NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Watonga, 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 Watonga, Oklahoma since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Erin in 2007. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 106
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Watonga
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Watonga; the strongest was Erin in 2007, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. The record near Watonga 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 Watonga. The strongest of the 106 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 10, 1967; its path came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on May 24, 2011, killed 1 person. Of the 106, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 53. The most recent tornado was on June 14, 2025. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Watonga. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 139 times since 1961, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 216 Oklahoma cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Watonga.
Compare Watonga's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Watonga
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ErinAug 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 10 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Watonga: 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 Watonga
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s11(1 EF3+)
- 2000s9
- 1990s20(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s22(3 EF3+)
- 1950s12
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10, 1967 | F4 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF3 | 17 mi | 13.2 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 4, 1961 | F3 | 17 mi | 9.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 3, 1999 | F3 | 16 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 7, 1971 | F3 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1967 | F3 | 15 mi | 16.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 29, 2004 | F2 | 2 mi | 19.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1998 | F2 | 3 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 22, 1985 | F2 | 24 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1981 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1979 | F2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 2, 1977 | F2 | 9 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Watonga
The Storm Prediction Center has 139 hail reports within 10 miles of Watonga since 1961, made on 108 separate days. Of these, 83 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on June 1, 1981. The most recent report is from June 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 43.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Watonga
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Watonga, OK, 2 miles southeast of Watonga at 1,530 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 24°F. May and June are the wettest at 4.0 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 31.8 inches over 48 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 78 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 93 nights a year. That 31.8 inches is more than at 18 of the 82 Oklahoma stations used on this site (22%). Kingfisher, 28 miles east, has its own station (Kingfisher, OK): 36.5 inches a year, 4.7 more than here, and the same July average high, 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 24 | 1.1 | 2 |
| Feb | 53 | 26 | 1.3 | 3 |
| Mar | 62 | 35 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 3.0 | 5 |
| May | 80 | 55 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 65 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Jul | 95 | 70 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Aug | 93 | 68 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Sep | 85 | 60 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Nov | 60 | 34 | 1.8 | 3 |
| Dec | 50 | 26 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Year | 72 | 46 | 31.8 | 48 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Watonga, OK (1,530 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 Watonga
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 82 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Watonga: 69 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 94 mph, on August 11, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 216 Oklahoma cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 26 have had fewer than Watonga.
August 19, 2007: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Watonga — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain and high winds pounded most areas in Blaine county. Rainfall amounts of 5 to 8 inches resulted in widespread flash flooding.”
August 19, 2007: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Watonga — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread wind damage was reported in and near Watonga. Prolonged high winds and numerous severe gusts occurred in and around Watonga from 1 am until around 415 am.”
May 27, 2001: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Watonga — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The roof partially blew off of City Hall. Rain then fell inside causing significant damage.”
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
Blaine County, which includes Watonga, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 10 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 Blaine County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.5 million a year, the 55th highest of 77 Oklahoma counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.9 million (20%), 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 Watonga
- Kingfisher, OK28 mi
- Hydro, OK28 mi
- Okarche, OK28 mi
- Weatherford, OK28 mi
- Hinton, OK29 mi
- Fairview, OK29 mi
- Hennessey, OK35 mi
- El Reno, OK36 mi
- Clinton, OK39 mi
- Piedmont, OK41 mi
- Cashion, OK42 mi
- Minco, OK45 mi
All Oklahoma cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Watonga with another place →