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Tornado in Beckham County, Oklahoma
75 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Beckham County, Oklahoma, has 75 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 43 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 33 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 16 events against 25 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.5% of the 5,054 tornado events recorded in Oklahoma; its 8.3 per 100 square miles compares with 7.4 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 40 at (E)F0, 20 at (E)F1, 5 at (E)F2, 4 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 6 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Oklahoma
| Measure | Beckham County | Oklahoma | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 75 | 5,054 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 8.3 | 7.4 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 34.0 | 12.7 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 364 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
5Apr
13May
33Jun
10Jul
1Aug
1Sep
1Oct
8Nov
1Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 75 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 2022 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Oct 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2019 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2019 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2019 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2017 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2017 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2017 | Tornado | EF2 | $25M | — | 1 | 10 | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Tornado | EF3 | $5.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 15 Apr 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $1.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 May 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Tornado | F1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $100 | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $100 | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 1994 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1993 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 1993 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Sep 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1989 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1989 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 1989 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1989 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 1986 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1982 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1980 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 May 1977 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1977 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Oct 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 1972 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1969 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 1969 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1967 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 1965 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1964 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1962 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1961 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1959 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 8 Jun 1955 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1955 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1955 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 1953 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 1952 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1952 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 1951 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 1951 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1951 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1950 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Beckham County had?
75 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Beckham County?
26 Feb 2023 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Beckham County?
The tornado of 16 May 2017, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M; 1 death recorded.
How does Beckham County compare with Oklahoma for tornado?
8.3 events per 100 square miles against 7.4 statewide; the county holds 75 of the state's 5,054 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.