Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

Tornadoes in Tillman County, Oklahoma

91 tornadoes have crossed Tillman County since 1950, 13th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 15 people and injured 137. 3 were 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
91
Deaths
15
Injuries
137
F4 and above
3
Worst on record
F4, April 10, 1979

The deadliest in Tillman County

  1. F4, Wilbarger, Tillman and Foard counties, Texas and OklahomaApril 10, 197911 killed, 68 injured
  2. F3, Cotton and Tillman counties, OklahomaMay 1, 19543 killed, 3 injured
  3. F2, Wilbarger, Wichita, Tillman, Cotton, Comanche and Stephens counties, Texas and OklahomaApril 10, 19791 killed, 3 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Foard, Wilbarger, Tillman and Kiowa counties, Texas and OklahomaMay 1, 1954F4, 68.6 mi (110 km)
  2. F4, Wilbarger, Tillman and Foard counties, Texas and OklahomaApril 10, 1979F4, 39.7 mi (64 km)
  3. EF4, Tillman, Wilbarger and Jackson counties, Texas and OklahomaNovember 7, 2011EF4, 17.4 mi (28 km)
  4. EF3, Hardeman, Jackson, Wilbarger, Tillman and Kiowa counties, Texas and OklahomaMay 16, 2015EF3, 40.4 mi (65 km)
  5. F3, Cotton and Tillman counties, OklahomaMay 1, 1954F3, 12.3 mi (20 km)
  6. F3, Tillman County, OklahomaJune 18, 1973F3, 3.3 mi (5 km)
  7. F3, Tillman County, OklahomaMay 20, 1977F3, 1.5 mi (2 km)
  8. F2, Wilbarger, Wichita, Tillman, Cotton, Comanche and Stephens counties, Texas and OklahomaApril 10, 1979F2, 74.1 mi (119 km)
  9. F2, Tillman County, OklahomaMay 27, 1982F2, 12.0 mi (19 km)
  10. F2, Tillman County, OklahomaApril 10, 1979F2, 9.2 mi (15 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 38 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Tillman County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20244EF1
20223EF1
20214EF1
20201Unrated
20191Unrated
20187EF2
20173EF0
20153EF3
20131EF1
20113EF4
20047F0
200111F1
19991F0
19955F0
19931F0
19891F0
19871F0
19863F1
19851F0
19832F1
19821F2
19801F0
197941272F4
19781F1
19772F3
1973558F3
19671F1
19651F1
19631F1
19623F0
19613F1
19603F1
19581F1
19572F1
19552F2
1954435F4
195211F2
19512F2

Every tornado that crossed Tillman County

91 tornadoes, newest first. 7 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files them under that state rather than Oklahoma.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 30, 202410:18 PM CDTEF1Tillman2.1200$2,000
April 30, 20249:32 PM CDTEF1Tillman6.41,200$50,000
April 30, 20247:25 PM CDTUnratedTillman2.450
April 27, 20246:43 PM CDTEF1Wichita to OK6.5100$32,000
May 31, 202211:17 PM CDTEF1Tillman4.7100$10,000
May 31, 202210:31 PM CDTEF1Tillman1.0200$6,000
May 4, 202210:22 PM CDTUnratedTillman1.050
October 12, 20218:19 PM CDTEF1Tillman0.9300$5,000
October 12, 20217:41 PM CDTEF1Tillman7.3300$50,000
October 12, 20217:38 PM CDTEF0Tillman0.430
April 27, 20217:15 PM CDTEF0Tillman0.120
May 15, 20207:32 PM CDTUnratedTillman0.350
April 30, 20193:51 PM CDTUnratedTillman0.230
May 2, 20187:07 PM CDTEF1Tillman3.0250$4,000
May 2, 20187:02 PM CDTUnratedTillman3.550
May 2, 20186:47 PM CDTEF2Tillman4.1600$5,000
May 2, 20186:34 PM CDTEF1Tillman5.5150$5,000
May 2, 20186:26 PM CDTEF1Tillman1.650$5,000
May 2, 20186:21 PM CDTUnratedTillman0.420
May 2, 20186:10 PM CDTUnratedTillman0.520
October 21, 20175:23 PM CDTUnratedTillman0.120
May 10, 20178:31 PM CDTUnratedTillman0.350
May 10, 20178:05 PM CDTEF0Tillman0.330
May 19, 20153:54 PM CDTEF0Tillman1.0400
May 16, 20156:05 PM CDTEF0Tillman0.220
May 16, 20155:26 PM CDTEF3Hardeman to OK40.41,600
April 17, 20138:35 PM CDTEF1Tillman5.2200$500,000
November 7, 20113:15 PM CSTEF0Tillman6.0400
November 7, 20112:59 PM CSTEF0Tillman0.575
November 7, 20112:38 PM CSTEF4Tillman to OK17.4500
May 24, 20047:58 PM CDTF0Tillman0.130
May 24, 20047:32 PM CDTF0Tillman0.230
May 24, 20047:29 PM CDTF0Tillman0.350$1,000
May 24, 20047:27 PM CDTF0Tillman0.730$1,000
May 24, 20047:21 PM CDTF0Tillman0.530
April 23, 20042:59 PM CDTF0Tillman0.250
April 6, 20047:10 PM CDTF0Tillman0.510
May 4, 20014:05 PM CDTF1Tillman0.52001$250,000
May 25, 19998:16 PM CDTF0Tillman1.550
June 9, 19957:30 PM CDTF0Tillman0.130
June 3, 199512:16 AM CDTF0Tillman0.130
June 3, 199511:57 PM CDTF0Tillman0.130
April 17, 19955:15 PM CDTF0Tillman0.130
April 16, 19953:40 PM CDTF0Tillman0.123
March 29, 19937:29 PM CSTF0Tillman0.130
October 29, 19895:32 PM CSTF0Tillman0.130
July 17, 19874:30 PM CDTF0Tillman0.120
May 16, 198611:00 PM CDTF0Tillman0.250$5,000 to $50,000
May 14, 19864:05 PM CDTF1Tillman1.173$50,000 to $500,000
May 8, 19865:08 PM CDTF0Tillman1.0300
May 20, 19854:45 PM CDTF0Tillman0.110
June 13, 19837:15 PM CDTF0Tillman12.040$50 to $500
May 13, 19833:30 PM CDTF1Tillman to OK6.850under $50
May 27, 19827:35 PM CDTF2Tillman12.0300$500,000 to $5 million
April 25, 19802:12 PM CSTF0Tillman0.110
August 21, 197910:00 PM CDTF0Tillman0.110
April 10, 19794:05 PM CSTF2Tillman9.21201$50,000 to $500,000
April 10, 19793:55 PM CSTF2Wilbarger to OK74.11,05613$500,000 to $5 million
April 10, 19793:20 PM CSTF4Wilbarger to OK39.78801168$5 million to $50 million
May 27, 19787:15 PM CDTF1Tillman0.340$5,000 to $50,000
May 20, 19776:38 PM CDTF3Tillman1.5200$50,000 to $500,000
April 19, 197711:00 PM CSTF2Tillman0.8200$500 to $5,000
June 18, 19737:25 PM CDTF0Tillman0.21329$500,000 to $5 million
June 18, 19737:15 PM CDTF3Tillman3.35029$50,000 to $500,000
June 18, 19736:50 PM CDTF2Tillman0.5100under $50
June 18, 19736:50 PM CDTF1Tillman0.540under $50
May 22, 197310:30 PM CDTF1Tillman3.6100$50,000 to $500,000
April 9, 19673:20 PM GMT-6F1Tillman0.5300$5,000 to $50,000
April 7, 19657:30 PM GMT-6F1Tillman6.810$5,000 to $50,000
March 4, 19635:25 AM GMT-6F1Tillman8.010$50,000 to $500,000
May 24, 19628:32 PM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110
May 24, 19628:32 PM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110
May 20, 19628:36 PM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110
June 2, 196112:00 AM GMT-5F1Tillman0.3100$500 to $5,000
May 16, 19618:30 PM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110
May 16, 19618:30 PM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110
May 5, 19602:38 PM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110
May 4, 19606:40 PM GMT-5F1Tillman1.010$500 to $5,000
May 4, 19606:40 PM GMT-5F1Tillman1.050$500 to $5,000
July 27, 19587:45 PM GMT-5F1Tillman0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 24, 19575:30 PM GMT-5F1Tillman9.710$5,000 to $50,000
May 10, 19573:16 AM GMT-5F0Tillman0.110under $50
August 5, 19553:30 PM GMT-5F1Tillman0.110$500 to $5,000
June 17, 195511:20 PM GMT-5F2Tillman0.8440$5,000 to $50,000
August 30, 19542:30 PM GMT-5F1Tillman0.1300$50 to $500
May 1, 19545:00 PM GMT-5F3Cotton12.31033$50,000 to $500,000
May 1, 19544:30 PM GMT-5F2Tillman0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 1, 19543:15 PM GMT-5F4Foard to OK68.64402$50,000 to $500,000
June 29, 19525:30 PM GMT-5F2Tillman0.1101$500 to $5,000
June 8, 19518:15 PM GMT-5F1Tillman0.110$500 to $5,000
June 7, 19516:00 PM GMT-5F2Tillman0.5100$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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