Is 2024 a record-setting tornado year for Oklahoma? Visual explainer of all-time records
Oklahoma's 2024 tornado season has been destructive and deadly, with the most deaths recorded since 2013 and a record-setting April.
Eight people have died in Oklahoma from five powerful tornadoes all within the span of a month. It's the most fatalities since 2013. That year, 34 people were killed, including seven children at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore.
This year was also notable because there were 55 tornadoes observed during the month of April. According to the National Weather Service, it was the most tornadoes recorded for that month since at least 1950.
Tornado activity was above average in 2024
When looking at 10 years of data provided by the National Weather Service, Oklahoma sees an average of about 11 tornadoes each April, and about 36 every May. Annual tornado counts vary wildly, however.
For example, Oklahoma's all-time record for tornadoes in a single month happened in May 2019 with 105 observed tornadoes. The following year there were only 16.
This year so far, the top five states for reported tornados are Iowa (98), Texas (96), Nebraska (81), Missouri (78), and Oklahoma (72). Closely following are Kansas (71), Ohio (67), and Illinois (62).
The number of tornadoes observed this year is also creeping into near-record territory. As of May 30, there were at least 100 tornadoes that struck Oklahoma, which puts 2024 squarely in the top eight busiest years for tornadoes. This number could change as the National Weather Service finalizes damage surveys.
Will Oklahoma reach the top of this list? It's unlikely. The severe storm season drops off precipitously in June, although there remains a chance for tornadic weather in any month.
Western Oklahoma spared from the worst storms
A number of significant tornadoes hit eastern Oklahoma this year. Osage County saw six twisters, the highest number of any county.
Oklahoma and Ottawa County each had five tornadoes this year. In all, 51 out of the state's 77 counties were struck by a tornado.
Eleven of those counties experienced a severe tornado which was rated as an EF3 or higher on the Enhanced Fujita scale. That means NWS staff conducting post-tornado surveys found evidence of damage caused by winds that were at least 136 miles per hour.
Oklahoma's deadly 2024 tornadoes
So far this year, Oklahoma has seen five fatal tornadic storms that killed eight people. Five of those eight deaths involved someone inside a mobile or manufactured home. Mobile homes are among the most dangerous places to be during a tornado; about half of all U.S. tornado fatalities this year involved a mobile home.
April 27 - Sulphur
A slow-moving storm produced at least 32 tornadoes on April 27 and April 28, according to the National Weather Service in Norman.
One of those tornadoes struck the city of Sulphur, killing one person.
More: A Sulphur man reconsiders his saying of 'if a tornado gets me, it's how I was meant to go'
April 27 - Marietta
On the same night, an EF4-rated tornado struck Marietta, including the Dollar General distribution center along Interstate 40. One person in a vehicle died during the tornado, which nearly missed Ardmore as it moved northeast.
The distribution center was heavily damaged, leading the company to announce it would be closing the facility for the foreseeable future, affecting hundreds of jobs.
April 27 - Holdenville
A tornado ravaged Hughes and Okfuskee County late into the night, causing damage, injuries and two fatalities along its 28-mile-long track. This EF3 tornado dissipated just a few miles before reaching Okemah. Among the dead was a 4-month-old baby.
May 6 - Barnsdall/Bartlesville
A single EF4 tornado is believed to have struck the cities of Barnsdall and Bartlesville in northeastern Oklahoma on May 6. The tornado carved a path through two counties for a distance of nearly 41 miles.
Two people died and 33 were injured, according to Tulsa's National Weather Service office. One of those fatalities was a man whose body was missing for five days after the tornado destroyed his home.
May 25 - Claremore
The most recent deadly storm produced tornadoes in multiple northeastern Oklahoma Counties and stretched into northwest Arkansas.
East of Claremore, an EF3 tornado destroyed a mobile home, killing two people and injuring four others.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma tornado season: 2024 deadly, devastating storms broke records
