Oklahoma Tornado Number Reaches Triple Digits

Oklahoma has seen at least 100 tornadoes this year, as of Monday morning.

The number is surprising—nearly double the average yearly amount of 58, according to KTUL in Tulsa—and still has potential to rise as meteorologists continue investigating the damage. Tornadoes are most active from March through June, and the Sooner State could see more destructive storms before summer arrives.

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"We made it to 100! Not exactly a milestone to celebrate but the latest tornado count for the state of Oklahoma is at 100," the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Norman posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. "This is more than twice the Jan-May average of 41. The 2024 tornado count will grow as we continue to investigate tornadoes from April and May."

The tornadoes have caused devastation across the state, even becoming fatal in some instances. At least one person was killed by a tornado that struck Barnsdall in early May, Newsweek previously reported. Newsweek also reported that at least four people were killed and more than 100 injured when tornadoes tore through southwest Oklahoma in April. Some Oklahoma cities have been hit by tornadoes more than once this season, including in Barnsdall, where tornado sirens failed to activate during a May storm because they had been struck by lightning.

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NWS meteorologist Mark Fox told Newsweek the tornado season has been busy, especially across April and May. However, the number of tornadoes should start to fall.

"April and May, especially May at least in Oklahoma, is our busiest month for tornadoes, so we should start to see those numbers even out," he said.

Tornadoes were below average in some southern states early in the season, the Washington Post reported, with meteorologists attributing the low numbers to the El Niño climate pattern. However, El Niño has weakened substantially, with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologists predicting a high chance for La Niña to develop by this summer or fall.

Typically, Texas and Kansas see the most tornadoes each year, with Oklahoma ranking third, according to the Weather Channel. May is usually the most active month for tornadoes.

It's unclear which state has received the most tornadoes so far this year, as meteorologists are still investigating potential storms.

Despite the high number in Oklahoma, this year isn't a record for the number of tornadoes hitting the state through May. Modern records, which date to 1950, show that 1999 was the record-setting year with 116 tornadoes from January to May. NWS meteorologist Doug Speheger told Newsweek that 60 of those tornadoes occurred over an eight-hour period on May 3.

This year is the eighth since 1950 in which Oklahoma has had more than 100 tornadoes from January to May.

Speheger said it's uncertain how many more tornadoes the state could see the rest of the year. Tornadoes have potential to strike Oklahoma throughout June, as well as occasionally in the fall.

El Niño and La Niña are climate patterns that influence Earth's weather. La Niña is also partially responsible for heightening the strength of other highly destructive storms, such as hurricanes.

The sudden transition prompted turbulent weather that spurred more tornadoes than normal to rip through the Plains states, the Washington Post reported.

The NOAA published its 2024 hurricane forecast in May. Meteorologists anticipate that there will be 17 to 25 named storms this year for an above-average hurricane season. Of those, eight to 13 will be hurricanes and four to seven will be major hurricanes. The forecast for named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes is the highest the NOAA has ever issued in a May outlook.