Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma

Tornadoes in Tulsa County, Oklahoma

103 tornadoes have crossed Tulsa County since 1950, 3 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 7th of the 77 counties in Oklahoma with a tornado on record, an average of 1.4 a year. They have killed 30 people and injured 572. 2 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
103
Deaths
30
Injuries
572
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
F4, June 8, 1974

The deadliest in Tulsa County

  1. F4, Creek, Tulsa and Osage counties, OklahomaJune 8, 197414 killed, 150 injured
  2. F4, Tulsa and Rogers counties, OklahomaApril 24, 19937 killed, 100 injured
  3. F3, Tulsa County, OklahomaApril 19, 19815 killed, 49 injured
  4. F3, Tulsa, Rogers and Craig counties, OklahomaJune 8, 19742 killed, 80 injured
  5. EF2, Tulsa, Pawnee and Osage counties, OklahomaMarch 25, 20151 killed, 30 injured
  6. F2, Rogers and Tulsa counties, OklahomaJune 27, 19831 killed

The strongest

  1. F4, Creek, Tulsa and Osage counties, OklahomaJune 8, 1974F4, 29.0 mi (47 km)
  2. F4, Tulsa and Rogers counties, OklahomaApril 24, 1993F4, 5.5 mi (9 km)
  3. F3, Tulsa, Rogers and Craig counties, OklahomaJune 8, 1974F3, 63.6 mi (102 km)
  4. F3, Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers and Mayes counties, OklahomaJune 8, 1974F3, 48.9 mi (79 km)
  5. F3, Tulsa County, OklahomaApril 19, 1981F3, 9.9 mi (16 km)
  6. F3, Tulsa County, OklahomaApril 19, 1981F3, 4.9 mi (8 km)
  7. F3, Rogers and Tulsa counties, OklahomaJuly 2, 1992F3, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  8. F3, Tulsa County, OklahomaDecember 5, 1975F3, 1.5 mi (2 km)
  9. F3, Tulsa County, OklahomaApril 19, 1981F3, 0.5 mi (1 km)
  10. EF2, Tulsa and Creek counties, OklahomaMay 13, 2010EF2, 22.7 mi (37 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 46 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Tulsa County. Each year links to every tornado in Oklahoma that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20263EF1
20253EF1
20221EF1
20212EF0
2019111EF1
2017230EF2
201647EF2
20152130EF2
20134EF2
20102EF2
20081EF0
200617F1
20003F1
19994F1
19981F0
19971F0
19961F0
19951F0
199347101F4
199221F3
19913F0
19901F0
19891F0
198622F2
198525F1
198426F2
1983211F2
198217F2
19814562F3
19791F2
19762F2
1975238F3
1974516272F4
19731F2
19721F0
197111F1
19681F2
196611F2
19641F2
19605F1
19592F2
19581F2
19575F2
19561F1
19551F1
19501F1

Every tornado that crossed Tulsa County

103 tornadoes, newest first. The 3 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 6, 20266:24 PM CSTEF1Osage6.0600
March 6, 20266:38 PM CSTEF1Tulsa2.0180
April 14, 20269:52 PM CDTEF1Creek1.7225
November 20, 20253:59 PM CSTEF0Tulsa0.440
April 29, 20257:05 AM CDTEF1Tulsa2.4300$80,000
April 2, 20256:37 AM CDTEF1Tulsa10.7600$575,000
July 28, 202210:35 PM CDTEF1Tulsa4.0800$55,000
November 10, 20217:14 PM CSTEF0Tulsa0.5150$25,000
October 10, 202110:30 PM CDTUnratedTulsa0.7100
December 28, 20193:30 PM CSTEF0Tulsa1.2160$42,000
May 25, 201912:51 AM CDTEF0Tulsa1.8400$175,000
May 25, 201912:27 AM CDTEF1Tulsa12.32,200$1.1 million
May 25, 201912:21 AM CDTEF1Creek12.51,400$760,000
May 22, 20196:07 PM CDTEF0Tulsa0.275
May 21, 20196:48 AM CDTEF0Tulsa0.6100
May 21, 20196:37 AM CDTEF1Tulsa0.775
May 21, 20196:31 AM CDTEF1Tulsa2.35501$125,000
May 21, 20196:29 AM CDTEF0Tulsa0.475
May 20, 20199:05 PM CDTEF0Tulsa0.5100$2,000
May 18, 201911:03 AM CDTEF0Tulsa3.7350$5,000
August 6, 20171:27 AM CDTEF1Tulsa2.9400$220,000
August 6, 20171:19 AM CDTEF2Tulsa6.955030$50 million
April 26, 201610:36 PM CDTEF1Tulsa1.0150$10,000
April 26, 201610:26 PM CDTEF1Tulsa2.7350$100,000
April 26, 201610:18 PM CDTEF1Tulsa3.8600$150,000
March 30, 20167:13 PM CDTEF2Tulsa20.08007$2.8 million
March 25, 20156:01 PM CDTEF0Tulsa2.3600$200,000
March 25, 20155:21 PM CDTEF2Tulsa11.1800130$2.1 million
May 30, 20138:40 PM CDTEF2Tulsa5.6450$3.0 million
April 17, 201312:03 AM CDTEF1Tulsa2.1400$250,000
April 17, 201312:01 AM CDTEF0Tulsa1.3250$50,000
April 17, 201311:50 PM CDTEF0Tulsa0.550
May 13, 20104:45 AM CDTEF1Tulsa14.1500$125,000
May 13, 20104:43 AM CDTEF2Tulsa22.7500$750,000
May 7, 20087:28 PM CDTEF0Tulsa0.350$75,000
April 1, 200611:16 PM CSTF1Tulsa0.4807$250,000
March 26, 20004:40 PM CSTF0Tulsa0.250
March 7, 200010:10 PM CSTF0Tulsa0.150$1,000
February 25, 20007:37 AM CSTF1Tulsa0.2100$100,000
November 22, 19996:25 PM CSTF0Tulsa0.550
November 22, 19995:54 PM CSTF0Tulsa0.550
May 3, 199912:08 AM CDTF1Tulsa7.0150$8.5 million
March 8, 19995:57 PM CSTF1Tulsa0.750$100,000
October 4, 199810:19 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.550
May 26, 19977:15 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.140$30,000
June 18, 199612:10 AM CDTF0Tulsa0.125
July 4, 19955:02 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.130$500 to $5,000
June 9, 19935:15 PM CDTF1Tulsa0.150$50,000 to $500,000
June 9, 19935:00 PM CDTF1Tulsa3.050$50,000 to $500,000
June 9, 19934:58 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.1301$50,000 to $500,000
April 24, 19936:50 PM CDTF4Tulsa5.52507100$5 million to $50 million
July 2, 19926:20 PM CDTF3Rogers4.01001$50,000 to $500,000
May 11, 19922:30 AM CDTF0Tulsa3.550$5,000 to $50,000
October 24, 19914:12 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.240$500 to $5,000
May 16, 19918:08 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.330
May 16, 19916:18 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.330
May 15, 199010:10 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.120
June 2, 19895:02 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.120
September 26, 19865:18 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.150
April 13, 198611:20 PM CSTF2Tulsa4.03002$500,000 to $5 million
November 13, 19853:15 PM CSTF1Tulsa0.21005$5 million to $50 million
June 14, 198511:55 PM CDTF1Tulsa0.210$50,000 to $500,000
April 26, 198411:28 PM CSTF2Tulsa3.05001$500,000 to $5 million
April 26, 198410:55 PM CSTF1Tulsa5.08805$50,000 to $500,000
October 3, 198310:25 PM CDTF0Tulsa0.1101under $50
June 27, 198311:15 PM CDTF2Rogers5.01001$5,000 to $50,000
December 24, 19828:07 AM CSTF2Tulsa3.01007$500,000 to $5 million
July 20, 19818:30 PM CDTF1Tulsa0.5105$50,000 to $500,000
April 19, 19818:45 PM CSTF3Tulsa9.9880549$500,000 to $5 million
April 19, 19818:35 PM CSTF3Tulsa0.5101$500,000 to $5 million
April 19, 19818:10 PM CSTF3Tulsa4.92007$50 million to $500 million
March 18, 19791:10 PM CSTF2Tulsa2.633$50,000 to $500,000
May 30, 19769:10 PM CDTF2Tulsa2.6880$500,000 to $5 million
March 4, 197612:10 PM CSTF1Tulsa13.930$5,000 to $50,000
December 5, 19754:54 PM CSTF3Tulsa1.570038$5 million to $50 million
December 5, 19754:45 PM CSTF2Tulsa2.0100$500 to $5,000
June 8, 19748:30 PM CDTF2Creek14.4100$50,000 to $500,000
June 8, 19746:50 PM CDTF3Tulsa63.6100280$5 million to $50 million
June 8, 19746:50 PM CDTF3Tulsa48.910042$5 million to $50 million
June 8, 19746:40 PM CDTF2Tulsa5.460$5,000 to $50,000
June 8, 19744:55 PM CDTF4Creek29.040014150$500,000 to $5 million
May 26, 19734:00 PM CDTF2Tulsa2.033$500 to $5,000
June 27, 19729:40 PM CDTF0Tulsa1.010
May 31, 19715:15 PM CDTF1Tulsa0.1101$50 to $500
December 18, 19681:00 PM GMT-6F2Tulsa3.8100$5,000 to $50,000
May 11, 19667:30 PM GMT-5F2Tulsa2.01001$5,000 to $50,000
July 9, 19646:55 PM GMT-5F2Tulsa0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 21, 19603:55 PM GMT-5F0Tulsa0.110
May 19, 196012:20 AM GMT-5F0Tulsa0.110
May 19, 196012:20 AM GMT-5F0Tulsa0.110
May 19, 19607:35 PM GMT-5F0Tulsa0.110
April 16, 19604:40 PM GMT-6F1Tulsa0.110$500 to $5,000
May 9, 19596:40 PM GMT-5F2Rogers19.1300$5,000 to $50,000
April 18, 19597:02 PM GMT-6F0Tulsa0.110
August 20, 19584:20 PM GMT-5F2Tulsa0.133$500 to $5,000
July 1, 19573:20 AM GMT-5F2Tulsa0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 1, 19573:00 AM GMT-5F0Tulsa0.110under $50
May 20, 19578:30 PM GMT-5F1Tulsa3.6500$50,000 to $500,000
April 22, 195711:30 PM GMT-6F0Tulsa0.110under $50
April 19, 19571:40 AM GMT-6F1Tulsa0.110$500 to $5,000
April 2, 195610:30 AM GMT-6F1Tulsa0.333
August 7, 19554:00 PM GMT-5F1Tulsa5.9400under $50
April 3, 19504:15 PM GMT-6F1Tulsa1.033$500 to $5,000

Nearby

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