Oklahoma
Oklahoma City has been hit by more violent tornadoes than any metro in the world. The 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado recorded 302 mph winds. The 2013 Moore tornado was another EF5 on nearly the same path. A storm shelter here is not a luxury. It is survival equipment.
Enter your Oklahoma ZIP for live alerts, forecasts, and county-specific data.
Know your region
Oklahoma City, Moore, Norman, Edmond, Shawnee. The I-35 corridor is the most tornado-dense metro area in the world. The 1999 tornado (EF5, 302 mph) and 2013 tornado (EF5) both struck Moore. The OKC metro has experienced more violent tornadoes than any city on Earth.
Primary hazards: tornadoes, severe storms, flash flooding, ice storms, heat
Lawton, Woodward, Altus, Elk City. Wide-open terrain lets supercells develop into monster storms. The 1947 Woodward tornado killed 107 people. Extreme heat in summer exceeds 110 degrees F. Drought cycles affect agriculture and water supply.
Primary hazards: tornadoes, extreme heat, drought, severe storms
Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Muskogee, McAlester. Flash flooding is the number one killer. The Arkansas River floods through Tulsa. The 2019 floods caused widespread damage. Ice storms cause more power outages here than snow. Tornadoes strike into the foothills.
Primary hazards: flash flooding, tornadoes, ice storms, severe storms
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to OK.
Oklahoma averages 62 tornadoes per year. The 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado had 302 mph winds. The 2013 Moore tornado (EF5) struck nearly the same path. A below-ground shelter is the single most important investment for Oklahoma households.
Read the tornadoes guide →
Oklahoma supercells produce some of the most violent weather on Earth. The 2010 OKC hailstorm caused over $1 billion in damage. Giant hail, destructive straight-line winds, and torrential rain are routine.
Read the supercells and giant hail guide →
Flash flooding is the number one weather killer in Oklahoma. The 2015 floods caused $68 million in damage. Turn Around Don't Drown is not a slogan. It is a survival rule.
Read the flash flooding guide →
The February 2021 cold snap brought sub-zero temperatures and rolling blackouts. Ice accumulation on power lines causes the longest outages. The 2020 ice storm left hundreds of thousands without power.
Read the ice storms guide →
Oklahoma summers routinely exceed 100 degrees F for weeks. The 2011 heat wave set records. Drought amplifies heat. Heat kills more Oklahomans than tornadoes in many years.
Read the extreme heat guide →
Oklahoma resources
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response, manages shelters, and administers the state's safe room rebate program.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. National severe weather outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and the tornado and severe thunderstorm watches that are issued from here for the entire country.
Central Oklahoma forecasts. Tornado warnings, severe storm tracking, and the local forecast discussions from the most storm-savvy NWS office in the country.
Statewide referral. Disaster recovery, safe room financing information, energy assistance, and housing resources.
May 20, 2013
On May 20, 2013, an EF5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people including 7 children at Plaza Towers Elementary School. The tornado tracked nearly the same path as the 1999 EF5 that had devastated the same community 14 years earlier.
The 2013 tornado destroyed 1,150 homes and damaged thousands more. The elementary school had no safe room. The students sheltered in interior hallways. The building collapsed on them. After the 2013 tornado, Oklahoma passed a bond initiative to retrofit schools with storm shelters.
For every Oklahoma household, the lesson is direct: an above-ground interior room is not adequate shelter from an EF5 tornado. A below-ground storm shelter or a FEMA-rated safe room is the only reliable protection. Oklahoma offers rebate programs to help homeowners install them. If you live in the I-35 corridor and do not have a shelter, that is the single most important preparedness investment you can make.