NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Norman, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Norman, Oklahoma since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Erin in 2007. Since 1950, 317 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 32 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 317
- EF3 or stronger
- 32
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
77 deaths in all
What the records show for Norman
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Norman; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 44 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Norman begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Erin in 2007, a tropical storm 29 miles away. Norman has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site. The highest rating among the 317 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 20, 2013, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F5 on May 3, 1999, killed 36 people. Of the 317, 28 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 152 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 129. The most recent tornado was on June 6, 2025. Norman has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 94% of the 216 Oklahoma cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 748 times since 1956, with stones up to 4.6 inches. Norman has more hail reports within 10 miles than 96% of the 216 Oklahoma cities.
Compare Norman's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Norman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ErinAug 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Norman: 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 Norman
By decade
- 2020s64(4 EF3+)
- 2010s66(9 EF3+)
- 2000s22(2 EF3+)
- 1990s31(1 EF3+)
- 1980s22(1 EF3+)
- 1970s34(6 EF3+)
- 1960s48(6 EF3+)
- 1950s30(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 1999 | F5 | 11 mi | 37 mi | 36 / 583 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF5 | 7 mi | 13.85 mi | 24 / 212 |
| May 19, 2013 | EF4 | 8 mi | 23 mi | 2 / 10 |
| May 10, 2010 | EF4 | 6 mi | 24 mi | 2 / 49 |
| May 24, 1973 | F4 | 19 mi | 13.3 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Sep 14, 1957 | F4 | 22 mi | 67.5 mi | 2 / 6 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 10 mi | 33.3 mi | 1 / 48 |
| May 10, 2010 | EF4 | 3 mi | 22.25 mi | 1 / 32 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 6 mi | 23.1 mi | 0 / 61 |
| May 8, 2003 | F4 | 9 mi | 17.3 mi | 0 / 134 |
| May 1, 1954 | F4 | 13 mi | 59.2 mi | 0 / 65 |
| Nov 19, 1973 | F3 | 7 mi | 24.2 mi | 5 / 36 |
The strongest 12 of 317, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Norman
The Storm Prediction Center has 748 hail reports within 10 miles of Norman since 1956, made on 254 separate days. Of these, 523 were 1 inch across or larger, and 74 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.6 inches, fell on May 10, 2010. The most recent report is from August 11, 2025. May has the most reports, 228.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Norman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Norman 3SSE, OK, 3 miles south of Norman at 1,128 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.4 inches; the year adds up to 37.6 inches over 54 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 69 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.1 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 37.6 inches is more than at 37 of the 82 Oklahoma stations used on this site (45%). Moore, 9 miles north, has its own station (Oklahoma City Will Rogers Airport, OK): 36.4 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and the same July average high, 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 28 | 1.4 | 3 | 1.2 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 1.6 | 4 | 1.2 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 3.7 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 2.0 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 2.0 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Year | 72 | 50 | 37.6 | 54 | 4.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Norman 3SSE, OK (1,128 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 Norman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 457 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Norman: 331 thunderstorm wind reports, 101 flash floods, 18 floods, 5 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $4.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on October 21, 2017. May has had the most flash floods, 28 of 101. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 206 have had fewer than Norman.
April 19, 2025: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Norman — 2 killed, $100,000 damage.
May 6, 2015: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Norman — 1 killed.
May 7, 2007: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Norman — 3 injured, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “Several roads across the county were closed due to high water. Three water rescues were made due to water over rising near the top of the cars.”
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 Norman's 5 ZIP codes have filed 197 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $3.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1993: 24 claims (12% of all) and $269,000, then Early summer storms in 2015 with 14. The year with the most claims was 2015, with 36. 21% 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, 79 have fewer than Norman.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1993 | 24 | $269,000 |
| Early summer storms2015 | 14 | $427,000 |
Cleveland County, which includes Norman, has been named in 44 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 30 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 10 fires, 10 ice storms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm and Straight-Line Winds, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cleveland County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $111.9 million a year, the 3rd highest of 77 Oklahoma counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $35.8 million (32%), 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).
Norman in the notable storm records: The May 20, 2013 EF5 Tornado in Oklahoma, near Moore
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.