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Cotton County, OK Tornadoes Prior to 1950 | |||||||||
# | Date | Time (CST) |
Path Length (miles) |
Path Width (yards) |
F-Scale | Killed | Injured | County | Path |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
06/03/1904 | late aft | 1 | 1 | Cotton/ Comanche | Near Walters and Geronimo (was just Comanche County... but part of area is now in Cotton County) | ||||
05/05/1930 | 1600 | 2 | 400 | 1 | 0 | Cotton | Near Walters | ||
06/06/1936 | 2030 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Near Randlett | |||
06/03/1943 | 0930 | 3 | 50 | 2 | 5 | Cotton | 4 S Walters | ||
06/04/1943 | Cotton | Near Randlett | |||||||
Cotton County, OK Tornadoes (1950-Present*) | |||||||||
# | Date | Time (CST) |
Path Length (miles) |
Path Width (yards) |
F-Scale | Killed | Injured | County | Path |
1 | 05/09/1951 | 1830 | 0.1 | 10 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 7 N Walters |
2 | 05/01/1954 | 1600 | 12 | 10 | F3 | 3 | 3 | Tillman/ Cotton | near Grandfield - near Ahpeatone (~12 W Walters) |
3 | 05/01/1954 | 1745 | 8 | 300 | F3 | 0 | 0 | Cotton/ Jefferson/ Stephens | southern Cotton county - S of Hastings - near Addington - southern Stephens County |
4 | 05/24/1957 | 1730 | 22 | 880 | F4 | 4 | 5 | Cotton/ Comanche | Near Ahpeatone - Just S of Lawton |
5 | 11/17/1958 | 0735 | 10 | 50 | F3 | 0 | 4 | Cotton | 3 E Cookietown - 3 E Walters |
6 | 08/30/1959 | 1820 | 2 | 100 | F3 | 0 | 1 | Cotton | Devol |
7 | 08/30/1959 | 1830 | 0.1 | 10 | F2 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Randlett |
8 | 05/04/1960 | 1800 | 5 | 150 | F2 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Walters |
9 | 05/04/1960 | 1843 | 0.1 | 10 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | S of Temple |
10 | 08/09/1960 | 1200 | 0.1 | 10 | F? | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Just S of Temple |
11 | 04/27/1962 | 0020 | 0.1 | 10 | F? | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 1 W Temple |
12 | 05/26/1962 | 2000 | 10 | 400 | F4 | 0 | 1 | Cotton | 4 S Randlett - 4 E Cookietown |
13 | 05/08/1965 | 1400 | 0.1 | 10 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 3 SSE Randlett |
14 | 04/12/1967 | 0145 | 7 | 10 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Walters - 7 ENE Walters |
15 | 05/16/1968 | 1643 | 0.1 | 10 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 8 SW Temple |
16 | 04/16/1969 | 1530 | 24 | 10 | F2 | 0 | 1 | Cotton | S of Devol - 2 ENE Temple |
17 | 03/13/1973 | 1235 | 7 | 33 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 1 N- 6 E Temple |
18 | 04/19/1976 | 1435 | 0.1 | 200 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 10 ENE Walters |
19 | 04/10/1979 | 1555 | 74 | 10 | F2 | 1 | 3 | Wilbarger TX/ Wichita TX/ Tillman OK/ Cotton OK/ Comanche OK/ Stephens OK | Harrold TX- 9 NNE Electra TX- Grandfield OK- Pumpkin Center OK- W of Marlow OK [One Fatality and 0 injuries in Texas. Zero fatalities and 3 injuries in Oklahoma. ] |
20 | 09/02/1979 | 0355 | 0.1 | 10 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | W of Walters |
21 | 06/27/1983 | 1840 | 0.1 | 10 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Just W of Temple |
22 | 03/22/1985 | 2105 | 0.1 | 10 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | N of Devol |
23 | 03/28/1988 | 1735 | 0.1 | 20 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 9 SW Walters |
24 | 05/08/1993 | 1605-1609 | 0.8 | 50 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton/ Stephens | 6 SE Hulen- 6 WNW Empire City |
25 | 04/17/1995 | 1628 | 0.1 | 20 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 4 SW Devol |
26 | 04/17/1995 | 1635 | 0.1 | 20 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | SE of Devol |
27 | 04/17/1995 | 1656 | 2 | 100 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 3 N Temple |
28 | 07/23/1995 | 2010 | 0.4 | 30 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton/ Comanche | 10 NNW Cookietown |
29 | 07/23/1995 | 2016 | 0.3 | 30 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 6 NNW Cookietown |
30 | 07/23/1995 | 2017 | 0.2 | 23 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 7 S Walters |
31 | 08/11/1996 | 1715 | 0.1 | 50 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | Walters |
32 | 10/21/2000 | 1641-1655 | 4 | 30 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 3 SSW - 1 NW Walters |
33 | 04/23/2003 | 1616-1619 | 2 | 70 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 20 W Walters (5 S - 3 S Chattanooga) |
34 | 10/06/2004 | 1438-1439 | 1 | 25 | F0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 7 W - 6.3 W Walters |
35 | 04/24/2006 | 1923-1941 | 6 | 200 | F1 | 0 | 0 | Cotton OK/ Clay TX | 4.8 SSW Randlett OK - 4 WNW Charlie TX |
36 | 05/08/2015 | 1704 | 0.2 | 50 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 2 W Randlett |
37 | 05/08/2015 | 1716 | 0.2 | 50 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 5 ESE Randlett |
38 | 05/09/2015 | 1709-1711 | 1 | 100 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 5 W Randlett |
39 | 05/10/2017 | 1936-1941 | 2 | 100 | EF? | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 6 SSE - 7 SSE Chattanooga |
40 | 05/02/2018 | 1807-1813 | 3 | 250 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | Tillman/ Cotton | 5 ENE Loveland - 5 S Chattanooga |
41 | 06/15/2023 | 1610-1612 | 1.2 | 50 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Cotton | 7 NW - 6 NW Walters |
Date | Time (CST) |
Length of Path (miles) |
Width of Path (yards) |
F-Scale | Killed | Injured | County | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
05/01/1954 | 1600 | 12 | N/A | F3 | 3* | 3 | Tillman/ Cotton | Near Grandfield - near Ahpeatone (~12 W Walters) | |
This twister was the third in a series of 20 tornadoes that occurred in Oklahoma on May 1, 1954. The tornado initiated at 4:00 pm CST, moved erratically from near the east edge of Grandfield in Tillman County northeastward to the Ahpeatone Community, 12 miles northwest of Walters in Cotton County. Two people were killed at Ahpeatone when they tried to escape the tornado in a pickup truck. The tornado caught and rolled the truck for a quarter of a mile. Ten homes were damaged. A house and all adjacent barns were destroyed at one farmstead, and 2 people were critically injured. Damages were estimated at $500,000. The tornado was accompanied by extensive hail losses throughout Cotton County which were estimated at $1 million. One person who drowned during a flash flood, was also counted as tornado death. |
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05/24/1957 | 1730 | 22 | 880 | F4 | 4 | 5 | Cotton/ Comanche | Near Ahpeatone - Just S of Lawton | |
This violent tornado originated east of the town of Ahpeatone in northwestern Cotton County and moved northeast to 7 mile southeast of Lawton in Comanche County before it lifted. The tornado had a multi-vortex phase as observers reported seeing 3 funnels at one time on the ground. Unfortunately, 2 couples were killed when their 2 homes were leveled. One person was seriously injured when his house was destroyed. Four other persons received minor injuries from flying debris. At least 12 homes and many farmsteads were also destroyed along the damage path, and F4 damage occurred 6 miles south of Lawton. A total of 5 cars were also destroyed, and fences were rolled into 50-foot in diameter balls. Up to 70 head of cattle and a number of chickens were killed. |
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11/17/1958 | 0735 | 10 | 50 | F3 | 0 | 4 | Cotton | 3 E Cookietown - 3 E Walters | |
This tornado moved northeastward from 3 miles east of Cookietown to 3 miles east of Walters, and 4 farmsteads along its path were either destroyed or heavily damaged. A mother and 3 children narrowly escaped death when their home was picked up, carried 50 feet, and smashed back to the ground. The mother and 2 of the children were injured. At another farm, part of the farmhouse was broken off and carried into a field. A man in that part of the house was injured. High, straight-line winds estimated at 80 mph caused widespread, general damage in the area. A small airplane was badly damaged and a hangar was wrecked at the Walters Airport. |
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08/30/1959 | 1820 | 2 | 100 | F3 | 0 | 1 | Cotton | Devol | |
A tornado moved southward down the main street of Devol, and caused almost complete destruction to the small community. One woman was injured by flying debris while trying to reach a storm cellar. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that the tornado destroyed or heavily damaged 7 homes, 5 empty buildings, the post office, a brick service station, an appliance store, and a lodge building. |
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05/26/1962 | 2000 | 10 | 400 | F4 | 0 | 1 | Cotton | 4 S Randlett - 4 E Cookietown | |
This tornado formed 4 miles south of Randlett and heavily damaged one farmstead. It then moved to an adjoining farm where the home and outbuildings were leveled, a car was demolished, and the door was torn from the storm cellar where the family was taking shelter. The tornado then moved northeast, damaging a home and destroying other buildings and machinery. A nearby cemetery had two-thirds of the grave headstones blown over. The tornado then crossed a local road and lifted an unoccupied house, moving it over 100 yards before placing it down intact in a pasture. The tornado then turned north, leveling buildings on three farms. One owner of the damaged farms sustained badly cut hands as he fought to hold the storm cellar door down against the twister above. His pickup truck, which held 65 bushels of wheat, was hurled 350 feet and crushed. The storm continued on northeastward, damaging two more buildings, and destroying timber along a creek before lifting 4 miles east of Cookietown. Ten head of cattle were killed while others were injured. Some crop damage was also reported. |
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04/16/1969 | 1530 | 24 | 10 | F2 | 0 | 1 | Cotton | S of Devol - 2 ENE Temple | |
Thunderstorms struck the area from Grandfield and Devol northeastward to Walters and Temple. Most of this area received heavy crop and property damage. A large portion of the damage was caused by a tornado that produced an intermittent damage path by touching down and lifting three times. The first touchdown was south of Devol where the tornado moved over open country and no damage was reported. The second touchdown was 2 miles north of Randlett where the tornado cut a northeasterly swath about 5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide before lifting. The third and final reported touchdown was 1 mile south of Temple where the tornado moved to the northeast for about 2.5 miles. At least 6 homes and an unreported number of outbuildings were destroyed or damaged in the Temple area. Several homes were also destroyed or damaged in the area northeast of Randlett. Hail measuring up to 2.5 inches in diameter fell in the Grandfield area, causing heavy damage to roofs and windows of homes and businesses. Window breakage to automobiles was also heavy in Grandfield. Both the Public Service Company and the Cotton County Electric Cooperative reported severe power line damage. One man in the Temple area was hospitalized from injuries received in the storm. |
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04/10/1979 | 1555 | 74 | 10 | F2 | 1 (0) |
(0) 3 |
Wilbarger TX/ Wichita TX/ Tillman OK/ Cotton OK/ Comanche OK/ Stephens OK | Harrold TX- 9 NNE Electra TX- Grandfield OK- Pumpkin Center OK- W of Marlow OK [One Fatality and 0 injuries in Texas. Zero fatalities and 3 injuries in Oklahoma. ] | |
The tornado first touched down in the vicinity of Harrold, Texas at about 3:55 pm CST. One person was killed as the tornado crossed U.S. Highway 287 near Harrold. The tornado moved northeast and crossed the Red River at about 4:10 pm CST. It then began to intensify and reached maximum strength at the Grandfield Airport at about 4:30 pm CST and then crossed OK State Highway 5 west of Walters. It continued northeast and crossed U.S. Highway 281/177 about 11 miles south of the Lawton Airport. The tornado passed through the Pumpkin Center area around 5:30 pm CST and moved across OK State Highway 7, where it damaged homes on both sides of the highway. This was a very wide tornado, and 55 miles of its of 64-mile path were traversed in Oklahoma. Large hail was reported with the storm. In the Grandfield area, it damaged or destroyed 8 homes and 4 mobile homes. The Grandfield Airport was demolished, with 8 planes being destroyed and 1 damaged. Near Grandfield, 1 man was seriously injured when he tried to outrun the tornado but was overtaken. Two additional injuries were reported in the area. Northwest of Walters, 4 houses and 1 mobile home were destroyed and 4 other homes were damaged. A grain elevator was demolished on OK State Highway 5, and another was destroyed near Hulen. In the Pumpkin Center area, 5 homes and 8 mobile homes were destroyed. Some of these homes had been hit by a tornado on April 5, 1978. |
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.