Oklahoma Tornadoes
Oklahoma tornado history: averages 65 tornadoes/year, home of Moore, Bridge Creek, El Reno, and the Great Plains storm chase alley. Full list of notable Oklahoma tornadoes.
Notable Oklahoma Tornadoes with Full Details
Bridge Creek–Moore F5
· May 3, 1999Highest wind speed ever measured on Earth: 301 mph. 36 killed. Read the full story →
Moore EF5
· May 20, 201324 killed including 7 children at Plaza Towers Elementary. Read the full story →
El Reno tornado
· May 31, 20132.6 miles wide — widest ever recorded. Killed the TWISTEX storm-chasing team. Read the full story →
Other Historic Oklahoma Tornadoes
- Woodward, OK (1947) — F5, 116 killed in Oklahoma alone (part of the Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornado family)
- El Reno–Piedmont, OK (May 24, 2011) — EF5, 9 killed
- Enid, OK (1986) — F5
- Prague, OK (1960) — F5
Key Facts About Oklahoma Tornado Activity
- Home to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK
- The city of Moore has been struck by five significant tornadoes since 1999 — an unusual concentration that has drawn scientific attention
- Oklahoma requires storm shelter grants for school districts in tornado-prone counties, driven partly by the 2013 Moore disaster
Oklahoma Tornado Season
Peak activity in Oklahoma: April–June. Even outside this window, violent tornadoes are possible — no month is fully safe. Residents should have a household tornado plan year-round. See our tornado season guide → and tornado safety guide →.
Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →