Oklahoma lightning risk
Tulsa County has the highest lightning risk in Oklahoma, scoring 91.9 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Oklahoma have decreased 23% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa County | 91.9 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 2 | Oklahoma County | 91.8 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 3 | Sequoyah County | 88.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Mayes County | 87 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 5 | Cimarron County | 86.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | McIntosh County | 84.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 7 | Cherokee County | 83 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Pontotoc County | 82.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Bryan County | 79.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 10 | Muskogee County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 11 | Pottawatomie County | 77.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 12 | Le Flore County | 77.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 13 | Cleveland County | 74.4 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 14 | Rogers County | 72.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 15 | Delaware County | 71.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Texas County | 69.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Wagoner County | 68.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | McCurtain County | 66.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Pittsburg County | 62.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Creek County | 61.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Comanche County | 60.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Garvin County | 59.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Kay County | 59 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Carter County | 57.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Okmulgee County | 53.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 26 | Osage County | 53.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 27 | Ottawa County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 28 | Washington County | 52.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 29 | Adair County | 51.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 30 | Seminole County | 48.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Lincoln County | 43.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 32 | Craig County | 42.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 33 | Caddo County | 42.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 34 | Marshall County | 42.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 35 | Payne County | 41.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 36 | Beckham County | 40.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 37 | Murray County | 37.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 38 | Stephens County | 36.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Garfield County | 34.6 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 40 | Latimer County | 32.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Atoka County | 32.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Okfuskee County | 31.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Haskell County | 30.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Hughes County | 29.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Nowata County | 28.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Grady County | 27.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 47 | Pushmataha County | 27.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Canadian County | 26.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 49 | Johnston County | 26.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Choctaw County | 25.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | McClain County | 23 | Very Low | 1 |
| 52 | Coal County | 18.6 | Very Low | 1 |
| 53 | Logan County | 16.9 | Very Low | 3 |
| 54 | Beaver County | 16.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Woodward County | 15.4 | Very Low | 1 |
| 56 | Noble County | 14.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 57 | Custer County | 14.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 58 | Jackson County | 13.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 59 | Pawnee County | 12.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 60 | Love County | 12.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 61 | Greer County | 10.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 62 | Alfalfa County | 9.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 63 | Woods County | 9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 64 | Roger Mills County | 8.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 65 | Kingfisher County | 8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 66 | Washita County | 7.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 67 | Ellis County | 7.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 68 | Harper County | 7.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 69 | Grant County | 6.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 70 | Jefferson County | 6.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 71 | Major County | 6.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 72 | Harmon County | 5.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 73 | Kiowa County | 5.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 74 | Blaine County | 4.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 75 | Tillman County | 2.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 76 | Cotton County | 2.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 77 | Dewey County | 1.7 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Oklahoma:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Oklahoma?
Tulsa County, OK has the highest lightning risk in Oklahoma, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 91.9 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes lightning risk in Oklahoma?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.