Time Line 1940-1949

1941: Wettest month of century, October statewide-averaged precipitation of 11.32 inches.

1942 April 27: F4 tornado strikes Pryor, killing 52.

1942: Wettest April of century, statewide-averaged precipitation of 8.50 inches.

1942 June 12: F4 tornado in Oklahoma City kills 35.

1942 May 2: Tornadoes in Okfuskee County kills 16.

1943 May 18-22: Record flood on the Arkansas near Muskogee.

1943 July 26: Tishomingo ties state temperature record with daily maximum of 120 degrees.

1945 April 12: F5 tornado kills 69 in Antlers, F4 tornado kills 13 in Muskogee.

1945 April 13-14: 14.6 inches of rain at Seminole. Wewoka Dam fails.

1945: Wettest September of century, statewide-averaged precipitation of 7.86 inches.

1947: Statewide-averaged precipitation of 0.20 inches ties for driest February of century.

1947 April 9: F5 Tornado kills 116 in Woodward.

1947-1963: University of Oklahoma football fans enjoy "Bud Wilkinson" weather as there is no rain in Norman on a home football Saturday during the entire period. Oklahoma State University fans consider this to be a product of the long-term drought that plagued agriculture throughout the period.

1948 March 20, March 25: Tornadoes strike Tinker Air Force Base 5 days apart. $10 million damage from the first, but successful forecast of second by Air Force meteorologists Fawbush and Miller prevents significant damage to aircraft. This is the first successful scientific forecast of a tornado.

1948 March 25: F4 tornado strikes Lenna, killing 10.

1948 June 23-24: As much as 20 inches of rain in west central Oklahoma leads to major flash flooding near Hydro and in Kingfisher. Flood on Route 66 near Hydro kills 11.

1949: Wettest January of century, state-averaged precipitation of 5.23 inches.