The May 22, 1981 tornado

F4Caddo and Canadian counties, Oklahoma

An F4 tornado on a 16.7-mile path. It was one of 14 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Watch how it happened

F4 tornado · May 22, 1981

How it happened

Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.

About this replay
Local time (CST)—Historical replay — logged times
Distance—of 16.7 miles
Now in—
RatingF4

The tornado

Rating
F4
Fujita scale
Path length
16.7 mi
Width up to 1,333 yards
Killed
0
Along the whole path
Injured
0
Along the whole path
Date and time
Friday, May 22, 1981
6:49 PM CST
That day
14
tornadoes in the U.S.; more on this date

Counties on its path

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database. Path drawn as a straight line from the recorded start to end point.