NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Altus, OK
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Altus, Oklahoma since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Erin in 2007. Since 1950, 180 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 180
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Altus
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Altus; the strongest was Erin in 2007, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site, 83% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Altus. The highest rating among the 180 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on November 7, 2011, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 11, 1982, killed 2 people. Of the 180, 22 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 84. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Altus has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 216 Oklahoma cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 343 times since 1957, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Altus has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 216 Oklahoma cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Altus
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ErinAug 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Altus: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Altus
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s21(2 EF3+)
- 2000s10
- 1990s24
- 1980s35(3 EF3+)
- 1970s19(3 EF3+)
- 1960s22(1 EF3+)
- 1950s34(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2011 | EF4 | 13 mi | 17.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1954 | F4 | 16 mi | 68.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 11, 1982 | F3 | 5 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 18 |
| Apr 28, 1950 | F3 | 17 mi | 20.8 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 16, 2015 | EF3 | 11 mi | 40.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 1982 | F3 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 1982 | F3 | in town | 4 mi | 0 / 41 |
| May 20, 1977 | F3 | 17 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1977 | F3 | 3 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 18, 1973 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Jun 7, 1960 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 1958 | F3 | 24 mi | 65.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 180, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Altus
The Storm Prediction Center has 343 hail reports within 10 miles of Altus since 1957, made on 174 separate days. Of these, 249 were 1 inch across or larger, and 49 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 25, 1999. The most recent report is from April 28, 2025. May has the most reports, 135.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Altus
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK, 4 miles south of Altus at 1,380 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 97°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 27.8 inches over 44 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 100 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 86 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.1 inches a year, most of it in January and December. That 27.8 inches is more than at 7 of the 82 Oklahoma stations used on this site (9%). Mangum, 19 miles northwest, has its own station (Mangum, OK): 26.5 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and a July average high of 95°F against 97°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 25 | 1.2 | 2 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 58 | 29 | 1.1 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 67 | 38 | 1.7 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 76 | 46 | 2.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| May | 84 | 58 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 93 | 68 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 97 | 71 | 2.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 96 | 70 | 3.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 62 | 2.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 2.7 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 37 | 1.4 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 54 | 28 | 1.3 | 2 | 1.3 |
| Year | 76 | 48 | 27.8 | 44 | 4.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Altus Irig Rsch Stn, OK (1,380 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Altus
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 234 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Altus: 218 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $758.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 18, 1996. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 85 have had fewer than Altus.
June 5, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Altus — 1 injured, $750.0 million damage.
NWS: “Substantial wind damage was reported in Altus. One hundred and seventy-nine homes sustained some kind of damage, with two destroyed, five with major damage, forty-three with minor damage, and one hundred twenty-nine affected.”
March 23, 2009: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Altus — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “A semi-truck flipped on westbound US Highway 62 at mile marker 62. One injury was reported.”
June 5, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Altus — $6.4 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous large tree limbs were downed around town. Monetary damages were estimated.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Jackson County, which includes Altus, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 8 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 14, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and hail; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $54.4 million a year, the 5th highest of 77 Oklahoma counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $44.2 million (81%), is from strong wind.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Altus
- Mangum, OK19 mi
- Frederick, OK25 mi
- Hobart, OK29 mi
- Hollis, OK34 mi
- Vernon, TX34 mi
- Quanah, TX35 mi
- Cache, OK39 mi
- Fort Sill, OK48 mi
- Cordell, OK49 mi
- Lawton, OK50 mi
- Electra, TX51 mi
- Sayre, OK51 mi
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