The tornado outbreak of May 4, 1960

25 tornadoesOklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas

25 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 2:40 PM and 11:15 PM CST, 7 of them rated F3 or stronger.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 4, 1960

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 25 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Standard Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 25; on Wednesday, May 4, 1960
F3 or stronger: 7; 2 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 0; Along all the paths
Injured: 28; Along all the paths
Path miles: 103; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:40 PM to 11:15 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 2 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of May 4, 1960

2:40 PM	F0	Motley County TX	0.1	10	0
5:20 PM	F3	Sherman County KS	7.1	10	0
5:40 PM	F1	Tillman County OK	1.0	10	0
5:40 PM	F1	Tillman County OK	1.0	50	0
5:43 PM	F2	Ness County KS	6.1	1,000	0
5:45 PM	F2	Ness County KS	0.1	10	0
6:00 PM	F2	Cotton County OK	4.9	150	0
6:10 PM	F2	Erath County TX	0.3	33	0
6:20 PM	F1	Erath County TX	0.2	10	0
6:30 PM	F0	Sherman County KS	0.5	10	0
6:30 PM	F1	Comanche County OK	0.1	10	3
6:43 PM	F1	Cotton County OK	0.1	10	0
6:45 PM	F1	Comanche County OK	0.1	10	0
6:58 PM	F3	Rogers County OK	0.1	10	0
7:20 PM	F0	Palo Pinto County TX	1.0	20	0
7:20 PM	F3	Tarrant County TX	7.4	500	12
7:45 PM	F2	Cleveland County OK	5.2	50	0
7:45 PM	F3	Pontotoc County OK	18.3	10	6
7:55 PM	F3	Oklahoma County OK	5.1	400	4
8:05 PM	F4	Pottawatomie County, Seminole County OK	8.0	10	0
9:00 PM	F2	Jackson County AR	1.0	417	0
9:00 PM	F1	Parker County TX	1.5	33	0
9:16 PM	F4	Choctaw County, Pushmataha County OK	30.8	150	3
10:00 PM	F1	Denton County TX	2.0	67	0
11:15 PM	F1	Hopkins County TX	1.0	30	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 4, 1960

Oklahoma	12	5
Texas	8	1
Kansas	4	1
Arkansas	1	0

Tornadoes in 1960 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.