States › Oklahoma › Kay County › Tornado
Tornado in Kay County, Oklahoma
103 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.
Kay County, Oklahoma, has 103 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 44 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 37 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 21 events against 17 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2% of the 5,054 tornado events recorded in Oklahoma; its 11.2 per 100 square miles compares with 7.4 statewide.
NCEI attributes 20 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 45 at (E)F0, 25 at (E)F1, 20 at (E)F2, 4 at (E)F3, 2 at (E)F4, 2 at (E)F5 and 5 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Oklahoma
| Measure | Kay County | Oklahoma | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 103 | 5,054 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 11.2 | 7.4 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 23.6 | 12.7 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 20 | 364 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
8Apr
30May
37Jun
10Jul
2Aug
2Sep
10Oct
0Nov
4Dec
0
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 103 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2012 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2012 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2010 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 May 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $100 | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Aug 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1991 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Mar 1991 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Mar 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 1981 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1981 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 1979 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 17 Apr 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 6 | County |
| 19 Nov 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1973 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Aug 1972 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 2 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1970 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1968 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1968 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 1967 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1967 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1966 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 May 1966 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1965 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1965 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1965 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 1965 | Tornado | F4 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 1964 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 1964 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1962 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1961 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Mar 1961 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1960 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1960 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1959 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1959 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Nov 1958 | Tornado | F3 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 1958 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 1957 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1957 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1956 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1956 | Tornado | F2 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1956 | Tornado | F4 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 27 May 1955 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1955 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1955 | Tornado | F5 | $25M | — | 20 | 280 | County |
| 25 May 1955 | Tornado | F5 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1955 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 1954 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 1953 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 1953 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1952 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1951 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1951 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1950 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Kay County had?
103 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 Kay County?
23 Apr 2026 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Kay County?
The tornado of 25 May 1955, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M; 20 deaths recorded.
How does Kay County compare with Oklahoma for tornado?
11.2 events per 100 square miles against 7.4 statewide; the county holds 103 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.