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Critical Fire Weather Concerns; Storm Tracking Across the Plains

Combination of strong winds, dry conditions and above normal temperatures will result in elevated to critical fire weather concerns for the Southern Plains and portions of Southern California. This is part of a storm system that is tracking across the central Plains with occasional snow showers and heavier snow from the Rockies through the Central/Northern Plains. Read More >

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Tornado Track Map for Carter County, OK
 
Carter County, OK Tornadoes Prior to 1950
# Date Time
(CST)
Path
Length
(miles)
Path
Width
(yards)
F-Scale Killed Injured County Path
  11/19/1899 1500           Carter Healdton
  02/21/1925 900   100   0 1 Carter Near Pooleville
  05/17/1942 1545 25     0 1 Carter 2 W Fox - Clemscot - Woodford - Springer Ardmore Airport
  01/26/1944 2330   100   1 0 Carter NE part of county
  04/14/1945 1730   100   1 1 Carter 15 NE Ardmore
  02/13/1946 0300       1 15 Carter Ardmore
Carter County, OK Tornadoes (1950-Present*)
# Date Time
(CST)
Path
Length
(miles)
Path
Width
(yards)
F-Scale Killed Injured County Path
1 03/13/1953 1930 45 200 F3 2 11 Love/ Carter/ Johnston near Burneyville - 3 E Dickson - NW of Mannsville - N of Tishomingo near Troy and Ravia
2 05/18/1953 2030 0.1 10 F1 0 0 Carter Near Lake Murray
3 12/02/1953 1930 31 880 F1 0 2 Carter/ Murray 3.5 W Ardmore - 3.5 NE Sulphur [not continuous]
4 04/22/1957 2340 0.1 10 F1 0 0 Carter Lake Murray
5 07/20/1957 2100 0.1 10 F2 0 0 Carter near Healdton
6 11/17/1958 0847 0.1 20 F1 0 4 Carter Near Dickson
7 03/25/1959 1610 4 50 F2 0 0 Carter Near Ardmore
8 05/26/1959 1918 3 60 F3 0 8 Carter 1 S Clemscot - Graham
9 06/09/1962 0320 0.1 10 F1 0 0 Carter .5 S Tussy
10 11/19/1963 1020 0.3 20 F1 0 0 Carter 6 N Healdton
11 05/16/1968 1415 0.1 10 F0 0 0 Carter E of Wilson
12 04/16/1969 2100 0.1 10 F0 0 0 Carter Near Woodford - 2 NE Springer
13 04/19/1972 1700 28 10 F4 5 6 Carter/ Murray/ Garvin 5 SW Ratliff City- 5 NW Davis
14 06/04/1973 2330 0.5 17 F1 0 1 Carter Near Ardmore
15 03/02/1977 1830 9 100 F2 0 0 Carter 2 SW- 6 NE Wilson
16 03/02/1977 1840 1 33 F2 0 5 Carter 4 W Springer
17 04/10/1979 1955 13 170 F3 0 0 Stephens/ Carter 9 N Ringling- Pruitt City- E of Ratliff City
18 08/31/1979 1955 0.1 10 F1 0 0 Carter 2 E Springer
19 10/30/1979 1005 8 530 F3 3 2 Carter 5 S-3 NNE Woodford
20 06/03/1982 1735 0.5 27 F1 0 0 Carter 1.5 E Springer
21 05/13/1983 1809 0.1 10 F0 0 0 Carter Ardmore (Near I-35/ US-70)
22 04/20/1984 1545 0.1 10 F0 0 0 Carter 4 WSW Ardmore
23 04/22/1985 0400 0.1 10 F1 0 0 Carter 4 S Dickson
24 04/29/1985 1854 14 880 F2 0 1 Love/ Carter 4 WSW Overbrook- Ardmore- 5 WNW Dickson
25 05/24/1987 1420 0.3 23 F0 0 0 Carter 3 NW Ardmore
26 05/02/1988 1615 16 80 F1 0 0 Carter/ Johnston 1 N Dickson- 3 NE Troy
27 03/13/1990 1858-1937 22 200 F3 0 1 Jefferson/ Stephens/ Carter 5 SSW Loco- Ratliff City- 3 NE Ratliff City
28 04/09/1990 2310 11 440 F2 0 4 Carter 2 S Lone Grove- Near Ardmore
29 03/21/1991 1730 2 100 F1 0 0 Carter 5 S Ardmore
30 03/08/1992 2203 0.5 100 F0 0 0 Carter 4 NNW Ratliff City
31 05/06/1993 1442-1457 8 50 F1 0 1 Carter 3 WNW Ardmore - 3 SSW Ardmore Municipal Airport
32 05/06/1993 1545 0.1 20 F0 0 0 Carter 1 NNE Lone Grove
33 05/08/1993 1825-1836 5 600 F1 0 0 Carter 4 SW- 1 N Woodford
34 04/26/1994 1230 0.1 30 F0 0 0 Carter 4 NNW Springer
35 04/19/1995 1927 0.1 20 F0 0 0 Carter 3 E Fox
36 04/19/1995 1932 0.1 20 F0 0 0 Carter S of Healdton
37 05/07/1995 1520-1614 34 880 F3 3 6 Cooke TX/ Love OK/ Carter OK Near Bulcher TX- Ardmore OK- 2 WNW Ardmore OK
38 05/07/1995 1629-1636 3 200 F1 0 0 Carter/ Murray Near Gene Autry- Dougherty
39 03/24/1996 1255 0.1 25 F0 0 0 Carter 5 N Lone Grove
40 04/21/1996 1642 0.5 50 F1 0 0 Carter Ratliff City
41 04/21/1996 1730-1735 5 150 F1 0 0 Jefferson/ Carter 4 N Ringling- 4 NW Healdton
42 04/21/1996 1735 0.1 25 F0 0 0 Carter 8 N Healdton
43 04/21/1996 1735 0.1 25 F0 0 0 Carter 5 S Healdton
44 04/21/1996 1745-1750 3 500 F0 0 0 Carter 5 SE Fox
45 05/06/2001 1458-1504 1 220 F0 0 0 Carter 1.5 WSW - 1 WNW Springer
46 05/27/2001 2203-2213 9 320 F1 0 0 Carter 4 NW - 4.5 E Ratliff City
47 02/10/2009 1845-1943 39 880 EF4 8 46 Montague TX/ Jefferson OK/ Love OK/ Carter OK near Spanish Fort TX - Lone Grove OK - 4 SSE Springer OK
48 05/10/2010 1704-1710 5 400 EF2 0 0 Carter 4 SSW Healdton - 2 NNW Wilson
49 05/10/2010 1722-1734 5 400 EF3 0 0 Carter 6 NW - 7 N Lone Grove
50 05/10/2010 1725-1726 0.5 30 EF0 0 0 Carter 4 WNW Ardmore
51 09/08/2010 1800 0.1 25 EF0 0 0 Carter 4 NW Lone Grove
52 10/13/2012 1646-1651 5 75 EF1 0 2 Carter 3 SW - 2 ENE Healdton
53 05/19/2015 1955 0.3 30 EF0 0 0 Carter 8 SW Wilson
54 05/19/2015 2035-2043 1.5 50 EF0 0 0 Carter 5 SSE - 6 SSE Wilson
55 05/19/2017 1822 0.2 50 EF? 0 0 Carter 4 W Springer
56 05/19/2017 1824 0.2 50 EF? 0 0 Carter 4 WNW Springer
57 05/19/2017 1831-1833 0.2 50 EF? 0 0 Carter 3 NNW Springer
58 05/19/2017 1847-1850 2 400 EF? 0 0 Carter 4 NNE - 6 NNE Springer
59 05/27/2017 2117-2121 3 50 EF? 0 0 Carter/ Murray 3 SSE - 5 SE Dougherty
60 04/22/2020 1523 0.1 20 EF0 0 0 Carter 1 N Springer
61 04/22/2020 1524-1537 4.7 600 EF2 0 0 Carter/ Murray 2 NNE Springer - 1.5 SSW Dougherty
 

Significant Tornadoes in Carter County

  Date Time
(CST)
Path
Length
(miles)
Path
Width
(yards)
F-Scale Killed Injured County Path
  03/13/1953 1930 45 200 F3 2 11 Love/ Carter/ Johnston Near Burneyville - 3 E Dickson - NW of Mannsville - N of Tishomingo near Troy and Ravia

This tornado touched down in extreme southern Love County near Burneyville, OK at about 7:30 pm CST. As it moved northeastward, it struck farming communities east of Dickson and northwest of Mannsville in Johnston County between 8:30 and 9:00 pm CST. The tornado continued through Johnston County over range and pasture land before lifting north of Ravia and Troy. It killed 2 people and injured 11 more. Property damages of $20,000 occurred to 12 farmsteads.

  12/02/1953 1930 31 880 F1 0 2 Carter/ Murray 3.5 W Ardmore - 3.5 NE Sulphur [not continuous]

A tornado initially touched 3.5 miles west of Ardmore in Carter County and moved northeastward while touching down and lifting intermittently along a 31-mile path before dissipating 3.5 miles northeast of Sulphur in Murray County. In the area west of Ardmore, the tornado injured 1 person and caused $2,000 in damages. In areas near Sulphur, the tornado injured and second person and produced $3,000 in damages. It is possible that there were two or more tornadoes that occurred instead of one tornado producing a single, intermittent track.

  11/17/1958 0847 0.1 20 F1 0 4 Carter Near Dickson

A small tornado touched down briefly about 0.5 miles southeast of Dickson in Carter County and destroyed a poultry farm. Four people were injured at the farm.

  05/26/1959 1918 3 60 F3 0 8 Carter 1 S Clemscot - Graham

A tornado dipped down on an oil company pump station one mile south of Clemscot in Carter County where the station was damaged and two houses were destroyed. Debris from the tornado was scattered for 2 miles. The tornado moved east-northeast and struck the town of Graham where two homes were destroyed. A church was badly damaged when it was picked up off of its foundation and carried 200 feet before being spun around and slammed back down to the ground. Two injuries occurred in a destroyed home near Clemscot and a family of 6 was injured when their home was destroyed in Graham.

  04/19/1972 1700 28 N/A F4 5 6 Carter/ Murray/ Garvin 5 SW Ratliff City - 5 NW Davis

This tornado touched about 5 miles southwest of Ratliff City at 5:00 pm CST, and then moved east-northeastward along an intermittent, 27-mile path at approximately 35 mph.  The condensation funnel was visible on the ground for about 20 percent of the time, and at tree top level for the remainder of the time. The heaviest damage from the tornado was concentrated in an area extending from 2 miles south of Ratliff City to northwest of the junction of U.S. Interstate Highway I-35 and OK State Highway 7. Ten to fifteen buildings were damaged along the storm path. Three injuries occurred when a wood frame house was completely destroyed south of Ratliff City.  Approximately 7 miles west-northwest of the town of Davis, a home was leveled with only a few concrete blocks remaining around the foundation.  At this home, five deaths and three injuries occurred.

  06/04/1973 2330 0.5 17 F1 0 1 Carter Near Ardmore

A tornado moving southeastward near Ardmore did considerable damage to several boat storage stalls at a motel. One person was injured.

  03/02/1977 1840 1 33 F2 0 5 Carter 4 W Springer

This tornado touched down 4 miles west of Springer and moved northeastward for a about a mile along a narrow path. All five members of a family living in a mobile home were slightly injured when the mobile home was destroyed. In addition, a partially built new home, a barn, and various outbuildings were destroyed. The family members said that the weather conditions became "real still" several minutes before the tornado struck their mobile home.

  10/30/1979 1005 8 530 F3 3 2 Carter 5 S - 3 NNE Woodford

The tornado first touched down 1.1 miles south and 1.2 miles west of Newport, OK. Two mobile homes were completely demolished. One woman was killed in one of the mobile homes while another died of her injuries several days later. A third fatality occurred at this location when debris hit a man who was pouring concrete near the mobile homes. Extensive damage also occurred to a brick home about a mile north of the two mobile homes.

The tornado moved almost due north for about 6.2 miles before turning slightly to the north-northeast, and then dissipated north-northeast of Woodford. The tornado did only slight damage for much of its path. However, a third mobile home and several barns were damaged or destroyed to the south-southwest of Woodford. About 10-12 structures were damaged in Woodford, but some of the damage was due to straight-line winds.

  04/29/1985 1854 14 880 F2 0 1 Love/ Carter 4 WSW Overbrook- Ardmore- 5 WNW Dickson

A tornado touched down about 3.5 miles west-southwest of Overbrook in Love County and moved northeastward, touching down intermittently before dissipating 5 miles west-northwest of Dickson in Carter County. Three semi-trailer trucks were blown off of U.S. Interstate Highway I-35 and moved 30 feet by the tornadic winds just south of Ardmore. One truck driver suffered minor injuries. The tornado then moved across the city of Ardmore and damaged houses and parts of the Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport. A hangar building at the Executive Airport was pushed off of its foundation and blown across a highway. Television station KXII and the Ardmore area Vo-tech school incurred roof damage. Total damages were estimated at $4 million.

  03/13/1990 1858-1937 22 200 F3 0 1 Jefferson/ Stephens/ Carter 5 SSW Loco- Ratliff City- 3 NE Ratliff City

An outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma during the after and evening hours of March 13th and into the early morning hours of March 14th. Many reports of large hail were received, with some hailstones reaching the size of softballs. A total of 10 tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma.

This tornado touched down at 5 miles south-southwest of Loco in Jefferson County at 6:58 pm CST and moved northeastward through southeastern Stephens County and northwestern Carter County. The tornado produced damage in Ratliff City in Carter County before dissipating at 7:37 pm CST 3 miles northeast of Ratliff City. The damage in Ratliff City included 5 destroyed mobile homes, a motor home that was rolled 100 feet and destroyed, and severe damage to a gas compressor station. At this station a large metal building and a mobile home were destroyed. In addition, a 5-ton crane was overturned, several vehicles were damaged, and debris was found over a mile to the northeast. One injury occurred to a worker at the gas compressor station. Total damage in the Ratliff City area was estimated at $500,000 to $750,000.

  04/09/1990 2310 11 440 F2 0 4 Carter 2 S Lone Grove- Near Ardmore

Thunderstorms developed across the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles during the afternoon of April 9th and moved eastward across Oklahoma during the evening hours of April 9th and the early morning hours of April 10th. Hail up to the size of half dollars was reported along with damaging winds and an F2 tornado. The tornado first touched down 2 miles south of Lone Grove in Carter County at 11:10 pm CST and moved east-northeast for 11 miles. At least 5 mobile homes were destroyed, several homes were damaged, and a farm implement building was destroyed. Four people were injured and all of these injuries occurred in the mobile homes. Of the four injured people, three received minor injuries and one person required hospitalization.

  05/06/1993 1442-1457 8 50 F1 0 1 Carter 3 WNW Ardmore - 3 SSW Ardmore Municipal Airport

Severe thunderstorms developed in south-central Oklahoma on May 6th and moved very slowly east. A small tornado developed along U.S. Interstate Highway I-35 west of Ardmore and tracked northeast about 8 miles before dissipating. The tornado overturned a tractor trailer on U.S. Interstate Highway I-35, injuring the driver, and snapped power poles on the northwest side of Ardmore.

  05/07/1995 1524 34 700 F3 3 6 Cooke TX/ Love/ Carter Near Bulcher TX- 4 SSE Leon- Ardmore- 2 WNW Ardmore

This tornado occurred with an isolated supercell that moved northeastward from Texas across the Red River into southern Love County, and then north- northeastward into Carter County. Air and ground surveys conducted on May 8 (the day after the tornado) revealed a damage path 500 to 700 yards wide and 34 miles long across Love and Carter Counties in Oklahoma, with damage in places consistent with a strong tornado on the high end of the F3 category. Three fatalities and at least 6 injuries are attributed to this tornado.

Following the tornado's path as it moved across Oklahoma, the tornado crossed the Red River into Oklahoma at a point 4 miles south-southeast of Leon (or about 3.5 miles south-southwest of Jimtown) at approximately 3:24 pm CST. The tornado moved northeast and remained near F0/F1 intensity until it reached the Red River RV Ranch on the south side of OK State Highway 96 about 1 mile west of Burneyville. At this RV park, 18 RV's, 12 cabins, 1 store, 1 guard shack, 1 equestrian center, 7 outbuildings, 5 single-family homes, and 1 mobile home were destroyed. One other single-family home also suffered minor damage. At the entrance to the park, several vehicles, including a delivery van, were rolled off the highway and flipped over. The damage path at this point was 400 to 500 yards wide, and damage was rated as F2.

From there, the tornado crossed Highway 96 to the Falconhead Resort area, where the worst damage was suffered. 20 homes were destroyed and 20 others sustained major or minor damage, including numerous brick homes. At least one of these homes lost all but the northeast exterior wall and a few interior walls in the northeast part of the house. An aircraft hangar and a maintenance building were also destroyed. The damage was rated on the high end of F3 at this point, and the path was measured to be 500 to 600 yards wide.

One half mile north of the OK State Highway 32/OK State Highway 96 intersection, 2 of the 3 fatalities occurred. An 83-year-old female and her 87-year-old sister were killed when their frame home on the west side of the road was picked up and blown 50 feet into a wooded area on the east side of the road. Less than a mile north of this site, the 3rd fatality occurred. A 78-year-old man was killed in his home, while his wife was severely injured. Widespread tree damage was evident along this entire section of the tornado's path, and the intensity along this stretch was rated as F2.

The tornado then decreased to F0/F1 strength and continued north-northeastward across the Love/Carter County Line and toward Ardmore. In Carter County, at least 4 homes, 2 businesses, and 1 public building were destroyed. Four other homes, 5 businesses, and 1 public building received major damage, with minor damage at an additional 5 homes, 6 businesses, and 1 public building.

Specifically, on the southwest side of Ardmore, the tornado strengthened and hit a subdivision of new, well-built homes. The worst damage consisted of 1 or 2 homes that were almost completely unroofed, and had some interior walls down. Damage here was rated at F2. The tornado also hit a high school just north of this subdivision, removing portions of the roof and damaging windows. This damage was rated at the high end of the F1 category.

The tornado then continued northward, paralleling U.S. Interstate Highway I-35 on the west edge of Ardmore, and struck a Uniroyal/Michelin tire plant on the west side of the interstate. Significant damage to the sheet metal exterior and roof were noted; however, no structural damage to the steel frame was apparent. In the parking lot immediately to the east of the plant, dozens of automobiles and pickup trucks were damaged or destroyed. Some were tossed, flipped, and stacked on top of one another. At least 1 semi-truck was flipped over on the southwest side of the plant. Based on the damage to the plant and vehicles, the intensity at this point was rated F2.

Immediately north of the tire plant, witnesses reported that the tornado began to go into its dissipation stage. One or two plate glass windows were blown out at a Love's Truck Stop. The canopies over the pump areas and most signs were also destroyed. Damage was rated at F1 here. An electronics warehouse under construction just north of this truck stop had 3 of 4 exterior walls knocked down. At a point about 2 miles north of the Uniroyal/Michelin plant, the tornado took a sharp east-northeast turn and rapidly dissipated at 4:14 pm CST.

Total damage across Love and Carter Counties exceeded $100 million dollars, with damage in the city of Ardmore totaling $75 million dollars. Actual damage at the Uniroyal Plant was valued at $45 million, and later production losses due to the damage were estimated at 1.5 million tires.

  02/10/2009 1848-1943 37 880 EF4 8 46 Montague TX/ Jefferson/ Love/ Carter Near Spanish Fort TX - 1 W Petersburg - Lone Grove - 4 SSE Springer

This long-track tornado developed over extreme northern Montague County in north Texas, near the Red River, and continued northeast into Jefferson and Love Counties crossing through rural farmland north of Courtney, Rubottom and Oswalt. The tornado then crossed into Carter County, with sporadic damage noted in the sparsely populated areas in the southwest part of the county. The tornado appeared to reach its maximum width and intensity as it approached and moved through Lone Grove. The tornado destroyed or severely damaged numerous mobile homes, homes and businesses in and around Lone Grove. Numerous mobile homes were completely obliterated with few recognizable pieces left. EF-4 damage was noted at two locations, one in Lone Grove and the other in the Majestic Hills area north of Ardmore. Numerous vehicles were rolled or thrown, some for considerable distances. Six of the fatalities occurred in mobile homes and one in a well-built home that sustained EF-4 damage. The eighth fatality occurred when a truck driving south on U.S. Interstate Highway I-35 was hit by the tornado, killing the driver.

The tornado continued northeast, with major damage reported in the Majestic Hills addition and crossing U.S. Interstate Highway I-35 about 1.5 miles north of the Prairie Valley Road exit. At least eight homes and a small private school were destroyed in the Majestic Hills neighborhood. It moved through rural areas of Northeast Carter County to the east of Springer. Approximately 46 people were injured, with 14 seriously injured. Eight people died in the Lone Grove area. At least 114 homes were damaged or destroyed, with at least 3,500 homes losing power in and around Carter County. Debris from this tornado was picked up as far away as Sulphur. Monetary damage estimates were not available. Damage was estimated at $3 million.

  10/13/2012 1646-1651 5 75 EF1 0 2 Carter 3 SW - 2 ENE Healdton

Numerous quasi-discrete thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a dryline across western Oklahoma during the early afternoon of October 13th. These storms continued into the evening hours, affecting much of Oklahoma south of U.S. Interstate Highway I-40. One tornado was reported, as well as widespread damaging winds and severe hail.

A sheriff's deputy encountered a rain-wrapped tornado near Healdton that was embedded within a larger area of severe thunderstorm winds. The tornado developed approximately 3 miles southwest of Healdton and moved northeast toward Healdton Lake. Trees and power lines were damaged along the path. The most significant damage occurred at Healdton Lake where five mobile homes were destroyed. Two injuries were reported in one of these homes. The tornado likely dissipated over or just northeast of Healdton Lake.

 

Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. Data modified as described in NOAA Tech Memo NWS SR-209 (Speheger, D., 2001: "Corrections to the Historic Tornado Database").

Historic data, especially before 1950, are likely incomplete.