April Deluges Shatter Records

Just four months after Oklahoma shattered its all-time November rainfall record, the state did it again—this time in April. The statewide average rainfall totaled 8.74 inches, surpassing the previous April record of 8.32 inches set in 1942, with data dating back to 1895. Numerous locations posted similar records, including Oklahoma City, where 12.55 inches of rain fell, topping April 1947’s 11.91 inches and ranking as the city’s sixth-wettest calendar month since records began in November 1890.

Other April 2025 rainfall records (asterisk denotes wettest calendar month on record):

• *Duncan: 19.63 inches
• Lawton: 14.25 inches
• Edmond: 14.14 inches
• Apache: 13.04 inches
• Norman: 12.67 inches
• Shawnee: 11.88 inches

Flooding Claims Seven Lives

Widespread flooding was an inevitable result of the historic rainfall, especially during the final two weeks of the month. Nearly all areas of the state—except far western Oklahoma and the Panhandle—experienced flooding of some kind, inundating homes and prompting water rescues of stranded motorists. The severe flooding claimed at least seven lives. On April 19–20, a powerful storm system triggered flash floods, killing a 12-year-old boy and his 39-year-old mother in Moore when their vehicle was swept away by raging water. In rural Leonard, a 47-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter died after their car was overtaken by floodwaters. On April 26, a 67-year-old man drowned in Lawton when his vehicle was submerged in a flooded creek. On the final day of the month, an adult male in Pottawatomie County drowned after his vehicle was swept off a roadway. Another driver drowned northwest of Prague in Lincoln County when their vehicle became trapped in floodwaters along a rural highway.

Tornadoes and Hailstorms Cause Widespread Damage

A tornado in Spaulding on April 19 claimed one life, according to Hughes County officials, and was one of at least 16 tornadoes that struck Oklahoma during the month. Two EF2 twisters also touched down near Courtney in Love County and Little City in Marshall County. The preliminary tornado count for 2025 stood at 31, according to National Weather Service figures, though that total and the number for April were expected to rise as additional assessments were conducted. In addition to the tornadoes, Oklahoma faced a series of damaging hailstorms, with multiple rounds of severe weather producing hailstones as large as baseballs. The storms caused significant damage to homes, vehicles, and crops, particularly in central and eastern parts of the state. Norman, Stillwater, and Broken Arrow were among the hardest-hit areas, where shattered windows and roof damage were widespread. The storms also resulted in thousands of insurance claims and prompted temporary closures of schools and businesses.

April by the Numbers

• Statewide average temperature: 61.5°F (2°F above normal), the 33rd-warmest April since records began in 1895.
• Temperature extremes: High of 101°F at Alva on April 17, marking 2025's first triple-digit high temperature; low of 22°F at Eva on April 6.
• Statewide average precipitation: 8.74 inches (5.15 inches above normal), ranking as the wettest April on record.
• Rainfall extremes: High of 19.63 inches at Duncan; low of 0.62 inches at Beaver.
• Rainfall totals greater than 5 inches: 106 instances recorded at the 119 Oklahoma Mesonet sites, including 52 above 10 inches and six above 15 inches.

Drought Conditions Improve, May Outlook Promising 

Drought coverage in Oklahoma fell from 48% to just over 14% through April, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with severe drought dropping from 14% to approximately 7%. By month’s end, only the Panhandle and the far northwestern corner of the state remained in drought. The Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for May indicates increased odds of above-normal temperatures across the eastern two-thirds of Oklahoma, as well as above-normal rainfall across the entire state, especially in the western half. The CPC’s drought outlook for May shows drought being removed across the state, with the exception of the far northwestern corner and a small portion of the eastern Panhandle, where drought is expected to improve but remain.