Major County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Major County: 4.
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. Jan 30, 2002Ice Storm, Major$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Freezing rain began across the northwest third of the state during the evening of the 29th with significant accumulations of ice developing shortly after midnight on the 30th. Freezing rain shifted southward during the early morning of the 30th with moderate to occasionally heavy freezing rain occurring in a 50 to 60 mile wide band, extending from north central Oklahoma, near Ponca City and Perry, southwestward toward Enid, Kingfisher, Oklahoma City, Weatherford, Anadarko, and Hobart. In many areas, the freezing rain continued for 12 to 24 hours, with ice accumulations of 1 to 2 inches commonly observed. As the end of the storm neared, freezing rain transitioned to sleet and snow…

2. Sep 12, 2008Flash Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   At least 100 homes were damaged due to flooding. Numerous streets were also closed due to the very high water. Monetary damages were estimated.

3. Dec 27, 2015Winter Storm, Major$271,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency manager reported 4 to 6 inches of snow and half an inch of ice. Damage estimates reported by local power companies.

4. Jun 21, 2026Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The roof of a building was blown off and landed on the lot of an adjacent car dealership, damaging several cars. Additional roof, tree and power line damage occurred throughout Fairview. The event time is estimated based on radar observations.

5. Jan 14, 2017Ice Storm, Major$140,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The electric cooperatives reported over 150 power outages, likely due to icing, with damage estimates to $140K.

6. Nov 27, 2015Ice Storm, Major$65,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Observed 0.5 inches of ice accumulation. Damage estimates are from local power cooperatives.

7. Jun 8, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$60,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread wind damage was reported in and around Fairview. Seventeen utility poles were blown down. The press box at the high school was blown down and destroyed. Several windows at an automobile dealership were broken. Roof damage was reported at several other businesses. At the Fairview Sooner Co-Op, two silos were destroyed, ruining the 7,000 bushels of grain inside. Monetary damages were estimated.

8. Mar 5, 2026Tornado$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed just south of US-412 and west of N2520 Road. Along US-412, one home along suffered roof damage, two outbuildings and power poles were damaged. As it moved northeast, additional trees and power poles were damaged before the tornado crossed the Cimarron River. Another home suffered minor damage near the end of the tornado path near E0400 Road about 2 miles west of State Highway 8.

9. Jul 19, 1997Flash Flood$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The eastern half of Major County suffered extensive damage to roads and bridges due to flash flooding. County officials estimated the county's losses at $50,000.

10. Mar 5, 2026Tornado$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This tornado developed near or just southwest of the intersection of County Roads E0560 Road and N2430 Road in Major County where it damaged trees and power poles and twisted a stop sign. The tornado quickly intensified as it approached US-60 west of Fairview. A car along US-60 was hit by this tornado and rolled approximately 520 yards to the northeast. A woman and her daughter were killed in his car. Wooden transmission line poles and standard wooden power poles were broken along and north of US-60. The tornado continued northeast through rural areas of Major County damaging additional trees before dissipating east or southeast of the intersection of E0500 Road and N2460 Road…

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

113°F2 times, most recently Jul 30, 1986

All-time low

−21°FFeb 10, 2011

Warmest night

85°FJun 25, 1911

Coldest day

1°F2 times, most recently Dec 23, 1989

Wettest day

8.74 inSep 12, 2008

Snowiest day

19.0 inFeb 22, 1971

Hottest year

2024mean 62.2°F

Coldest year

1976mean 55.0°F

Wettest year

196048.14 in

Driest year

191013.05 in

Snowiest season

55.0 in1987-88

Station Helena 1 Sse (USC00344019), 1,350 ft elevation, 18.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1906 to October 26, 2026; 99.8% 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 USC00344019.
• 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.