NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Purcell, 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 Purcell, Oklahoma since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Erin in 2007. Since 1950, 218 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 218
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
75 deaths in all
What the records show for Purcell
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Purcell; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 45 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The record near Purcell begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Erin in 2007, a tropical storm 43 miles away. Purcell has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site. The highest rating among the 218 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 20, 2013, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F5 on May 3, 1999, killed 36 people. Of the 218, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 105 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 90. The most recent tornado was on June 6, 2025. Purcell has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 83% of the 216 Oklahoma cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 244 times since 1956, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Purcell has more hail reports within 10 miles than 79% of the 216 Oklahoma cities.
Compare Purcell's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Purcell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ErinAug 19 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 10 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Purcell: 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 Purcell
By decade
- 2020s51(3 EF3+)
- 2010s46(7 EF3+)
- 2000s8(1 EF3+)
- 1990s26(1 EF3+)
- 1980s16
- 1970s21(1 EF3+)
- 1960s32(2 EF3+)
- 1950s18(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 1999 | F5 | 23 mi | 37 mi | 36 / 583 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF5 | 21 mi | 13.85 mi | 24 / 212 |
| May 19, 2013 | EF4 | 17 mi | 23 mi | 2 / 10 |
| May 10, 2010 | EF4 | 20 mi | 24 mi | 2 / 49 |
| Sep 14, 1957 | F4 | 10 mi | 67.5 mi | 2 / 6 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 22 mi | 33.3 mi | 1 / 48 |
| May 10, 2010 | EF4 | 11 mi | 22.25 mi | 1 / 32 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 9 mi | 23.1 mi | 0 / 61 |
| May 8, 2003 | F4 | 23 mi | 17.3 mi | 0 / 134 |
| Nov 19, 1973 | F3 | 16 mi | 24.2 mi | 5 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 2023 | EF3 | 13 mi | 10.9 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Mar 13, 1953 | F3 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 1 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 218, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Purcell
The Storm Prediction Center has 244 hail reports within 10 miles of Purcell since 1956, made on 120 separate days. Of these, 152 were 1 inch across or larger, and 27 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 2, 1994. The most recent report is from May 25, 2025. May has the most reports, 65.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Purcell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Norman 3SSE, OK, 12 miles north of Purcell 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%). Wayne, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Pauls Valley 4 WSW, OK): 38.3 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 95°F against 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 Purcell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 101 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Purcell: 85 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $10.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 94 mph, on May 27, 2001. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 15. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 100 have had fewer than Purcell.
July 11, 2020: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Purcell — $8.0 million damage.
May 27, 2001: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Purcell — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Fourteen buildings sustained structural damage, and 2 cars were overturned. Two mobile homes were destroyed.”
July 10, 2007: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Purcell — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous city streets and alleys were closed due to high water. One-fourth of 180th Street was washed away.”
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 Purcell's ZIP code 73080 have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $422,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Early summer storms in 2015: 10 claims (67% of all) and $402,000. 80% 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, 14 have fewer than Purcell.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Early summer storms2015 | 10 | $402,000 |
McClain County, which includes Purcell, has been named in 44 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 32 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 10 ice storms, 6 fires, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on April 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McClain County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.9 million a year, the 24th highest of 77 Oklahoma counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.2 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).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.