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Tornado in Major County, Oklahoma
54 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.
Major County, Oklahoma, has 54 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 27 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 23 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 20 events against 13 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 5,054 tornado events recorded in Oklahoma; its 5.7 per 100 square miles compares with 7.4 statewide.
NCEI attributes 4 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 20 at (E)F0, 16 at (E)F1, 7 at (E)F2, 3 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 7 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Oklahoma
| Measure | Major County | Oklahoma | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 54 | 5,054 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.7 | 7.4 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 70.4 | 12.7 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 4 | 364 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
2Apr
12May
23Jun
10Jul
0Aug
0Sep
4Oct
3Nov
0Dec
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 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Mar 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Mar 2026 | Tornado | EF2 | $50K | — | 2 | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2025 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2024 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2017 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2011 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Sep 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Oct 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 1991 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 1984 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 1984 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1983 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 1979 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 1979 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | 1 | 15 | County |
| 28 May 1977 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1970 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1970 | Tornado | F3 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1965 | Tornado | F2 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1965 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1961 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1956 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1955 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1955 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1955 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1952 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1951 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 1951 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | 2 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Major County had?
54 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 Major County?
5 Mar 2026 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Major County?
The tornado of 2 May 1979, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M; 1 death recorded.
How does Major County compare with Oklahoma for tornado?
5.7 events per 100 square miles against 7.4 statewide; the county holds 54 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.