The tornado outbreak of June 8, 1974

36 tornadoesOklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois

36 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 2:42 PM and 11:24 PM CDT, 11 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 22 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · June 8, 1974

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 36 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 Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 36; on Saturday, June 8, 1974
F3 or stronger: 11; 2 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 22; 50th-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 477; Along all the paths
Path miles: 335; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:42 PM to 11:24 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

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

Tornadoes of June 8, 1974

2:42 PM	F3	Oklahoma County OK	8.9	250	0	14
3:11 PM	F2	Oklahoma County OK	4.5	50	0	0
3:18 PM	F3	Oklahoma County OK	10.2	600	0	0
3:30 PM	F1	Garfield County OK	0.2	23	0	0
4:15 PM	F0	Butler County KS	11.4	200	0	0
4:30 PM	F0	Rice County KS	5.2	100	0	0
4:35 PM	F1	Oklahoma County OK	2.5	100	0	0
4:48 PM	F3	Oklahoma County OK	9.0	127	0	0
4:50 PM	F0	Clay County IL	0.1	10	0	0
4:55 PM	F4	Creek County, Tulsa County and 1 more OK	29.0	400	14	150
4:55 PM	F0	White County IL	0.1	10	0	0
5:46 PM	F3	Lincoln County OK	6.8	1,300	0	8
5:55 PM	F1	Lincoln County OK	1.5	50	0	0
6:03 PM	F2	Lincoln County OK	0.1	1,500	0	0
6:10 PM	F0	Elk County KS	0.1	100	0	0
6:15 PM	F0	Peoria County IL	0.1	10	0	0
6:20 PM	F3	Lincoln County OK	2.5	350	0	0
6:35 PM	F2	Creek County OK	4.3	100	0	0
6:40 PM	F2	Tulsa County OK	5.4	60	0	0
6:45 PM	F2	Seminole County OK	11.8	450	0	0
6:50 PM	F3	Tulsa County, Rogers County and 1 more OK	63.6	100	2	80
6:50 PM	F3	Tulsa County, Wagoner County and 2 more OK	48.9	100	0	42
7:00 PM	F4	Lyon County, Osage County and 1 more KS	37.5	1,760	6	177
7:05 PM	F3	Seminole County, Okfuskee County OK	29.9	1,300	0	0
7:50 PM	F2	Pottawatomie County OK	2.0	800	0	0
7:55 PM	F0	Macon County IL	0.1	10	0	0
8:00 PM	F0	Gentry County MO	0.1	10	0	0
8:30 PM	F2	Creek County, Tulsa County OK	14.4	100	0	0
9:00 PM	F0	Crawford County KS	4.3	200	0	0
10:14 PM	F3	Delaware County OK	2.7	150	0	0
10:30 PM	F1	Newton County MO	1.0	150	0	6
10:30 PM	F2	Craig County, Delaware County OK	3.8	100	0	0
10:40 PM	F0	Jasper County MO	0.1	10	0	0
10:40 PM	F1	Newton County MO	2.0	50	0	0
11:00 PM	F1	Nodaway County MO	10.1	400	0	0
11:24 PM	F1	Pittsburg County OK	1.0	67	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, June 8, 1974

Oklahoma	22	10	16
Kansas	5	1	6
Missouri	5	0	0
Illinois	4	0	0

Tornadoes in 1974 · 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.