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Broken Arrow, OK Tornado History — 234 Tornadoes Since 1950

Oklahoma · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Broken Arrow, OK had?

Broken Arrow has had 234 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 17 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Broken Arrow?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Broken Arrow was an EF0 on November 20, 2025.

When is tornado season in Broken Arrow?

May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Broken Arrow, with 89 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
234
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
17
7.3% of total
Peak Month
May
89 on record
Per Year Avg
3.1
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Broken Arrow

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 89 total, averaging 4.5 per year over this window.

2026 0+8 prelim
2025 4
2024 9
2023 1
2022 1
2021 5
2020 0
2019 21
2018 3
2017 6
2016 7
2015 6
2014 0
2013 11
2012 1
2011 4
2010 6
2009 0
2008 4
2007 0

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Broken Arrow since December 29, 2025

These are 8 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.

Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.

Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.

Preliminary April 15, 2026
3 NW Jenks, Tulsa County, OK
Preliminary March 7, 2026
Inola, Rogers County, OK
Preliminary March 7, 2026
2 WNW Oneta, Wagoner County, OK
Preliminary March 7, 2026
3 NNE Beggs, Okmulgee County, OK
Preliminary March 7, 2026
2 NE Oneta, Wagoner County, OK
Preliminary March 7, 2026
3 E Collinsville, Rogers County, OK
Preliminary March 7, 2026
6 NW Tulsa, Tulsa County, OK
Preliminary March 6, 2026
4 W Owasso, Tulsa County, OK

Within 25 miles of Broken Arrow. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 17
1960s 25
1970s 21
1980s 24
1990s 41
2000s 21
2010s 65
2020s 20

Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating

F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.

EF0 85
EF1 87
EF2 42
EF3 15
EF4 1
EF5 1
Unrated 3

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 2
Feb 1
Mar 13
Apr 55
May 89
Jun 20
Jul 10
Aug 8
Sep 7
Oct 9
Nov 13
Dec 7

Casualties on Record Near Broken Arrow

31 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Broken Arrow since 1950, across 8 events. 685 injuries have been reported across all events. 1984 was the deadliest year on record.

The deadliest single event was a F3 on April 26, 1984, which caused 8 fatalities along a 22.0-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Broken Arrow

Deadliest Tornado
F3 on April 26, 1984 — 8 fatalities, 22.0 mi path, 1,760 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F3 on April 19, 1981 — est. ~$275.0M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
EF1 on May 25, 2019 — 2,200 yards wide.
Longest Path
F3 on May 5, 1960 — 101.9 mile track.
Most Recent
EF0 on November 20, 2025.

About Tornadoes in Broken Arrow

This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.

Broken Arrow sits on gently rolling terrain at the southeastern edge of the Tulsa metropolitan area, where eastern Oklahoma's tallgrass prairie begins its gradual rise toward the Ozark foothills. The low relief leaves the city open to the seasonal collisions that define Southern Plains weather: humid Gulf of Mexico air streaming north, dry air surging east across the dryline, and jet-stream energy aloft that gives storms their rotation. Those ingredients converge over Green Country in April, May, and June, though tornadoes here have also arrived in high summer.

The NOAA Storm Prediction Center's archive for the city stretches across the decades from the 1950s onward. On May 5, 1960, an F5 tornado swept through on a 71.8-mile track, killing 5 people and injuring 81, while an F3 crossed the region the same day. On April 20, 1981, an F3 carved a 9.9-mile path, killing 5 and injuring 49. An F3 on April 27, 1984 cut a 22-mile swath, killing 8 people and injuring 95, and an F4 tornado on April 24, 1993 killed 7 and injured 100. In the EF-scale era, an EF2 on March 25, 2015 killed 1 person and injured 30, and another EF2 struck on August 6, 2017; the event list elsewhere on this page carries the fuller chronology.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Broken Arrow, OK had?
Since 1950, 234 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Broken Arrow. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Broken Arrow?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Broken Arrow was a F3 on April 26, 1984, which caused 8 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Broken Arrow?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Broken Arrow, with 89 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
Has Broken Arrow been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Broken Arrow, there have been 1 EF5 and 1 EF4 tornadoes recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Broken Arrow?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Broken Arrow was an EF0 on November 20, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Broken Arrow?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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