US Trends

where were the tornadoes in oklahoma

Tornadoes in Oklahoma were recently confirmed in several parts of central Oklahoma, mainly around Purcell, Shawnee, Lake Thunderbird, and nearby areas in McClain and Cleveland counties. These storms hit unusually early in the year, with damage more typical of spring severe weather.

Latest tornado locations

Recent confirmed January 2026 tornadoes in Oklahoma have been reported in:

  • Purcell area in McClain County, including damage to buildings, trees, and power lines.
  • North Shawnee and near Shawnee Twin Lakes in Pottawatomie County, with structural damage and outages.
  • Near Lake Thunderbird in Cleveland County, where an EF0 tornado was confirmed.
  • Broader central Oklahoma corridor, with multiple tornado warnings clustered east and northeast of Oklahoma City.

These included at least three EF1 tornadoes (Purcell area, north Shawnee, Shawnee Twin Lakes) and one EF0 tornado near Lake Thunderbird.

Quick Scoop: what happened

  • Oklahoma saw at least four tornadoes in a single January morning, bringing the state close to breaking its all‑time January tornado record of five.
  • Damage included overturned semis, roof damage to homes and businesses, and numerous downed trees and power poles.
  • The storms generated at least seven tornado warnings across the state, most focused in central and eastern Oklahoma.

“It’s what you would expect in the spring, not so much in January,” according to Oklahoma’s state climatologist, noting winter tornadoes are uncommon but have become more frequent in recent years.

Context and trending discussion

  • These tornadoes were the first confirmed in the United States for 2026, which drew extra attention from weather watchers and online forums.
  • Weather enthusiasts have been discussing how central Oklahoma—including areas near Stella, Purcell, and Shawnee—often becomes a focus for early‑season severe weather setups.
  • The event is part of a broader trend of more frequent off‑season tornadoes in Oklahoma, especially in January over the past several years.

If you’re looking for very specific spots

If you need ultra‑local info (for example, “Was there a tornado on my street?”):

  1. Check the National Weather Service Norman or Tulsa office storm surveys for path maps and exact track coordinates for each tornado.
  1. Look at local TV station weather pages (KOCO, KFOR, News 9) for zoomed‑in radar images and neighborhood‑level damage reports.
  1. Contact your city or county emergency management office, which often keeps detailed reports of confirmed damage paths and assistance resources.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.