Garvin County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Garvin County: 6.
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. Dec 26, 2000Ice Storm, Garvin$14.0 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…

2. Apr 27, 2007Lightning$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An early morning non-severe thunderstorm caused two fires at the Wynnewood Refinery. The first fire occurred in a tank housing naptha, a gasoline component. This fire was thought to be contained, before another fire began that evening in a tank containing diesel fuel. Approximately 70,000 barrels of naptha and diesel were lost in the two day fire. Roads surrounding the refinery were closed due to the massive amounts of smoke coming from the refinery. No injuries were reported with the explosions. The fire burned for at least 2 days before finally extinguishing. Monetary damage amounts were estimated.

3. Mar 18, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe thunderstorm winds caused major damage at Pauls Valley Airport and minor roof damage in town. At the airport a maintenance shop, 14 hangars, and 8 to 10 planes were completely destroyed. Damage at the airport was estimated at $1,500,00. An Oklahoma Natural Gas shop south of Pauls Valley sustained $150,000 in damage to the roof, walls, and garage doors. The Pauls Valley armory lost most of its new roof and air conditioner in the severe storm. Outbuildings, signs, and trees were destroyed throughout town. An historic barn was also destroyed. Total damage in the area was estimated at 2 to 3 million dollars.

4. Dec 24, 2009Blizzard, Garvin$2.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Five to eight inches of snow accumulated across the county, including six inches near Pauls Valley and Hennepin, and eight inches in Lindsay. Frequent wind gusts of 50 to 60+ mph created considerable blowing and drifting snow, and greatly reduced visibilities. Approximately 1200-1400 miles of roadway were damaged by the storm, with total damages from the blizzard estimated at $2.1 million for the entire county.

5. May 9, 2016Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado developed 1.25 miles south of the community of Katie, OK, or about 3.4 miles north of Hennepin. The tornado was observed to be very dynamic as it moved east-northeast and east. Initially damage was confined to trees until the tornado crossed county road 1690 where a home was destroyed where only interior walls remained standing. To the east of this house, two mobile homes were damaged on the southern periphery of the tornado path. The tornado moved east-northeast damaging another mobile home, then east removing the roof from a home on Indian Meridian Road.||The tornado varied in movement between northeast and southeast as it approached and crossed county road 1680. A…

6. Nov 27, 2005Wildfire, Garvin$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A strong surface low pressure moved across the southern and central Plains causing strong sustained surface winds across the western half to two-thirds of Oklahoma with some high wind gusts. National Weather Service weather stations along with the Oklahoma mesonet measured sustained wind speeds ranging from 17 to 30 knots (20-35 mph) on November 27th into the 28th, with numerous wind gusts ranging from 39 to 56 knots(45-65 mph). Winds were initially strong from the south to west then shifted to the north and northwest behind a cold front. The winds began to decrease during the afternoon hours of November 28th as the strong surface low continued to lift away from the area. Wind…

7. Apr 22, 2020Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado moved east-southeast from west of County Road 3210 about a mile and a half north of State Highway 29 to just east of Indian Meridian Road. Seven homes, a few outbuildings, trees and power poles were damaged.

8. Nov 3, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   After the tornado dissipated west of Pauls Valley, the thunderstorm continued to produce widespread winds with areas of 60-100 mph winds near and east of the community of White Bead and west and north of Pauls Valley. Around a dozen houses had some damage, at least two outbuildings were destroyed, and tree and powerline damage occurred at various locations within the area of wind.

9. Jun 7, 2014Flood$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Over a foot of water reported on streets in downtown Pauls Valley. Several cars stalled in the deep waters.

10. Feb 9, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$125,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Six apartment buildings sustained major roof damage at Arrowhead Apartments on the southwest side of Pauls Valley.

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, 35.6 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.