Pittsburg County, Oklahoma

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 40121 · population 43,573 · 1,306 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,125 records for Pittsburg County, Oklahoma from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 629 days; the most frequent are hail reports (433 records). The deadliest single record is the June 11, 1970 tornado: 1 death and 14 injuries. FEMA has issued 33 declarations naming the county since 1970, 31 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on April 30, 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
1,125on 629 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
445 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$53Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
87strongest F4
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 Pittsburg County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 433 since 1957. 52% 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.

Pittsburg County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 433 239 1957-2026 0 0 $1.7M 65 of 77
Severe thunderstorm wind 321 218 1955-2026 0 0 $2.5M 54 of 77
Floods 94 66 1996-2025 2 0 $408K 26 of 77
Tornadoes 87 62 1950-2026 1 44 $37M 52 of 77
Drought 60 60 1998-2026 0 0 – 71 of 77
Heat 51 51 1998-2024 1 0 – 61 of 77
Winter storms 39 39 1996-2026 0 0 $11M 73 of 77
Wildfires 32 32 2005-2026 0 1 $109K 6 of 77
High wind and dust storms 5 5 1998-2025 0 0 – 74 of 77
Extreme cold 1 1 1999-1999 0 0 – 56 of 77
Heavy rain 1 1 1999-1999 0 0 – 45 of 77
Lightning 1 1 1999-1999 0 0 $27K 69 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 Pittsburg County had?

NOAA records 87 tornadoes in Pittsburg County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 44 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 88 tornadoes whose track touched Pittsburg County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 87: 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Pittsburg County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1970-06-11 20:00, as SPC files itLongtownF25.2 mi1
1992-05-11 15:00, as SPC files itKiowaF410 mi0
2025-05-19 16:44, as SPC files itPittsburgEF316 mi0
1997-05-26 19:29, as SPC files itHanna to IndianolaF35 mi0
1966-04-27 19:05, as SPC files itArpelarF38 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oklahoma.

Every tornado record filed for Pittsburg County (87)
The 60 most recent of 87 tornadoes in Pittsburg County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-04-24 Kiowa, Pittsburg County EF1 2.3 mi x 650 yd 0 0 $250K
2025-06-07 Arpelar, Pittsburg County EF1 8.9 mi x 2,000 yd 0 0 $100K
2025-05-19 Pittsburg County EF1 0.3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2025-05-19 Craig, Pittsburg County EF1 3.7 mi x 1,400 yd 0 0 $75K
2025-05-19 Pittsburg County EF3 16 mi x 3,000 yd 0 1 $500K
2024-05-22 Quinton, Pittsburg County EF1 2 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $24K
2024-04-28 Reams, Pittsburg County EFU 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2024-04-26 North Mc Alester, Pittsburg County EF1 1.7 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $47K
2022-05-05 Blocker, Pittsburg County EF1 2.4 mi x 450 yd 0 0 $30K
2022-03-30 Adamson, Pittsburg County EF0 0.6 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $76K
2021-04-28 Mc Alester Sanders F, Pittsburg County EF1 7.4 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $27K
2019-04-30 Bond, Pittsburg County EF2 10 mi x 1,300 yd 0 1 $1.7M
2017-05-18 Celestine, Pittsburg County EF1 4.6 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $18K
2017-05-18 Ashland, Pittsburg County EF1 8.2 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $36K
2015-05-10 Mc Alester Municipal, Pittsburg County EF1 3.8 mi x 240 yd 0 0 $44K
2014-06-23 Haileyville, Pittsburg County EF0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2011-04-24 Scipio, Pittsburg County EF0 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $20K
2011-04-14 Weathers, Pittsburg County EF1 4.4 mi x 700 yd 0 0 –
2011-04-14 Bond, Pittsburg County EF1 5.5 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-10 Hartshorne, Pittsburg County EF2 8 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $274K
2008-05-10 Mc Alester, Pittsburg County EF0 0.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-10 Crowder, Pittsburg County EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-10 Haywood, Pittsburg County EF2 8.2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $685K
2003-04-19 Crowder, Pittsburg County F0 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $80K
2001-05-30 Haileyville, Pittsburg County F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-30 Kiowa, Pittsburg County F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-05-20 Mc Alester, Pittsburg County F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2000-04-23 Hartshorne, Pittsburg County F1 2 mi x 125 yd 0 5 $428K
2000-03-26 Pittsburg County F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1999-06-01 Canadian, Pittsburg County F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1999-06-01 Canadian, Pittsburg County F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1999-05-04 Hartshorne, Pittsburg County F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $886
1998-06-08 Russellville, Pittsburg County F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-08 Quinton, Pittsburg County F1 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $54K
1998-06-08 Blocker, Pittsburg County F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-08 Blocker, Pittsburg County F0 12 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-08 Crowder, Pittsburg County F0 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-08 Indianola, Pittsburg County F0 8 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-08 Scipio, Pittsburg County F0 9 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
1998-05-06 Quinton, Pittsburg County F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $4K
1998-05-06 Quinton, Pittsburg County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-26 Blocker, Pittsburg County F1 4 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $37K
1997-05-26 Indianola, Pittsburg County F3 5 mi x 440 yd 0 1 $184K
1996-08-01 Scipio, Pittsburg County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1996-06-06 Mc Alester, Pittsburg County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1996-04-21 Mc Alester, Pittsburg County F1 5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $188K
1996-04-21 Mc Alester, Pittsburg County F0 3 mi x 100 yd 0 9 $1.4M
1993-04-24 Near Ashland, Pittsburg County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1992-05-11 Pittsburg County F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1992-05-11 Pittsburg County F1 9 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
1992-05-11 Pittsburg County F4 10 mi x 400 yd 0 3 $250K step
1992-05-11 Pittsburg County F2 6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $250K step
1992-05-11 Pittsburg County F1 10 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1991-03-21 Pittsburg County F1 1.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $25K step
1984-04-29 Pittsburg County F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $250K step
1983-05-14 Pittsburg County F2 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1975-01-09 Pittsburg County F1 12.4 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $250K step
1974-11-03 Pittsburg County F1 4.1 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $250K step
1974-06-08 Pittsburg County F1 1 mi x 67 yd 0 0 –
1974-04-11 Pittsburg County F0 11.9 mi x 333 yd 0 2 $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 Pittsburg County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 24, 2026 hail ($30,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Pittsburg County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-22 Thunderstorm WindNorth Mc Alester, Pittsburg County 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-22 Thunderstorm WindMc Alester Municipal, Pittsburg County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-24 HailCenterville, Pittsburg County 1.75 in hail 0 0 $30K
2026-04-24 TornadoKiowa, Pittsburg County EF1 2.3 mi x 650 yd 0 0 $250K
2026-04-01 DroughtPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-03-20 WildfirePittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-03-01 DroughtPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-03-01 WildfirePittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-02-23 WildfirePittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-02-01 DroughtPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-01-23 Winter StormPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 –
2026-01-06 DroughtPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 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 Pittsburg County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1970-06-11 TornadoPittsburg County F2 5.2 mi x 440 yd 1 14 $2.5M step
2020-01-10 Flash FloodAshland, Pittsburg County Portions of several roads were flooded across southwestern Pittsburg County, as a result of three to five inches of rain that fell across the area. A 58 year-old man drove his pickup truck into deep flood water flowing over S Harper Valley Road, where it became inoperable. He exited the vehicle, was swept downstream ... 1 0 $11K
2015-12-27 FloodUlan, Pittsburg County Roads were flooded around Scipio. A man drove a truck into flood waters covering Ragan Road and was drown. 1 0 –
2011-08-01 Excessive HeatPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg A strong ridge of high pressure that dominated the weather across the south central United States for much of July, continued through the first couple weeks of August. Unseasonably hot weather resulted across the region with official records at the Tulsa International Airport indicating that August 2011 was the 5th ... 1 0 –
1996-04-21 TornadoMc Alester, Pittsburg County F0 3 mi x 100 yd 0 9 $1.4M
1954-05-01 TornadoPittsburg County F2 32.9 mi x 33 yd 0 6 $25K step
2000-04-23 TornadoHartshorne, Pittsburg County An F1 tornado touched down north of Hartshorne and lifted 2 miles later northeast of Hartshorne.The tornado destroyed five mobile homes and a frame house. The roofs of four other homes were damaged. The tornado also uprooted large trees and downed power lines. F1 2 mi x 125 yd 0 5 $428K
1992-05-11 TornadoPittsburg County F4 10 mi x 400 yd 0 3 $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 Pittsburg County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2007-01-12 Winter StormPittsburg County · forecast zone Pittsburg 0 0 $11M
2019-04-30 TornadoBond, Pittsburg County EF2 10 mi x 1,300 yd 0 1 $1.7M
1996-04-21 TornadoMc Alester, Pittsburg County F0 3 mi x 100 yd 0 9 $1.4M
2008-05-10 TornadoHaywood, Pittsburg County EF2 8.2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $685K
2025-05-19 TornadoPittsburg County EF3 16 mi x 3,000 yd 0 1 $500K
2008-05-10 TornadoHartshorne, Pittsburg County EF2 8 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $274K
2026-04-24 TornadoKiowa, Pittsburg County EF1 2.3 mi x 650 yd 0 0 $250K
1996-04-21 TornadoMc Alester, Pittsburg County F1 5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $188K

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: June 11, 1970 (tornado, Pittsburg County, 1 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 Pittsburg 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).

Pittsburg County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail5138281371405250
Severe thunderstorm wind3692989826241
Floods––––16224115
Tornadoes1081322510811
Drought––––1122522
Heat––––10618 z17

Heat in the 2010s: 18 records against 6 in the decade before, 18 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 Pittsburg 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?

52% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 31 · Feb 45 · Mar 128 · Apr 198 · May 250 · Jun 160 · Jul 83 · Aug 70 · Sep 49 · Oct 36 · Nov 40 · Dec 35 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Pittsburg County

FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Pittsburg County: 25 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and severe ice storm (6).

Declarations including Pittsburg County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-04-30DR-4776TornadoSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
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
2019-07-12DR-4453Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
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
2013-05-20DR-4117TornadoSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2011-05-27DR-1988Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2011-02-02EM-3316Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-02-25DR-1876Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-01-30EM-3308Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2008-05-14DR-1756Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2008-05-09DR-1754FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2008-05-05DR-1752Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2007-12-10EM-3280Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
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
2001-06-29DR-1384Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2001-01-05DR-1355Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2000-12-28EM-3158Severe Ice StormSevere Winter and Ice Storm
1990-05-18DR-866Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1974-06-10DR-441FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1973-12-10DR-409FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1973-06-13DR-392Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, & Tornadoes
1972-01-14DR-317FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1970-10-14DR-297Severe StormHeavy Rains, Tornadoes & Flooding

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 Pittsburg County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 94 flood or flash flood records for Pittsburg County from 1996 to 2025, on 66 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Pittsburg County ranks 1976th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $409,000 on 26 claims filed in Pittsburg County; the most in one year was 13 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1986: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 13 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2024: 2; 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 Pittsburg County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pittsburg County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.0 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 Pittsburg County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$1.3M1.6 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively High$1.8M30 modeled event-days a year
WildfireRelatively Moderate$2.6Monce in about 49 years (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$1.4M6.8 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.0M25 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.9M1.3 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$106K6.3 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$252K58 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 Pittsburg County

  1. Pittsburg County 1,125
  2. McIntosh County 839
  3. Pushmataha County 738
  4. Atoka County 723
  5. Hughes County 638
  6. Haskell County 596
  7. Latimer County 592
  8. Coal County 509

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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