NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lawton, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lawton, Oklahoma since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Erin in 2007. Since 1950, 134 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 134
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Lawton
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lawton; the strongest was Erin in 2007, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Lawton begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Erin in 2007. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site, 36% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lawton. The highest rating among the 134 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 17, 1976, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 24, 1957, killed 4 people. Of the 134, 15 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 61. The most recent tornado was on May 2, 2025. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities, 75% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lawton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 341 times since 1957, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Lawton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 87% of the 216 Oklahoma cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lawton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ErinAug 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 10 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lawton: 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 Lawton
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s25
- 2000s8
- 1990s20(1 EF3+)
- 1980s12
- 1970s15(2 EF3+)
- 1960s18(1 EF3+)
- 1950s23(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 1957 | F4 | 4 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 5 |
| Apr 17, 1976 | F4 | 19 mi | 32.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 26, 1962 | F4 | 23 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 1979 | F3 | 3 mi | 4.5 mi | 3 / 100 |
| May 1, 1954 | F3 | 18 mi | 12.3 mi | 3 / 3 |
| May 3, 1999 | F3 | 19 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 17, 1958 | F3 | 19 mi | 65.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 1, 1954 | F3 | 25 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 1979 | F2 | 13 mi | 74.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 18, 2019 | EF2 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 14, 1987 | F2 | 9 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 19, 1983 | F2 | 14 mi | 2.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 134, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lawton
The Storm Prediction Center has 341 hail reports within 10 miles of Lawton since 1957, made on 194 separate days. Of these, 232 were 1 inch across or larger, and 38 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 4 inches (softball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 15, 2023. The most recent report is from August 11, 2025. May has the most reports, 113.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lawton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lawton, OK, 2 miles west of Lawton at 1,150 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.2 inches; the year adds up to 34.2 inches over 49 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 83 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 70 nights a year. That 34.2 inches is more than at 25 of the 82 Oklahoma stations used on this site (30%). Walters, 18 miles south, has its own station (Walters, OK): 33.5 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and a July average high of 97°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Feb | 56 | 31 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.3 | 5 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Jul | 96 | 72 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Aug | 96 | 72 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 1.9 | 3 |
| Year | 74 | 50 | 34.2 | 49 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lawton, OK (1,150 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 Lawton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 207 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lawton: 145 thunderstorm wind reports, 52 flash floods, 9 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 4 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on June 15, 2023. May has had the most flash floods, 19 of 52. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 190 have had fewer than Lawton.
April 26, 2025: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Lawton — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “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.”
May 20, 2015: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Lawton — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “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.”
June 12, 2016: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Lawton — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A 94 year old man was on his way to church when his truck was swept off the road and into a flooding creek. |Several vehicles stranded in high water near Sheridan and B streets.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Lawton's 3 ZIP codes have filed 682 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $15.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Early summer storms in 2015: 71 claims (10% of all) and $3.5 million, then Flooding in 1983 with 29 and Thunderstorms in 2007 with 24. The year with the most claims was 2016, with 122. 18% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 92 Oklahoma cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 88 have fewer than Lawton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Early summer storms2015 | 71 | $3.5 million |
| Flooding1983 | 29 | $279,000 |
| Thunderstorms2007 | 24 | $490,000 |
Comanche County, which includes Lawton, has been named in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 8 ice storms, 5 fires, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on July 19, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Comanche County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $50.8 million a year, the 6th highest of 77 Oklahoma counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.7 million (39%), is from inland flooding.
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 Lawton
- Fort Sill, OK6 mi
- Cache, OK11 mi
- Elgin, OK13 mi
- Walters, OK18 mi
- Fletcher, OK19 mi
- Apache, OK20 mi
- Duncan, OK28 mi
- Marlow, OK28 mi
- Rush Springs, OK31 mi
- Comanche, OK31 mi
- Anadarko, OK32 mi
- Frederick, OK34 mi
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