Weather Blog: Oklahoma's 2024 Severe Weather Season Breaks Records

Oklahoma experienced a historic year for severe weather in 2024, shattering previous records and reminding residents of the state's reputation for tornado activity. The final numbers are in, and they are astonishing:

1. 152 tornadoes touched down, breaking the previous record of 149 set in 2019.

1. The season began with two tornadoes in March and ended with the last one in mid-November.
2. 196 tornado warnings were issued statewide, the highest number in the nation for 2024.
3. 988 severe thunderstorm warnings covered every square inch of Oklahoma at some point during the year.

Look at the map and see how many locations had multiple warnings over the year. Countless Oklahoma took shelter multiple times. 

When you plot the warnings, you see every square inch of Oklahoma was covered. Of course, this doesn't mean severe storms hit the entire region, but they were certainly in the vicinity. 

The tornado path and ratings across Oklahoma also show just how widespread the coverage of storms was.

Most move in a southeast-to-northwest direction. However, you will notice and remember the tornado in southwest Oklahoma near Altus. Its path created a backward "C" as it moved directly toward Altus, shifted north, then northwest, before lifting.

Unfortunately, the year’s historic activity came with significant destruction and loss. Eight tornado-related fatalities were reported, and countless Oklahomans took shelter multiple times as storms threatened their communities.