PlainHazard

Delaware County, Oklahoma

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 40041 · population 40,338 · 738 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 782 records for Delaware County, Oklahoma from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 469 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (270 records). The deadliest single record is the June 17, 2016 heat, filed for the forecast zone Delaware, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 33 declarations naming the county since 1973, 31 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on June 14, 2024.

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
782on 469 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
229 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$138Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
66strongest EF3
FEMA declarations
33latest 2024

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 Delaware County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 270 since 1983. 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.

Delaware County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 270 165 1983-2026 0 1 $3.3M 30 of 77
Hail 261 157 1961-2026 0 0 $1.2M 50 of 77
Tornadoes 66 46 1954-2026 0 28 $39M 28 of 77
Winter storms 52 52 1996-2026 0 0 $93M 22 of 77
Floods 44 40 1996-2026 1 0 $376K 25 of 77
Drought 42 42 2005-2026 0 0 – 69 of 77
Heat 26 26 2006-2024 1 0 – 64 of 77
Wildfires 14 14 2012-2026 0 0 $62K 10 of 77
High wind and dust storms 5 5 1998-2007 0 0 $24K 67 of 77
Lightning 2 2 2001-2002 0 0 $165K 48 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 Delaware County had?

NOAA records 66 tornadoes in Delaware County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 28 injuries recorded in the county. That is 28th of 77 Oklahoma counties and 282nd of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 69 tornadoes whose track touched Delaware County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 66: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Delaware County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2024-05-25 23:59, as SPC files itColcord to DecaturCrossed AR, OKEF37.9 mi0
2011-05-22 17:52, as SPC files itZena to ButlerCrossed MO, OKEF317.93 mi0
2006-03-12 21:09, as SPC files itColcordF329 mi0
2006-03-12 21:37, as SPC files itBentonvilleCrossed AR, OKF325 mi0
1980-04-07 16:50, as SPC files itBerniceF324.8 mi0
1974-06-08 21:14, as SPC files itNew EuchaF32.7 mi0
1959-05-09 17:25, as SPC files itGroveF323.2 mi0
1957-05-20 23:10, as SPC files itTamaha to SallisawF320.4 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oklahoma.

Every tornado record filed for Delaware County (66)
The 60 most recent of 66 tornadoes in Delaware County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-06 Grove Airport, Delaware County EFU 0.5 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2025-06-17 Topsy, Delaware County EF1 3.7 mi x 700 yd 0 0 $20K
2025-04-29 Grove Airport, Delaware County EF1 2.3 mi x 450 yd 0 0 –
2025-04-29 Jay, Delaware County EF1 7.9 mi x 950 yd 0 0 $100K
2025-04-29 Grove, Delaware County EF1 8.7 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $150K
2024-07-21 Jay, Delaware County EFU 0.1 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2024-05-25 Row, Delaware County EF1 1.8 mi x 2,300 yd 0 0 $141K
2024-05-25 Kenwood, Delaware County EF1 1.8 mi x 650 yd 0 0 –
2021-10-10 Eucha, Delaware County EF1 5.9 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2020-05-25 Grove Airport, Delaware County EF0 2.2 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2020-05-25 Maysville, Delaware County EF1 0.3 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2020-05-25 Row, Delaware County EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-22 Cleora, Delaware County EF1 6 mi x 1,100 yd 0 0 $115K
2019-05-22 Jay, Delaware County EF2 16.5 mi x 1,100 yd 0 0 $577K
2019-05-20 Leach, Delaware County EF1 6.9 mi x 600 yd 0 0 $58K
2019-05-20 Leach, Delaware County EF2 9.1 mi x 2,700 yd 0 0 $173K
2019-04-30 Bernice, Delaware County EF1 3.4 mi x 1,100 yd 0 0 $87K
2018-11-30 Flint, Delaware County EF1 5.1 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $59K
2016-04-26 Twin Oaks, Delaware County EF1 10.1 mi x 850 yd 0 0 $123K
2015-05-29 Chloeta, Delaware County EF1 4.1 mi x 1,500 yd 0 0 $12K
2015-05-16 Bernice, Delaware County EF1 4.7 mi x 1,100 yd 0 0 $25K
2015-05-16 Cleora, Delaware County EF1 4.1 mi x 550 yd 0 0 $62K
2015-04-02 Bernice, Delaware County EF1 3.6 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $93K
2013-05-31 Zena, Delaware County EF1 1.8 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2013-04-18 Zena, Delaware County EF2 8 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $507K
2011-05-24 Row, Delaware County EF1 6 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2011-05-24 Leach, Delaware County EF1 7 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2011-05-22 Dennis, Delaware County EF3 16.5 mi x 1,550 yd 0 2 $1.3M
2011-05-22 West Siloam Spgs, Delaware County EF1 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2011-05-22 Moseley, Delaware County EF1 1.7 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2011-05-22 Moseley, Delaware County EF2 2.9 mi x 350 yd 0 12 $525K
2011-05-22 Flint, Delaware County EF2 2.5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $328K
2011-05-22 Twin Oaks, Delaware County EF0 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2011-05-22 Leach, Delaware County EF1 4.7 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $33K
2011-05-22 Cleora, Delaware County EF2 6.7 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $1.3M
2011-05-11 Bernice, Delaware County EF1 1.5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $328K
2011-04-22 Kansas, Delaware County EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2011-04-14 Eucha, Delaware County EF2 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 3 $131K
2010-05-13 Copeland, Delaware County EF1 2.1 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2006-03-12 Leach, Delaware County F3 17 mi x 440 yd 0 8 $4.4M
2006-03-12 Colcord, Delaware County F1 6 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $1.1M
2003-05-16 Flint, Delaware County F1 3.2 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $1.6M
2000-05-24 Grove, Delaware County F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1995-04-17 Colcord, Delaware County F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $10K
1993-10-08 Jay - 3 N Jay, Delaware County F0 2.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1993-05-30 Delaware County F0 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $1.0M
1992-07-30 Delaware County F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd 0 0 –
1991-10-28 Delaware County F1 2 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $250K step
1991-10-28 Delaware County F0 1.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $3K step
1989-06-12 Delaware County F1 3 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
1989-05-08 Delaware County F2 5 mi x 50 yd 0 1 $250K step
1984-04-27 Delaware County F2 2 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1984-03-15 Delaware County F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $30 step
1981-05-23 Delaware County F2 0 0 –
1980-04-07 Delaware County F3 9.3 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1980-04-07 Delaware County F2 1 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $250K step
1974-06-08 Delaware County F3 2.7 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $250K step
1974-05-23 Delaware County F1 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1971-05-22 Delaware County F2 3.8 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1969-04-04 Delaware County F1 0.1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K 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 Delaware County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 hail ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Delaware County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindGrove, Delaware County 65 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindMaysville, Delaware County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-08 Flash FloodGrove Airport, Delaware County 0 0 –
2026-04-28 HailKansas, Delaware County 1.75 in hail 0 0 $50K
2026-04-25 HailGrove, Delaware County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 –
2026-03-06 TornadoGrove Airport, Delaware County EFU 0.5 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2026-03-01 DroughtDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 –
2026-02-20 WildfireDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 –
2026-02-01 DroughtDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 –
2026-01-23 Winter StormDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 –
2026-01-06 DroughtDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 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 Delaware County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2016-06-17 HeatDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware A strong ridge of high pressure aloft was anchored over the south central United States during the middle of the month. This pattern resulted in temperatures in the mid 90s to near 100 across much of eastern Oklahoma. This heat combined with unseasonably high humidity resulted in heat indices in the 105 to 110 degree ... 1 0 –
2008-02-16 Flash FloodJay, Delaware County Runoff from locally heavy rainfall resulted in the flooding of several low water crossings to the east and north of Jay. A man was drowned when he tried to drive through flood waters flowing through one of these low water crossings. 1 0 –
2011-05-22 TornadoMoseley, Delaware County A tornado destroyed six mobile homes, injuring twelve people, and rolled several vehicles. A number of large trees were snapped or uprooted and a barn was destroyed by the tornado. Maximum estimated wind in the tornado based on this damage was about 125 mph. EF2 2.9 mi x 350 yd 0 12 $525K
2006-03-12 TornadoLeach, Delaware County The first tornado, which touched down in northwestern Cherokee County, continued into southern Delaware County. Damage suggested the tornado widened and strengthened as it moved through southern Delaware County reaching a maximum width of around 1/4 of a mile. The tornado damaged 95 homes, destroying 42 of those ... F3 17 mi x 440 yd 0 8 $4.4M
2011-04-14 TornadoEucha, Delaware County A tornado destroyed a mobile home, injuring three people. Several other mobile homes were severely damaged. Trees were snapped or uprooted. Maximum estimated wind in the tornado based on this damage was about 125 mph. EF2 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 3 $131K
2011-05-22 TornadoDennis, Delaware County This is the first of two segments of this tornado. The tornado developed about 2.5 miles west-southwest of Zena, moved east-northeast across Grand Lake and then south of Zena crossing Highway 59 just north of the intersection with Highway 127. Permanent homes were damaged, barns and outbuildings were destroyed, mobile ... EF3 16.5 mi x 1,550 yd 0 2 $1.3M
2003-05-16 TornadoFlint, Delaware County A F1 tornado touched down near Flint on Flint Creek or about 5 miles east southeast of community of Kansas. The tornado was on the ground for 3.2 miles and was 200 yards wide. Approximated 30-40 mobile homes and travel trailers were damaged or destroyed. Several automobiles were also damaged.Two people were taken to a ... F1 3.2 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $1.6M
1989-05-08 TornadoDelaware County F2 5 mi x 50 yd 0 1 $250K 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.

The costliest records in Delaware County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2007-12-09 Ice StormDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 $50M
2011-02-01 BlizzardDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 $39M
2006-03-12 TornadoLeach, Delaware County F3 17 mi x 440 yd 0 8 $4.4M
2007-01-12 Winter StormDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 $4.3M
2003-05-16 TornadoFlint, Delaware County F1 3.2 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $1.6M
2011-05-22 TornadoCleora, Delaware County EF2 6.7 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $1.3M
2006-03-12 TornadoColcord, Delaware County F1 6 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $1.1M
1993-05-30 TornadoDelaware County F0 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $1.0M

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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 7, 1980 (tornado, Delaware County); April 27, 1984 (tornado, Delaware County).

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 Delaware 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).

Delaware County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind00012103824825
Hail02415113693226
Tornadoes5237642712
Winter storms––––7181413
Floods––––819143
Drought––––091815

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

What time of year?

Records by month in Delaware County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 32 · Feb 39 · Mar 95 · Apr 114 · May 178 · Jun 71 · Jul 68 · Aug 50 · Sep 29 · Oct 37 · Nov 35 · Dec 34 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Delaware County

FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Delaware County: 26 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (18) and severe ice storm (7).

Declarations including Delaware County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-06-14DR-4791Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
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
2020-04-05DR-4530BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3462BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-01DR-4438Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2017-07-25DR-4324TornadoSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2017-05-26DR-4315Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2016-02-10DR-4256Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2015-05-26DR-4222Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2011-06-06DR-1989Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2011-05-27DR-1988Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
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
2008-05-09DR-1754FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2007-12-18DR-1735Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-12-10EM-3280Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-07-07DR-1712Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2007-02-01DR-1678Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-01-14EM-3272Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2006-04-13DR-1637Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2006-01-10DR-1623FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-05EM-3219HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2003-05-10DR-1465Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2001-01-05DR-1355Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
1990-05-18DR-866Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1986-10-14DR-778FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1974-06-10DR-441FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
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 Delaware County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 44 flood or flash flood records for Delaware County from 1996 to 2026, on 40 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Delaware County ranks 1236th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.7 million on 115 claims filed in Delaware County; the most in one year was 29 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1987: 1 · 1990: 3 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2004: 5 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 6 · 2009: 8 · 2011: 20 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 22 · 2017: 7 · 2019: 29 · 2025: 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 Delaware County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Delaware County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.9 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 Delaware County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$1.8M1.6 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$1.3M6.7 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.2M17 modeled event-days a year
WildfireRelatively Moderate$936Konce in about 137 years (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$3.5Mabout once a year (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Moderate$17M1.4 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$131K10 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$1.6M1.7 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 Delaware County

  1. Benton County, AR 1,346
  2. Mayes County 999
  3. Cherokee County 927
  4. Ottawa County 795
  5. Delaware County 782
  6. McDonald County, MO 779
  7. Craig County 733
  8. Adair County 622

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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