Jefferson County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Jefferson County: 0.
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.

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, Jefferson$1.5 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 23, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Straight-line winds caused roof damage to 12 homes, uprooted or destroyed many trees, broke several windows, damaged an outbuilding at a golf course and damaged some signs at the Richard Football Field. The strong winds cut a damage path a quarter of a mile wide and 2 miles long through the town.

3. Jun 15, 2023Tornado$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado moved east-southeast out of Stephens County into Jefferson County. The tornado then turned southeast and dissipated soon after crossing State Highway 89 between E1890 Road and E1900 Road. In Jefferson County, at least four homes were damaged and a couple of barns were damaged or destroyed as well as many trees damaged.

4. Apr 5, 2025Thunderstorm Wind$75,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A social media image showing the roof of a building blown off��on Main Street in the community of Ringling. Event time is estimated from radar observations and severe wind gusts from the nearby Ringling Mesonet.

5. May 8, 2003Tornado$70,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This nighttime tornado is the first of three Oklahoma tornadoes produced by a large supercell that moved across south central Oklahoma. The tornado moved east-southeast for six miles before dissipating. Several homes lost all or part of their roofs with several other homes receiving shingle damage. Four barns were damaged or destroyed. One pole barn had the poles, that were buried three feet deep, pulled out of the ground. A cinder block building also collapsed. Many trees and power lines were downed or damaged by the tornado. Two of the trees were over 100 years old. Three horses were also injured by the tornado.

6. Mar 4, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$60,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The siding was stripped from the north side of one house. Another house nearby had the porch roof destroyed and sustained some roof damage on the main part of the house. A chicken house was also blown off its foundation.

7. Aug 19, 2008Flash Flood$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Sugden bridge along Highway 81 was under water. Water was reported over numerous county roads and highways, including Highway 70. Several homes reported as much as one foot of water inside the homes. Total rainfall for this area was nine to eleven inches. Monetary damages were estimated.

8. Aug 5, 2009Lightning$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A house caught fire after being struck by lightning. Monetary damage estimates were not available.

9. May 10, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$40,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A 24-28 inch diameter tree was blown over along with several power poles blown down. A store awning was torn from the building. A green house was damaged at the Ryan school. A travel trailer was tossed 50 yards and destroyed. Several portable car ports were also destroyed.

10. Jun 9, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$30,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Severe thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 to 80 mph caused extensive damage in Ringling. One carport and several metal sheds were destroyed. A barn was blown away, leaving the setting hens still sitting (unharmed), but killing 4 turkeys. Another barn suffered major damage. Porches were also torn from homes. One covered porch was torn from the front of a house and blown over the house into the back yard. Numerous large trees were uprooted. Roof damage was extensive, particularly on the south side of town. In one unusual case, an asphalt shingle was torn from a roof and wedged between the door and window glass of a truck. Neither the door or window were damaged.

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, 26.7 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.