Logan County has 64 tornadoes on NOAA’s record from 1950 through 2025, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). Shelter registration is available through Guthrie Fire / EMS for homes in its fire district. The three deadliest all had long paths that also crossed neighboring counties.

Cutaway illustration of a house with a storm shelter below the garage floor and a separate underground shelter in the back yard
Two common placements: below the garage floor and underground in the yard.

The deadliest tornadoes

Date Rating Deaths Injured Path
May 24, 2011 EF5 9 181 63.1 miles, with Canadian and Kingfisher counties
May 3, 1999 F4 2 26 35 miles, with Noble and Payne counties
May 26, 1963 F3 1 4 34.3 miles, with Lincoln and Oklahoma counties

All three came in May. No other tornado on the county’s record caused a death. The rating is the worst damage anywhere on the path, and the deaths and injuries cover the whole path.

The same tornadoes appear on the pages for Canadian County, Noble County, Payne County and Oklahoma County.

What the last ten years look like

Nine tornadoes touched the county in 2016–2025. None was rated EF3 or stronger. Over the full record, 46 of the 64 were F0/EF0 or F1/EF1, the weakest ratings. One tornado has no known rating.

One 911 center for the whole county

Guthrie’s police Communications Center is the only 911 answering point in Logan County.

The Guthrie Fire / EMS Department also offers storm shelter registration for homes in the Guthrie Fire Department district. The form is posted on the city’s Forms & Permits page.

Soil: mostly low, with some clay pockets

About 20% of Logan County’s mapped land has soils rated high or very high for shrink-swell. Shrink-swell soil expands with moisture and contracts as it dries. More than half the county, about 250,500 acres, is rated low. Only 2.6% is very high.

The biggest high-rated area is Grainola silty clay loam, at 17,134 acres. Kirkland silty clay loam covers 9,870 acres in the survey. Its rating is 17%, almost twice the 9% line where “very high” starts. These are county-wide map figures, not a test of your lot.

For local permit rules, see storm shelters in Guthrie and foundation repair in Guthrie. Compare your itemized bid with the Oklahoma shelter price guide.

What to ask for in your free quote

Use the free quote form to request a look at your yard, garage or floor plan and an itemized shelter price. Ask for these in writing:

  • whether a permit is needed and who will get it, with any fee in the price
  • the cost of digging and hauling dirt, if the shelter goes in the ground
  • whether the installer will register the shelter with Guthrie Fire / EMS when it is done