The tornado outbreak of May 7, 1961

21 tornadoesOklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and 3 more states

21 tornadoes touched down across 6 states between 12:45 AM and 11:30 PM CST, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 3 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 7, 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 21 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: 21; on Sunday, May 7, 1961
F3 or stronger: 6; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 3; Along all the paths
Injured: 37; Along all the paths
Path miles: 222; All the paths end to end
First and last: 12:45 AM 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. One has a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of May 7, 1961

12:45 AM	F0	Cleveland County OK	0.1	10	0	0
1:00 AM	F3	Marion County AR	14.2	1,760	3	9
2:00 AM	F2	Cherokee County KS	5.7	10	0	0
2:00 AM	F2	Searcy County AR	10.8	333	0	0
2:15 AM	F3	Marion County, Ozark County and 1 more AR, MO	43.8	333	0	10
4:00 AM	F2	Wagoner County OK	0.1	10	0	0
8:15 AM	F2	Hickman County, Graves County KY	22.1	10	0	0
8:20 AM	F2	Brown County KS	0.1	10	0	0
8:55 AM	F3	Shackelford County TX	3.6	133	0	0
9:25 AM	F3	Hopkins County, Muhlenberg County and 2 more KY	58.0	880	0	3
3:00 PM	F0	Leavenworth County KS	0.1	10	0	0
3:15 PM	F4	Leavenworth County, Wyandotte County and 2 more KS, MO	26.2	50	0	12
4:15 PM	F1	Jefferson County MO	5.6	50	0	0
5:30 PM	F2	Ray County MO	7.3	50	0	2
6:00 PM	F2	Carroll County MO	9.6	50	0	0
6:06 PM	F2	Osage County OK	0.1	10	0	0
8:15 PM	F0	Montgomery County KS	0.1	10	0	0
9:05 PM	F3	Craig County OK	8.9	400	0	1
10:15 PM	F2	Major County OK	4.9	10	0	0
11:00 PM	F0	Baylor County TX	0.8	17	0	0
11:30 PM	F2	Garfield County OK	0.1	10	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 7, 1961

Oklahoma	6	1	0
Kansas	5	1	0
Arkansas	3	2	3
Missouri	3	0	0
Kentucky	2	1	0
Texas	2	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.