Dewey County, Oklahoma
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 40043 · population 4,466 · 1,000 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 951 records for Dewey County, Oklahoma from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 612 days; the most frequent are hail reports (336 records). The deadliest single record is the April 12, 2018 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Dewey, which covers the county: 1 death and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1973, 33 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Jumping Juniper Fire” on March 22, 2026.
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
- 951on 612 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 110 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $62Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 54strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 2026
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 Dewey County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 336 since 1956. 53% of its hail reports since 1956 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 336 | 201 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $304K | 56 of 77 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 243 | 142 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $692K | 64 of 77 |
| Drought | 116 | 116 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 32 of 77 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 68 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $42M | 25 of 77 |
| High wind and dust storms | 61 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $40K | 7 of 77 |
| Tornadoes | 54 | 46 | 1950-2026 | 0 | 7 | $3.4M | 57 of 77 |
| Heat | 35 | 35 | 2001-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 77 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 77 |
| Floods | 10 | 9 | 1998-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 77 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 2016-2026 | 1 | 3 | $861K | 37 of 77 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 2 | 2007-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 77 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 1997-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 77 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 65 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 Dewey County had?
NOAA records 54 tornadoes in Dewey County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 7 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 55 tornadoes whose track touched Dewey County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 54: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Dewey County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-24 14:20, as SPC files it | Canton | EF3 | 13.2 mi | 1 |
| 2002-04-17 22:33, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oklahoma.
Every tornado record filed for Dewey County (54)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-05 | Putnam, Dewey County | EF0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-15 | Putnam, Dewey County | EF1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2017-05-18 | Cestos, Dewey County | EFU 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-16 | Leedey, Dewey County | EF1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-05-06 | Seiling, Dewey County | EF0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-04-26 | Putnam, Dewey County | EF0 0.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-24 | Hucmac, Dewey County | EF1 0.6 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-19 | Leedey, Dewey County | EF0 5.9 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-05 | Vici, Dewey County | EF1 2.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2006-03-20 | Putnam, Dewey County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2004-03-27 | Vici, Dewey County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-05 | Seiling, Dewey County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2002-04-17 | Seiling, Dewey County | F3 5 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1998-09-21 | Hucmac, Dewey County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 1992-09-05 | Dewey County | F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1992-09-05 | Dewey County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-09-05 | Dewey County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-15 | Dewey County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-03-26 | Dewey County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-10-31 | Dewey County | F2 6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-04-20 | Dewey County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-19 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1982-05-15 | Dewey County | F2 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-10-16 | Dewey County | F1 10.4 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1979-08-21 | Dewey County | F0 8.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-08-02 | Dewey County | F2 8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1977-03-02 | Dewey County | F1 3.8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-06-08 | Dewey County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-04-19 | Dewey County | F2 15.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-06-27 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-06-27 | Dewey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-09-20 | Dewey County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1965-09-20 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-06 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1964-07-25 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-05-05 | Dewey County | F1 1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-05-01 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-05-04 | Dewey County | F2 1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-05-04 | Dewey County | F1 1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-04-30 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-04-30 | Dewey County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1961-04-30 | Dewey County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-05-04 | Dewey County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-05-04 | Dewey County | F1 7.2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-05-03 | Dewey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1958-06-19 | Dewey County | F1 1.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-07-01 | Dewey County | F1 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1956-06-17 | Dewey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-07-04 | Dewey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1955-05-25 | Dewey County | F2 5.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1954-04-29 | Dewey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1952-04-20 | Dewey County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951-05-19 | Dewey County | F2 2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1950-05-16 | Dewey County | F1 7.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 Dewey County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 21, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-28 | HeatDewey County · forecast zone Dewey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindVici, Dewey County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPutnam, Dewey County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPutnam, Dewey County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPutnam, Dewey County | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPutnam, Dewey County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPutnam, Dewey County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPutnam, Dewey County | 72 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Dewey County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Dewey County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Dewey County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | HeatDewey County · forecast zone Dewey | 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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-12 | WildfireDewey County · forecast zone Dewey Several major wildfires were sparked on the 12th. Most significantly (in terms of size/extent) were the Rhea fire (mainly Dewey county, but also affecting Woodward and Custer counties), burning 286,196 acres, causing 1 fatality and 3 injuries (including a burnover of a truck), and destroying 50 structures before it ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 1980-10-16 | TornadoDewey County | F1 10.4 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1965-05-06 | TornadoDewey County | F0 | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1956-07-01 | TornadoDewey County | F1 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1955-05-25 | TornadoDewey County | F2 5.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1950-05-16 | TornadoDewey County | F1 7.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-14 | Ice StormDewey County · forecast zone Dewey | 0 | 0 | $703K | |
| 2015-12-27 | Winter StormDewey County · forecast zone Dewey | 0 | 0 | $451K | |
| 2025-03-14 | WildfireDewey County · forecast zone Dewey | 0 | 0 | $400K | |
| 2005-06-09 | HailVici, Dewey County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 2026-03-22 | WildfireDewey County · forecast zone Dewey | 0 | 0 | $276K | |
| 2005-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Dewey County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $113K |
| 2025-08-24 | Thunderstorm WindRhea, Dewey County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2002-05-05 | TornadoSeiling, Dewey County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 16, 1980 (tornado, Dewey County); May 15, 1982 (tornado, Dewey 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 Dewey 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).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 6 | 11 | 7 | 58 | 87 | 95 | 55 | 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 50 | 69 | 49 | 48 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 20 | 59 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 30 | 24 | 8 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 26 | 12 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
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 1956 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 43 · Feb 42 · Mar 88 · Apr 134 · May 185 · Jun 156 · Jul 92 · Aug 81 · Sep 59 · Oct 27 · Nov 16 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Dewey County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Dewey County: 25 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (18) and severe ice storm (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-22 | FM-5628 | Fire | Jumping Juniper Fire |
| 2025-03-14 | FM-5557 | Fire | 840 Road Fire |
| 2021-02-24 | DR-4587 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-17 | EM-3555 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-12-21 | DR-4575 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4530 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3462 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-06-01 | DR-4438 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2018-06-25 | DR-4373 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-04-13 | FM-5232 | Fire | Rhea Fire Complex |
| 2017-05-26 | DR-4315 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2017-02-10 | DR-4299 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2016-02-10 | DR-4256 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-12-29 | DR-4247 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-05-26 | DR-4222 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-04-08 | DR-4109 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2011-02-02 | EM-3316 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-03-05 | DR-1883 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-02-25 | DR-1876 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-01-30 | EM-3308 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-10-09 | DR-1803 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1775 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-12-10 | EM-3280 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-08-24 | DR-1718 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2007-07-07 | DR-1712 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2007-06-07 | DR-1707 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2007-02-01 | DR-1678 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2007-01-14 | EM-3272 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-01-10 | DR-1623 | Fire | Extreme Wildfire Threat |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3219 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-02-01 | DR-1401 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 2001-06-29 | DR-1384 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1993-05-12 | DR-991 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1974-11-26 | DR-453 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-06-13 | DR-392 | Severe Storm | Severe 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Dewey County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dewey County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.8 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 90 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $215K | once in about 192 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $423K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $162K | 7.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $769K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $582K | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $23K | 9.3 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 Dewey County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in OklahomaEvery Oklahoma tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in OklahomaThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Oklahoma recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Dewey CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Dewey County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis