February tornadoes

11:22 a.m. Wednesday

Staff Writer Brian Sargent reports:

Oklahoma has had 44 February tornadoes since 1950, said National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Speheger in

Norman. Previously, only two of those had resulted in fatalities, both on Feb. 22, 1975, when three people died when twisters hit in Jackson and Kiowa counties in the southwestern part of the state.

The most recent February twister before Tuesday’s spurt occurred Feb. 25, 2000, in

Tulsa. The day before, another tornado hit Ellis and Harper counties in western

Oklahoma, damaging a hog barn and downing power lines, according to weather service records.

Deadliest tornadoes in

Oklahoma since 1950, according to the National Weather Service:

— May 3, 1999: 36 deaths in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and

Moore

— May 25, 1955: 20 deaths in Blackwell

— May 5, 1960: 16 deaths in Wilburton and Keota

— May 5, 1961: 16 deaths in Talihina, Reichert and Howe

— June 8, 1974: 14 deaths in Drumright, Olive and

Lake Keystone

— Jan. 22, 1957: 10 deaths in Gans

— April 26, 1984: 8 deaths in Morris

— May 9, 1959: 7 deaths near

Harden City and Stonewall

— April 24, 1994: 7 deaths in Catoosa

— May 10, 2008: 6 deaths in Picher

Deadliest tornadoes in

Oklahoma since 1882, according to the National Weather Service:

— April 9, 1947: 116 deaths in Woodward

— May 10, 1905: 97 deaths in Snyder

— May 2, 1920: 71 deaths in Peggs

— April 12, 1945: 69 deaths in Antler

— April 27, 1942: 52 deaths in Pryor

— May 3, 1999: 36 deaths in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and

Moore

— June 12, 1942: 35 deaths in

Oklahoma City

— April 25, 1893: 33 deaths in

Cleveland County

— June 19, 1930: 23 deaths in

Bethany

— May 8, 1882: 21 deaths in

McAlester

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