Sunray, TX to Beaver, OK F4 Tornado – March 18, 1982

The SPC lists a significant long-track tornado that occurred on March 18, 1982.   The rating given was F4.  There were 12 total injuries.

Doing some digging in all of our sources (NCDC database, Storm Data Narrative, and Significant Tornadoes by Thomas Grazulis), we could fine-tune a few of the details.  The SPC All Tornadoes database only lists the Texas Counties of Moore, Hansford, and Ochiltree in the path. 

When you plot the official SPC coordinates, the plot starts in NE Moore County (TX).  It moves through SE Sherman through Hansford and into NW Ochiltree County.  It then goes into Oklahoma through SE Texas County and ends in Beaver County. 

The NCDC database has entries for Moore, Hansford, Ochiltree (TX), and Beaver (OK).  Grazulis lists Moore, Sherman, Hansford (TX), and Texas and Beaver (OK).  

None of the sources agree with what counties to include in the path, but the SPC path crosses through all of them.

We deduce this was NOT a straight path.  Storm Data mentions the tornado skipped, and Grazulis believes this was more than likely a family of tornadoes.  

Here are some of the damage details from Storm Data:

• 1/2 mile wide tornado.
• Most damage to farm, ranch buildings, and equipment.
• Mentions skipping occurred in Oklahoma.
• The rating was F3 in Oklahoma.
• Two houses, two mobile homes, a dairy barn, irrigation equipment, cars, fence, power lines all damaged but more detail unknown. 

Here are some of the damage details from Significant Tornadoes:

• The tornado tore apart more than a dozen farms or ranches and ripped pavement from roads in Hansford County.
• Passed 2 miles SE of Gruver, TX, and into Oklahoma.
• Some of the seven Oklahoma injuries occurred as two mobile homes were destroyed near Bryans Corner.
• Two frame homes were destroyed in Oklahoma.