Love County
Population 10,780 (2025) 514 sq mi
Love County has recorded 36 tornadoes since 1950, 70th most of 77 counties in Oklahoma; the most recent was on April 20, 2025.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195036
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger3
- Wildfire burn scars since 19848
At a glance
The record for Love County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes since 1950
36
70th of 77 in Oklahoma
Fewer than the typical Oklahoma county, which has had 63
DetailsAcres burned since 1984
25,190
35th of 77 in Oklahoma
8 large fires; the largest was Brushy Mountain, 2009
DetailsTropical cyclones within 50 mi
3
2nd of 77 in Oklahoma
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
EF4
February 10, 2009, 37.0 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1900, 13.8 miles away
Federal disaster declarations
26
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2024
DetailsTornadoes
About one every 2.1 years since 1950, 5 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
February 10, 2009
EF4, 37.0 mile path
880 yards wide; 8 killed along the whole path.
Most recent
Sunday, April 20, 2025
EF0, 0.5 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| Apr 20, 2025 | EF0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 19, 2025 | EFU | 0.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 19, 2025 | EF2 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 2024 | EFU | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 2024 | EFU | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 27, 2024 | EF4 | 26.8 | 6 | 1 |
| Jun 15, 2023 | EF0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 2022 | EF0 | 6.8 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 2019 | EF1 | 6.8 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 2019 | EF0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 2019 | EF0 | 3.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 9, 2018 | EF1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 9, 2015 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 9, 2015 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 8, 2010 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 2010 | EF1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 10, 2009 | EF4 | 37.0 | 46 | 8 |
| May 8, 2003 | F2 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 6, 2001 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 11, 2001 | F1 | 19.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 1995 | F3 | 34.1 | 6 | 3 |
| Jun 8, 1993 | F0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 11, 1986 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 1985 | F2 | 14.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 19, 1976 | F2 | 6.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 19, 1976 | F2 | 5.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 1973 | F1 | 5.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 14, 1971 | F2 | 6.9 | 0 | 0 |
| May 16, 1968 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 16, 1968 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 8, 1965 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 31, 1959 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1957 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 13, 1953 | F3 | 45.3 | 11 | 2 |
| Feb 19, 1953 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Love County: 3.
- 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
3 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
September 10, 1900
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
13.8 miles at closest approach, winds near 48 mph.
Most recent
September 13, 1961
Carla, Tropical storm
0.0 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- 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.
Wildfire and smoke
25,190 acres burned in 8 large fires since 1984, equal to 7.7% of the land.
Largest
April 9, 2009
Brushy Mountain Fire, 18,407 acres
14,476 acres inside Love County.
Most recent
March 3, 2013
Rocky Point Fire
3,162 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Rocky Point | 2013 | 1,491 | 3,162 |
| Brushy Mountain | 2009 | 14,476 | 18,407 |
| Pike | 2009 | 1,444 | 1,442 |
| Callisburg | 2005 | 715 | 5,798 |
| Unnamed | 2005 | 2,677 | 2,678 |
| Unnamed | 2005 | 1,226 | 1,228 |
| Lakemurray | 1996 | 1,042 | 2,451 |
| Unnamed | 1991 | 2,115 | 2,112 |
- 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
Smokiest year
2023: 35 days
Heavy smoke on 8 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
14.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
5 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 18 so far in 2026.
- 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.
Floods and flood insurance
1 federal flood insurance claims since 2010, with $9,956 paid.
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood9
- Flood1
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
Most severe crest
June 19, 2015
Red River near Gainesville, 42.05 ft
17.05 feet above the 25.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
May 4, 2025
Red River near Gainesville, 38.27 ft
Major flooding.
River gauges
| Red River near Gainesville | 25.0 | 42.05 ft | 8 |
- 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.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 156 of 1,581 months since 1895 (10%); the longest spell lasted 18 months.
156
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
52
Months in extreme drought
10%
Share of all months, severe or worse
87
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
September 1956
−6.94, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
18 months
September 1910 to February 1912.
Latest month
September 2026
−3.47, severe drought
- 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.
Earthquakes
2 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.2 in 1995.
31
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
39
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
2
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
January 18, 1995
Magnitude 4.2
4 km SSE of Erin Springs, Oklahoma; 48.6 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
March 1, 2026
Magnitude 3.3
7 km SE of Ratliff City, Oklahoma; 24.1 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Jan 18, 1995 | 4.2 | 48.6 |
| Jun 17, 1959 | 4.2 | 48.3 |
- 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).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
706 events in the National Weather Service record, 533 of them since 1996.
167
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
13
Hail, 2 inches or larger
106
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
27
Winter weather events since 1996
105
Heat events since 1996
11
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
May 10, 2010
4.25 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 30, 2014
106 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 3 | 0 |
| Dust storms and dust devils | 1 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 8 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Apr 27, 2024Tornado$150 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Marietta-Lake Murray-Dickson tornado first produced damage near Peanut Road south of Indian Trails Road about two miles southwest of downtown Marietta. Trees and power poles were damaged near the beginning of the path and a house received some shingle damage. EF2 damage was observed as the tornado moved north-northeast and crossed Indian Trails Road where a home was unroofed and many trees were snapped.||As the tornado turned more northeast, it struck a Dollar Tree Distribution Center just west of Interstate 35 on the west side of Marietta causing significant roof and exterior wall damage to the facility. The company reported that the building and the inventory were not…
- Dec 26, 2000Ice Storm, Love$900,000
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…
- Apr 19, 2025Tornado$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
This tornado developed in far southwestern Love County about one mile north of the Red River and 1 mile east of the Jefferson County line. This slow-moving tornado initially moved northwest and then east. A house suffered significant roof and exterior wall damage and a church suffered roof damage. Trees and power lines were also damaged.
- May 9, 2024Lightning$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
House fire due to a suspected lightning strike. Structure was expected to be a total loss. Event time is approximate.
- Mar 10, 2026Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
A swath of intense damaging winds, associated with a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) mesovortex, impacted areas from southwest to just north of Marietta. Numerous power poles and trees were damaged along Shady Dale and McGehee Roads southwest of town. Several tractor-trailers were blown over along Interstate 35. The most significant damage occurred near the corner of West Creek Street and South 7th Avenue, where a home lost a significant portion of its roof, causing two exterior walls to collapse. Several businesses near Oklahoma Highway 32 and U.S. Highway 77 had varying degrees of roof damage. Intermittent damage to trees and power poles was also noted in Marietta. The…
- Nov 14, 2025Wildfire, Love$200,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Rubotton Fire burned 343 acres in southwestern Love County.
- May 8, 2003Tornado$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
This is the second Oklahoma tornado of three that was produced by a supercell that moved across south central Oklahoma. This strong F2 tornado moved southeast and then turned more easterly before dissipating within Lake Murray State Park. A double-wide mobile home was destroyed by the tornado. A brick home lost two of its walls and the roof was removed. Four other homes were also heavily damaged with roofs removed and walls damaged. Two barns were also damaged. The tornado crossed Interstate 35 near mile marker 21. A tractor trailer was blown off the interstate just south of this location. The state park sustained some tree damage on the southwest side of Lake Murray.
- May 1, 2019Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
A large area of wind damage was observed across southern Love County from near the Red River south of Leon northeast and east toward Burneyville. Damage was primarily to trees, but one home suffered some roof damage and some power poles were damaged. The swath of damaging wind was up to 1.5 miles near and south of Burneyville. Some tree trunks were snapped about 4 miles east of Leon and also just southwest of Burneyville. An EF1 tornado was also embedded within this area of damaging winds (see separate Storm Data entry).
- Mar 15, 2026Wildfire, Love$65,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Oswalt Road Fire burned 346 acres across northwestern Love County, north of Rubottom. The end/control time is estimated.
- Oct 9, 2018Tornado$60,000
National Weather Service narrative
A tornado moved southwest to northeast across Marietta producing tree damage, and creating significant roof damage to at least a couple of homes.
- 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.
Weather records
From Healdton 3 E, 25.8 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1894.
- 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
Median first snow
January 9
Earliest: November 22, 1957
Median last snow
January 29
Latest: March 25, 1965
12 of 56 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Healdton 3 E (USC00344001), 902 ft elevation, 25.8 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.
Federal disaster declarations
26 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, April 30, 2024.
| Apr 30, 2024 | Tornado | DR-4776-OK |
| Jul 19, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4721-OK |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4587-OK |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3555-OK |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4530-OK |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3462-OK |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4453-OK |
| May 26, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4222-OK |
| Feb 2, 2011 | Severe Storm | EM-3316-OK |
| May 24, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1917-OK |
| Feb 25, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1876-OK |
| Jan 30, 2010 | Severe Storm | EM-3308-OK |
| Feb 15, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1820-OK |
| May 9, 2008 | Flood | DR-1754-OK |
| Dec 10, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3280-OK |
| Jul 7, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1712-OK |
| Jan 14, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3272-OK |
| Jan 10, 2006 | Fire | DR-1623-OK |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3219-OK |
| Jun 29, 2001 | Severe Storm | DR-1384-OK |
| Jan 5, 2001 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1355-OK |
| Dec 28, 2000 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3158-OK |
| May 12, 1993 | Severe Storm | DR-991-OK |
| May 18, 1990 | Severe Storm | DR-866-OK |
| Nov 4, 1981 | Flood | DR-649-OK |
| Dec 10, 1973 | Flood | DR-409-OK |
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.
How this compares
Where Love County stands among 77 counties in Oklahoma and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 36 | 70 / 77 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 5 | 33 / 77 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 3 | 2 / 77 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 25,190 | 35 / 77 |
| Flood insurance claims | 1 | 72 / 77 |
| Flood insurance paid | $9,956 | 68 / 77 |
| Disaster declarations | 26 | 63 / 77 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 10 | 75 / 77 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 260 | 71 / 77 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 27 | 76 / 77 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $153 million | 5 / 77 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 8 | 27 / 77 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 156 | 27 / 77 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 14.0 | 71 / 77 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 2 | 47 / 77 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 31 | 25 / 77 |
Neighbouring counties
| Carter County | 66 | 2 |
| Cooke County TX | 62 | 3 |
| Grayson County TX | 72 | 3 |
| Jefferson County | 43 | 2 |
| Marshall County | 38 | 3 |
| Montague County TX | 56 | 2 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- 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.