The tornado outbreak of March 26, 1961

27 tornadoesTexas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas

27 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 2:30 PM and 11:30 PM CST, 7 of them rated F3 or stronger.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 26, 1961

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 27 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: 27; on Sunday, March 26, 1961
F3 or stronger: 7; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 0; Along all the paths
Injured: 53; Along all the paths
Path miles: 155; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:30 PM to 11:30 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown.

Tornadoes of March 26, 1961

2:30 PM	F2	Canadian County OK	29.3	10	0
3:00 PM	F2	Houston County TX	1.5	100	1
3:00 PM	F2	Hunt County TX	3.0	880	0
3:28 PM	F0	Noble County OK	0.1	10	0
3:30 PM	F0	Greenwood County KS	0.1	10	0
3:35 PM	F2	Greenwood County KS	2.0	440	1
3:55 PM	F0	Greenwood County KS	0.1	10	0
4:00 PM	F0	Greenwood County KS	0.1	10	0
4:00 PM	F3	Johnson County TX	1.0	50	0
4:00 PM	F2	Johnson County TX	0.3	17	1
4:00 PM	F2	Hopkins County TX	0.8	280	0
4:20 PM	F2	Cherokee County TX	0.5	50	0
4:30 PM	F0	Coffey County KS	0.7	200	0
4:30 PM	F3	Titus County TX	0.2	10	2
5:00 PM	F2	Rogers County, Washington County OK	49.6	10	26
6:56 PM	F3	McIntosh County OK	21.4	200	1
7:10 PM	F2	Hopkins County TX	4.7	250	0
7:10 PM	F2	Hopkins County TX	3.8	250	1
7:30 PM	F3	Franklin County, Titus County TX	13.0	60	1
7:45 PM	F0	Harvey County KS	0.1	10	0
7:45 PM	F3	Ellis County TX	9.1	280	4
8:00 PM	F2	Crawford County KS	2.0	100	0
8:15 PM	F3	Kay County OK	8.0	100	0
8:30 PM	F3	Titus County TX	0.1	10	9
8:40 PM	F2	Kaufman County TX	0.1	10	0
9:30 PM	F1	Wilson County KS	2.0	10	0
11:30 PM	F2	Arkansas County AR	1.5	333	6

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 26, 1961

Texas	13	5
Kansas	8	0
Oklahoma	5	2
Arkansas	1	0

Tornadoes in 1961 · 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.