoc3.72001$10 million
March 4, 20255:03 AM CSTEF0Pontotoc8.8100$200,000
April 27, 202410:37 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc8.4500$250,000
April 27, 202410:23 PM CDTEF3Sulphur tornado9.9440130$10 million
April 27, 202410:15 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc1.530$10,000
October 10, 20219:26 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc7.3300$100,000
October 20, 201910:01 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc0.3150$5,000
June 24, 20183:12 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc0.210$1,000
May 3, 20188:22 AM CDTEF1Pontotoc0.325$10,000
May 18, 20179:13 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc0.675$5,000
April 25, 201710:13 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc0.750$4,000
March 26, 20177:27 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc0.330
March 26, 20177:14 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc4.050$1,000
May 9, 20164:34 PM CDTEF3Murray16.61,500$4.0 million
April 26, 20169:50 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc2.0200$20,000
May 23, 20156:25 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc3.8100
May 23, 20156:05 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc0.220
May 15, 20136:34 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc0.550$20,000
May 21, 20118:41 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc3.3150
May 21, 20118:29 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc1.050
May 21, 20118:18 PM CDTEF0Pontotoc1.050
May 21, 20117:39 PM CDTEF1Murray7.2880$8,000
April 14, 20115:24 PM CDTEF1Pontotoc1.050$8,000
May 20, 20016:51 PM CDTF0Pontotoc0.325
April 11, 20014:40 AM CDTF2Pontotoc14.5400$520,000
October 22, 20007:00 PM CDTF0Pontotoc0.110
October 22, 20006:26 PM CDTF0Pontotoc2.520
May 25, 19977:58 PM CDTF0Pontotoc0.530$3,000
April 2, 19947:09 PM CSTF0Pontotoc0.120
May 11, 19922:15 PM CDTF2Pontotoc5.0150$5,000 to $50,000
May 11, 19921:50 PM CDTF2Murray3.0150$5,000 to $50,000
March 21, 19914:30 PM CSTF1Pontotoc5.0173$50,000 to $500,000
March 21, 19914:25 PM CSTF3Pontotoc11.03502$500,000 to $5 million
March 26, 198510:12 PM CSTF0Pontotoc0.110
May 2, 19845:33 PM CDTF0Pontotoc0.110
May 14, 19831:15 AM CDTF1Pontotoc0.150under $50
May 13, 198312:30 AM CDTF0Pontotoc0.150under $50
March 15, 19825:57 PM CSTF3Pontotoc6.060136$500,000 to $5 million
April 11, 197912:01 AM CSTF1Pontotoc3.050$5,000 to $50,000
July 26, 197710:45 AM CDTF1Pontotoc0.520$50 to $500
November 19, 19751:55 PM CSTF2Pontotoc2.550$500 to $5,000
November 19, 19751:47 PM CSTF1Pontotoc0.130$500 to $5,000
May 23, 19731:15 AM CDTF1Pontotoc5.9100$500 to $5,000
April 20, 197312:15 AM CSTF3Pontotoc7.910021$500,000 to $5 million
July 17, 197111:00 AM CDTF1Pontotoc0.210$5,000 to $50,000
May 23, 19714:30 PM CDTF0Pontotoc0.110
April 22, 19714:30 PM CSTF2Pontotoc1.0400$50,000 to $500,000
October 7, 197012:30 AM CDTF1Pontotoc2.0200$5,000 to $50,000
October 7, 197012:30 AM CDTF1Pontotoc0.5100$5,000 to $50,000
June 11, 19707:12 PM CDTF2Pontotoc2.5440$5,000 to $50,000
April 18, 19704:10 PM CSTF2Pontotoc5.250$5,000 to $50,000
May 13, 19684:00 PM GMT-5F0Pontotoc0.350
April 19, 19684:58 PM GMT-6F2Pontotoc3.3272$5,000 to $50,000
July 20, 19625:45 PM GMT-5F2Pontotoc0.1100$50 to $500
February 17, 19616:15 PM GMT-6F3Pontotoc73.030011$500,000 to $5 million
September 20, 19602:30 PM GMT-5F1Pontotoc0.110$500 to $5,000
May 4, 19608:45 PM GMT-5F3Pontotoc18.3106$50,000 to $500,000
January 14, 19606:00 AM GMT-6F2Pontotoc0.110$500 to $5,000
May 9, 19597:40 PM GMT-5F4Pontotoc6.2900712$50,000 to $500,000
November 17, 19588:30 AM GMT-6F2Pontotoc8.8500under $50
May 25, 19571:15 AM GMT-5F1Pontotoc11.5150$500 to $5,000
September 7, 19544:00 PM GMT-5F2Pontotoc4.5200$50,000 to $500,000
May 1, 19547:00 PM GMT-5F2Pontotoc39.2106$500,000 to $5 million
April 30, 19542:00 AM GMT-5F1Pontotoc0.110$500 to $5,000
June 5, 195310:45 PM GMT-5F2Pontotoc0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 9, 19509:20 PM GMT-5F1Pontotoc0.8200$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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