Carter County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Carter County: 14.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 27, 2024Tornado$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Ardmore tornado initially developed about 5 miles southwest of Ardmore, and moved north-northeast towards Ardmore. Some homes near Gateway Road had most or all of their roofs removed. Tree damage was significant along this area. ||The tornado then continued north-northeast through the west side of Ardmore especially near Plainview Road. Many homes suffered significant roof damage. Ardmore emergency management reported that 52 homes were damaged with 17 of them a total loss. The tornado moved near a Best Buy distribution center on the northwest side of Ardmore blowing over numerous trailers.||Continuing north-northeast, the tornado continued producing tree and power pole…

2. Jun 17, 2015Flash Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Carter County EM reported at least approximately 225 homes with flooding damage (est. $20k per home). At least one of these had 6 feet of water. Numerous had 4 feet of water. 1 older building collapsed. 20-40 tinhorns washed out (est. $20k per tinhorn). 1 bridge out (est. $180K).

3. Feb 10, 2009Tornado$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This long track tornado developed over far southeast Jefferson County, near the Red River, and continued northeast into Love County 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. EF4 damage was noted at two locations,…

4. Sep 10, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Scattered severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening of the 10th over portions of northwest, central, and southern Oklahoma. One tornado was reported and was captured on video in Ames in Major County, by a student from the University of Oklahoma. The tornado traveled a distance of 1 mile, but caused no damage (F0). Straight-line winds caused damage at the Ardmore Industrial Park in Carter County 2 miles northeast of Gene Autry, where a gust of 89 knots (102 mph) was measured. One aircraft hangar was completely destroyed. Several aircraft were overturned, and three were destroyed. A man suffered a broken back and tailbone when attempting to right an overturned…

5. Dec 26, 2000Ice Storm, Carter$1.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major winter storm developed during the evening of the 25th across all of western, central, and southeast Oklahoma, with significant accumulations of snow and ice beginning shortly after 0000 CST on the 26th. Mainly snow fell across northwest Oklahoma with accumulations between 8 and 12 inches reported across northern Beckham, Roger Mills, and southern Ellis Counties. Snow amounts varied widely across the rest of northwest Oklahoma with 4 to 8 inches falling across portions of Dewey and Custer Counties, and only 1 to 2 inches across Woods and Alfalfa Counties, however even in areas where snow amounts were light, significant disruptions in travel and power outages were reported.A…

6. Oct 26, 2000Flash Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Significant flash flooding developed across the southern half of Carter County after 4 to 5 inches of rain fell over most of the area in a short period of time. The worst flooding occurred between Lone Grove and Ardmore where major damage was sustained to homes, businesses, bridges, roads, and vehicles totaling 1.2 million dollars. Also in Ardmore, a family in the southwest part of the city was rescued from their home, and so was a woman in the northwest part of the city.

7. Apr 27, 2024Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Marietta-Lake Murray-Dickson Tornado moved from Love County into Carter County near Scott Road just east of Lake Murray. The tornado destroyed one mobile home, heavily damaged another and damaged many trees and power poles between the county line and where it crossed US Highway 70. The tornado turned north-northeast destroying one mobile home and damaging at least two others as it approached the town of Dickson. North of Dickson, at least one other home had significant roof damage and another mobile home was rolled in addition to continued tree and power pole damage. The tornado finally dissipated near US Highway 177 near the community of Baum.

8. Mar 4, 2025Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado developed east of Newport Road and Cardinal Road and moved north-northeast. At least three small homes were severely damaged. Three injuries were reported from one of these homes.

9. May 27, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A very large and severe line of thunderstorms formed across southwest Kansas during the late afternoon of the 27th, and moved southward into Oklahoma during the evening. Widespread damage due to straight-line winds accompanied the line of thunderstorms, with most of southwest and south central Oklahoma sustaining damage. The cities of Lawton, Fort Sill, Ardmore, and Dougherty reported the most costly damage, estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, which supplies electricity to most of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area, indicated nearly 160,000 residents were without power during the storm, which is close to the power loss experienced…

10. May 27, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A very large and severe line of thunderstorms formed across southwest Kansas during the late afternoon of the 27th, and moved southward into Oklahoma during the evening. Widespread damage due to straight-line winds accompanied the line of thunderstorms, with most of southwest and south central Oklahoma sustaining damage. The cities of Lawton, Fort Sill, Ardmore, and Dougherty reported the most costly damage, estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, which supplies electricity to most of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area, indicated nearly 160,000 residents were without power during the storm, which is close to the power loss experienced…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

115°FAug 2, 1896

All-time low

−17°FFeb 16, 2021

Warmest night

87°FAug 3, 1910

Coldest day

8°FFeb 16, 2021

Wettest day

12.53 inJun 18, 2015

Snowiest day

9.0 inDec 25, 2009

Hottest year

1921mean 65.2°F

Coldest year

1945mean 57.7°F

Wettest year

201564.79 in

Driest year

195217.28 in

Snowiest season

18.3 in1977-78

Station Healdton 3 E (USC00344001), 902 ft elevation, 13.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1894 to October 26, 2026; 98.7% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00344001.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.