Disasters, whether natural or man-made, are tragic and often lead to the loss of life.  Oklahoma has experienced some of the most horrific disasters in history, but they have made us stronger as a state and as individual communities. From deadly tornadoes to home-grown terrorism, the Sooner State has sadly endured some tragic events that have brought us together and taught us to be strong in the hard times. Here are some of the most horrifying disasters in Oklahoma history:

1. The Picher Lead Contamination: 1967-Present
Tyson Luneau/Flickr
Picher, Oklahoma, once was one of the most productive lead and zinc mining areas in the world. It was a busy town full of residents and businesses, but it's now an eerie ghost town. The lead contamination in Picher is listed as one of the top 10 worst man-made environmental disasters in America (whoops). Picher was declared a Tar Creek Superfund Site in 1981, and the EPA calls it the most toxic place in America even to this day. The town's residents reported high levels of lead in their blood, and the cancer rates skyrocketed. Coincidentally, a vicious EF4 tornado destroyed most of the remaining buildings in 2008, and any straggling residents remaining left shortly after.
2. The (Second) Moore/Newcastle EF5 Tornado: 2013
Ks0stm/Wikimedia
A 1.08-mile wide tornado was on the ground for 39 minutes, and was rated an EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. 24 people were killed, including children, and the destruction was complete and total. The damage was estimated at over 2 billion dollars, and is one of the absolute worst in Oklahoma history. EF5 tornadoes are incredibly rare, however, the Moore area has been hit by more than one in recent years, which is astonishingly unlikely.
3.) The Oklahoma City Bombing: 1995
Staff Sergeant Preston Chasteen/Wikimedia
This horrific act of terrorism changed Oklahoma forever. On April 19, 1995, The Alfred P. Murrah building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. The bombing killed 168 people and injured over 680 others. Over 324 buildings in the area were also damaged in the blast. Today, a memorial commemorates those lost to this horrific act of evil. When it comes to horrifying disasters in Oklahoma, we're not sure it gets a whole lot worse than this.
4. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s
Arthur Rostein/rocor/Flickr
Back in the 1930s, Oklahoma was essentially a desert. The land was overused and, when drought hit, the result was incredible dust storms. The land was originally covered with grasses that would keep the soil in place, but over-farming and over-grazing of cattle caused the land to lose its precious topsoil. The resulting dust storms would cause zero visibility and leave everything covered in thick dirt, even the insides of homes. The Dust Bowl lasted for over a decade, and forced many people to migrate away from Oklahoma.

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5. The Historic 2015 Flooding
usacetulsa/Flickr
May 2015 is to this day the wettest single month on record in Oklahoma. Many areas of the Sooner State suffered its worst flooding ever. The record amount of rainfall for the state capital, Oklahoma City, was set as 19.48 inches in the month of May. Several drownings and deaths occurred as a result of the disaster.
6. The Woodward Tornado: 1947
Weather.gov
The deadliest tornado to ever strike Oklahoma happened in the town of Woodward on April 9, 1947. It struck Woodward in the evening hours, and the total death toll was 116 in Oklahoma and 181 total, including many in Texas. The tornado was rated an F5 on the Fujita Scale. After this devastating tornado, the National Weather Service (previously known as the Weather Bureau) began a tornado watch and warning program in 1953. Nowadays, warnings are issued in advance - when this tornado occurred, Okies had no such luxury.
7. The I-40 Bridge Collapse: 2002
Xpda/Wikimedia
On May 26, 2002, Captain Joe Dedmon experienced a lapse of unconsciousness, which in turn caused him to lose control of his tow - causing the barges he was controlling to collide with the I-40 bridge pier. A 580-foot section of the bridge plunged into the Arkansas River near Webbers Fall. Several cars and tractors fell into the river, killing 14 people and injuring 11 others.
8. The Tornado Outbreak of 1999
Daphne Zaras/National Severe Storms Laboratory
A total of 74 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma and Kansas in less than 21 hours. 46 people were killed, and over 800 people were injured due to this outbreak. Ask any Okie where they were on May 3rd, 1999, and they'll probably be able to tell you. This tornado outbreak notably produced the (first) Bridge Creek/Moore F5 tornado.

Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones or who were affected by these disasters. Do you have any harrowing tales of survival in an Oklahoma disaster? If you’d like to tell your story, do so in the comments below.

Need a break from destruction for now? Check out this list of awesome road trips you can take in Oklahoma!

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Horrifying Disasters in Oklahoma

Tori Jane | April 22, 2021

What kind of natural disaster in Oklahoma is the most common?

Well, the first and foremost answer to this question is tornadoes and large hail. In terms of severe weather, Oklahoma takes the top spot in plenty of unfortunate categories; in terms of tornadoes, we come in second, following Texas. Oklahoma sees, on average, about 52 confirmed tornadoes per year, while Texas sees a little over two times that. However, we also see a lot of severe hailstorms, which cause up to $2.3 million in damage to crops every year (not even including home and property damage!). Flooding is another issue, though not as common as hail. Take a look at this article for some interesting tornado statistics. 

 What were the worst tornadoes in Oklahoma history?

Oklahoma is no stranger to severe weather, including tornadoes - and some of those tornadoes tend to be incredibly strong. Though the risk of enduring an EF4 or EF5 tornado in any given year is incredibly rare, it does happen - and when it happens, it’s terrible. The Woodward, Oklahoma, tornado of 1947 killed 116 people and injured more than 600 others. It was rated an F5 (the Fujita scale used to measure the damaging power of a tornado was upgraded to the Enhanced Fujita Scale in 2007, hence the difference in rating in this section). The Bridge Creek/Newcastle/Moore F5 tornado of 1999 was an incredible monster, absolutely decimating everything in its path. Almost the same area was under the gun again in 2013, when an EF5 monster ripped through Moore and parts of Newcastle, killing 24. The El Reno, Oklahoma, tornado of 2013 only killed a handful of people, however, it reached an unheard-of 2.6 miles in width during its life and was the first-ever tornado to kill professional storm chasers and researchers. 

How many deadly storms in Oklahoma are there per year? 

Deadly storms can happen at any time of year, including in Oklahoma. We’ve seen disasters like blizzards, flooding, and tornadoes claim lives year after year, year-round. Though it’s difficult to measure up how many storms or weather events claim lives in Oklahoma on average every year, once one looks at the yearly totals, they begin to get a clearer picture. Unfortunately, lives are lost every year, however, your odds of survival are greatly increased if you listen to and heed any and all storm warnings, be aware of watches, and take them both seriously. 

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