Oklahoma's deadliest tornadoes

Friday, May 9th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

May 3, 1999: A statewide outbreak kills 44 people, most of them in the Oklahoma City metro area. Wind speed of the largest twister was measured at 318 mph, making it the highest wind speed ever recorded. The tornado was rated an F-5. An F-6, which has never been recorded, starts at 319 mph. Fifty-seven tornadoes were recorded in the state during this outbreak.

June 8, 1974: An outbreak of 25 to 30 tornadoes in 19 counties kills 18 people.

May 5, 1961: A tornado on a path from Reichert to Howe in Le Flore County killed 16 people.

May 5, 1960: Twenty-six people were killed in three separate tornadoes, including 16 when a tornado went from Wilburton to Keota to southwest of Sallisaw.

May 25, 1955: The date of the deadliest single tornado in U.S. history. In all, 114 people died including 20 in Blackwell and another 80 across the state line in Udall, Kan.

April 9, 1947: The deadliest tornado outbreak in Oklahoma history killed 116 in Oklahoma and 68 in Texas and Kansas. The storm traveled 221 miles from White Deer, Texas to St. Leo, Kan. A large portion of Woodward was leveled.

April 12, 1945: This outbreak killed 102 people in Oklahoma, including 69 in Antlers and 13 at Muskogee, where many of the victims were students and staff members of the Oklahoma School for the Blind.

June 12, 1942: A tornado in Oklahoma City kills 35.

May 2, 1942: A tornado that traveled from Pottawatomie County to Creek County killed 16.

April 27, 1942: Fifty-two people are killed in a tornado that traveled from Claremore to Pryor.

Nov. 19, 1930: A tornado hits Bethany and Oklahoma City, killing 23 people and injuring 125.

May 2, 1920: Seventy-one people died and 100 were injured when a tornado hit Peggs in Cherokee County.

May 10, 1905: A tornado hits the Snyder area, killing 97.

April 25, 1893: In the worst Oklahoma tornado death toll of the 19th century, 38 people died in the 10 Miles Flats area near Norman.

May 8, 1882: A tornado in McAlester kills 21.