Comanche County, Oklahoma

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 40031 · population 120,665 · 1,069 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,742 records for Comanche County, Oklahoma from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 862 days; the most frequent are hail reports (786 records). The deadliest single record is the April 10, 1979 tornado: 3 deaths and 100 injuries. FEMA has issued 36 declarations naming the county since 1973, 34 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on July 19, 2023.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $100,000
  • $100,000 or more
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more, or a death
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
  • 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
  • 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
Storm records
1,742on 862 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
12136 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$207Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
65strongest F4
FEMA declarations
36latest 2023

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.

What hazards hit Comanche County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 786 since 1957. 53% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. The rank column places the county among Oklahoma's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Comanche County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 786 332 1957-2026 0 0 $39K 12 of 77
Severe thunderstorm wind 475 287 1957-2026 1 13 $57M 19 of 77
Drought 115 115 2000-2026 0 0 $14M 36 of 77
Floods 101 62 1996-2026 4 0 $3.1M 23 of 77
High wind and dust storms 73 56 1996-2026 0 0 $91K 5 of 77
Tornadoes 65 54 1951-2024 3 112 $130M 47 of 77
Winter storms 58 57 1996-2026 2 3 $888K 48 of 77
Heat 37 37 1996-2025 1 3 – 66 of 77
Extreme cold 12 12 1996-2025 0 0 – 34 of 77
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 7 7 1998-2004 0 0 – 29 of 77
Lightning 6 5 1996-2001 0 5 $120K 30 of 77
Wildfires 6 6 2016-2024 1 0 $697K 39 of 77
Heavy rain 1 1 2007-2007 0 0 – 43 of 77

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Comanche County had?

NOAA records 65 tornadoes in Comanche County from 1951 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 3 deaths and 112 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 67 tornadoes whose track touched Comanche County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 65: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 8 people, 3 of them in Comanche County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Comanche County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1957-05-24 17:30, as SPC files itLawtonF421.6 mi4
1979-04-10 17:05, as SPC files itLawtonF34.5 mi3
1979-04-10 15:55, as SPC files itCentral HighCrossed OK, TXF274.1 mi1

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oklahoma.

Every tornado record filed for Comanche County (65)
The 60 most recent of 65 tornadoes in Comanche County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-05-01 Faxon, Comanche County EFU 0.5 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
2024-04-27 Pumpkin Center, Comanche County EFU 0.3 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2023-06-15 Faxon, Comanche County EF0 3.8 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $10K
2021-10-12 Wichita Mtns Nwr Hq, Comanche County EFU 2.6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2021-10-12 Indiahoma, Comanche County EF0 5.5 mi x 900 yd 0 0 $11K
2020-04-21 Sterling, Comanche County EFU 0.11 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-18 Geronimo, Comanche County EF2 0.5 mi x 60 yd 0 1 $173K
2017-10-21 Indiahoma, Comanche County EFU 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2016-04-29 Elgin, Comanche County EF1 4 mi x 700 yd 0 0 $12K
2015-05-16 Geronimo, Comanche County EF0 6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2015-05-16 Meers, Comanche County EF1 7.14 mi x 400 yd 0 0 –
2014-05-27 Faxon, Comanche County EF0 0.12 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2014-05-07 Wichita Mtns Nwr Hq, Comanche County EF0 1.5 mi x 400 yd 0 0 –
2013-04-17 Cache, Comanche County EF0 3.41 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $253K
2011-11-07 Wichita Mtns Nwr Hq, Comanche County EF0 11 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2007-05-08 Lake Ellsworth Dam, Comanche County EF0 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2005-09-30 Cache, Comanche County F1 4 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $8K
2005-06-04 Pumpkin Center, Comanche County F0 3.5 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2003-03-17 Pumpkin Center, Comanche County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1999-05-03 Elgin, Comanche County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1999-05-03 Medicine Park, Comanche County F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1998-10-04 Medicine Park, Comanche County F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-25 Fletcher, Comanche County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1995-04-16 Faxon, Comanche County F1 0.25 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $97K
1992-06-23 Comanche County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1987-02-14 Comanche County F2 3.5 mi x 200 yd 0 1 $2.5M step
1983-10-19 Comanche County F2 2.6 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1983-06-13 Comanche County F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1983-05-13 Comanche County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $30 step
1982-05-20 Comanche County F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1982-05-20 Comanche County F0 0 0 $3K step
1982-05-16 Comanche County F0 4 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1982-05-05 Comanche County F0 0 0 $30 step
1980-09-08 Comanche County F1 2.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1979-06-08 Comanche County F1 0.3 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $3K step
1979-04-10 Comanche County F2 14 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –
1979-04-10 Comanche County F3 4.5 mi x 170 yd 3 100 $25M step
1979-04-10 Comanche County F1 7.1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $3K step
1978-09-05 Comanche County F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1978-04-05 Comanche County F2 9.6 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-06-02 Comanche County F2 2.3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-05-24 Comanche County F0 0.4 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1973-03-13 Comanche County F2 0 5 $25K step
1971-02-18 Comanche County F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd 0 1 $25K step
1968-06-15 Comanche County F0 0 0 $30 step
1968-05-29 Comanche County F0 0 0 –
1968-05-02 Comanche County F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $250 step
1965-08-06 Comanche County F2 0.7 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1964-04-23 Comanche County F0 0 0 –
1962-05-24 Comanche County F0 0 0 –
1962-05-20 Comanche County F0 0 0 –
1961-06-07 Comanche County 0 0 –
1960-05-04 Comanche County F1 0 0 $3K step
1960-05-04 Comanche County F1 0 3 $25K step
1958-04-02 Comanche County F1 8 mi x 880 yd 0 0 $25K step
1957-05-24 Comanche County F0 0 0 $30 step
1957-05-24 Comanche County F4 8.6 mi x 880 yd 0 0 $250K step
1957-05-22 Comanche County F0 0 0 $30 step
1954-04-29 Comanche County F1 0 0 $30 step
1953-03-29 Comanche County F1 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $3K step

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Comanche County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($250,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

At least nine homes sustained varying degrees of thunderstorm wind damage near the intersection of Goodin Road and Trail Road. At least two lost significant portions of their roof decking. Additionally, several outbuildings and barns were severely damaged, experiencing roof and/or wall loss. A small broadcast tower also collapsed in this area. The event time is estimated based on radar observations.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1355727)
The 12 most recent records kept for Comanche County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindPumpkin Center, Comanche County 78 kt wind 0 0 $250K
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindGeronimo, Comanche County 61 kt wind 0 0 $15K
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindLawton, Comanche County 61 kt wind 0 0 $25K
2026-06-11 HailGeronimo, Comanche County 0.88 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindGeronimo, Comanche County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindLawton, Comanche County 65 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindLawton, Comanche County 69 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindLawton, Comanche County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindFort Sill, Comanche County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-01 DroughtComanche County · forecast zone Comanche 0 0 –
2026-05-09 Thunderstorm WindPumpkin Center, Comanche County 56 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2026-05-09 Thunderstorm WindSterling, Comanche County 61 kt wind 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Records with deaths or injuries in Comanche County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1979-04-10 TornadoComanche County F3 4.5 mi x 170 yd 3 100 $25M step
2007-12-09 Ice StormComanche County · forecast zone Comanche Numerous trees and power lines downed, causing power outages in Fletcher. Icy roads also became a problem as the event unfolded. Although more significant icing did not occur until later in the day, one accident resulted in a fatality, with three additional injuries. The accident occurred on US HWY 52, 12 miles east ... 1 3 –
2025-12-01 Winter WeatherComanche County · forecast zone Comanche Freezing rain and sleet led to slick and hazardous travel across the county during the morning of the 1st. A fatal auto accident occurred on Interstate 44/H.E. Bailey Turnpike around 0600 LST. 1 0 –
2025-04-26 Flash FloodMedicine Park, Comanche County Numerous relayed images and videos showing extensive flash flooding in and around the community of Lawton. Multiple water rescues were performed, and multiple vehicles were stranded in floodwaters. A man drowned when his vehicle became submerged in floodwaters near the intersection of 2nd Street and F Avenue. Event ... 1 0 $250K
2022-03-20 WildfireComanche County · forecast zone Comanche A firefighter died while responding to the fire after becoming separated from her vehicle. 1 0 –
2016-06-12 Flash FloodLawton, Comanche County A 94 year old man was on his way to church when his truck was swept off the road and into a flooding creek. His body was recovered, still in his truck, Monday afternoon. Several vehicles stranded in high water near Sheridan and B streets. Water was over one foot deep at the intersection of 27th street and G ave. 11th ... 1 0 $12K
2015-05-20 Flash FloodFort Sill, Comanche County A man was swept away while attempting to take a vehicle across a low water crossing. The man's body was not found until several days later well downstream. The vehicle was swept into Medicine Creek at Fort Sill. 1 0 $37K
2010-06-14 Flash FloodLawton, Comanche County Numerous roads were closed due to high water. Several motorists had to be rescued after their automobiles stalled in the high water. One person drowned while trying to push his car out of the high water near NW Farris and 13th Street. No other serious injuries were reported. 1 0 –

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

The costliest records in Comanche County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2001-05-27 Thunderstorm WindLawton, Comanche County 1 0 $18M
2001-05-27 Thunderstorm WindFt Sill Aaf, Comanche County 0 0 $17M
1993-08-23 Thunderstorm WindLawton Municipal Airp, Comanche County 0 0 $10M
1999-05-31 Thunderstorm WindIndiahoma, Comanche County 0 3 $8.9M
2015-05-23 Flash FloodCache, Comanche County 0 0 $996K
2015-12-27 Ice StormComanche County · forecast zone Comanche 0 0 $608K
2021-12-10 WildfireComanche County · forecast zone Comanche 0 0 $545K
2002-08-27 Thunderstorm WindLawton, Comanche County 0 0 $410K

Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 10, 1979 (tornado, Comanche County, 3 killed).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Comanche County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Comanche County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail4271665209140175150
Severe thunderstorm wind619204910310110077
Drought––––01663 z36
Floods––––10184330
High wind and dust storms––––6211729
Tornadoes11101096496

Drought in the 2010s: 63 records against 16 in the decade before, 63 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Comanche County days with a record above.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

53% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 53 · Feb 73 · Mar 161 · Apr 259 · May 431 · Jun 283 · Jul 101 · Aug 113 · Sep 72 · Oct 98 · Nov 47 · Dec 51 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Comanche County

FEMA's register lists 36 declarations that include Comanche County: 25 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 4 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and severe ice storm (8).

Declarations including Comanche County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2023-07-19DR-4721Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2021-02-24DR-4587Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-17EM-3555Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-12-21DR-4575Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-04-05DR-4530BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3462BiologicalCovid-19
2016-07-15DR-4274FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2016-02-10DR-4256Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2015-05-26DR-4222Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2011-09-03FM-2956FireFerguson Fire
2011-06-24FM-2932FireMedicine Park Fire
2011-04-15FM-2890FireGoodyear Plant Fire
2011-02-02EM-3316Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-03-05DR-1883Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-02-25DR-1876Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-01-30EM-3308Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2009-02-17DR-1823Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2007-12-10EM-3280Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-08-31DR-1723Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2007-08-24DR-1718Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2007-07-07DR-1712Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2007-06-07DR-1707Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
2007-02-01DR-1678Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-01-14EM-3272Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2006-01-10DR-1623FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-05EM-3219HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2003-07-22FM-2482FireOk - Big Rock Fire - 07/18/03
2002-02-01DR-1401Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2001-06-29DR-1384Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2001-01-05DR-1355Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2000-11-27DR-1349Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1987-07-09DR-794FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1986-10-14DR-778FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1983-10-26DR-693FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1979-04-13DR-576TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1973-06-13DR-392Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, & Tornadoes

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Comanche County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 101 flood or flash flood records for Comanche County from 1996 to 2026, on 62 days, with 4 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Comanche County ranks 365th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $23.4 million on 835 claims filed in Comanche County; the most in one year was 136 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 35 · 1979: 5 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 26 · 1982: 38 · 1983: 32 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 21 · 1986: 8 · 1987: 42 · 1988: 7 · 1989: 26 · 1990: 3 · 1991: 3 · 1992: 31 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 11 · 1996: 21 · 1997: 3 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 11 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 4 · 2007: 91 · 2008: 5 · 2009: 12 · 2010: 4 · 2013: 32 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 130 · 2016: 136 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 9 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 17 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 36 · 2026: 1; the other years: 0.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Comanche County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Comanche County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $50.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

National Risk Index ratings for Comanche County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$1.6M1.2 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$3.7M5.4 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively High$11M1.1 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively High$6.7M1.7 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively High$344K8.2 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$2.0M12 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Moderate$1.8Monce in about 174 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Moderate$20M2 a year (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Comanche County

  1. Comanche County 1,742
  2. Caddo County 1,612
  3. Grady County 1,546
  4. Kiowa County 1,380
  5. Stephens County 1,341
  6. Tillman County 1,295
  7. Cotton County 811

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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