Tulsa, OK Tornado History — 200 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Tulsa, OK had?
Tulsa has had 200 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 21 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Tulsa?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Tulsa was an EF0 on November 20, 2025.
When is tornado season in Tulsa?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Tulsa, with 73 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
Recent Tornado Activity Near Tulsa
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 68 total, averaging 3.4 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Tulsa since December 29, 2025
These are 6 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Within 25 miles of Tulsa. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
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.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Tulsa
44 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Tulsa since 1950, across 12 events. 889 injuries have been reported across all events. 1974 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on June 8, 1974, which caused 14 fatalities along a 29.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Tulsa
About Tornadoes in Tulsa
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Tulsa sits at the eastern edge of Tornado Alley, close enough to the dryline that supercell environments set up regularly through spring, but far enough into the Ozarks transition zone that storm modes are more varied than at Oklahoma City. Tulsa metro tornadoes include classic Plains supercells in April–May, embedded squall-line tornadoes during cold-frontal passages, and occasional fall-season events tied to upper-level troughs digging into the southern Plains.
The 1974 Catoosa tornado
The defining historical event near Tulsa is the F4 Catoosa/Tulsa tornado of June 8, 1974, which tracked from Sand Springs through north Tulsa, Owasso, and into Catoosa, killing seven people and injuring nearly 200. The path was 12 miles long and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in what is now the densely populated north Tulsa suburbs. The 1974 event predated the current Doppler-radar warning system and modern siren networks, and is part of why Tulsa County has one of the most aggressive municipal-shelter buildouts in the state.
The May 5–6, 1993 and 2017 outbreaks
The May 5–6, 1993 Catoosa/Sand Springs F2/F3 outbreak produced multiple tornadoes across the metro on consecutive days, with significant damage in Sand Springs, Sapulpa, and the Verdigris River valley. The August 6, 2017 Tulsa EF2 is more recent and notable for being a nighttime urban tornado that tracked directly through midtown Tulsa, damaging the TGI Fridays at 41st & Yale, several apartment complexes near the University of Tulsa, and the Cherry Street commercial district. The August 2017 event led to renewed siren-coverage debates and accelerated TPD's tornado-warning communications upgrades.
Tornadoes by neighborhood
Tulsa's highest-frequency tornado tracks run through three corridors: the Arkansas River valley from Sand Springs through downtown, the I-44 corridor through Sapulpa and the Cherokee Industrial Park, and the U.S. 75 corridor through Glenpool and Bixby. Owasso, Broken Arrow, and Bixby — Tulsa's three largest suburbs — have all been hit by EF2+ tornadoes in the modern record. Northeast Oklahoma County and Rogers County (Catoosa, Claremore) tend to be on the receiving end of long-track storms moving in from the southwest.
What this means for Tulsa residents today
Tulsa's tornado-preparedness culture is robust but slightly less universal than OKC's. The city operates a comprehensive outdoor siren network, but indoor alerting (NOAA radio, app-based alerts, phone-call alerts) is the more reliable layer at night. The August 2017 midtown event reminded residents that urban tornadoes happen too — Tulsa metro residents in apartments, condos, and homes without basements should identify an interior bathroom or closet on the lowest floor as their primary shelter.
The Tulsa NWS office (Tulsa, OK — TSA) has one of the longest-tenured warning forecaster groups in the country and consistently leads the network in lead-time on warnings for the Tulsa metro. Combined with the locally-strong TV severe-weather coverage from KOTV and KJRH, residents who pay attention to NWS feeds typically have 15–20 minutes of lead time on tornado warnings — meaningful margin if your shelter plan is already in place.