Waurika, Oklahoma
16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1987. It stands in the Waurika census division. It lies in ZIP code area 73573. It stands on Cow Creek. The Survey maps it on the Waurika East quadrangle. 1,837 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 896 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Waurika
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 3 records
First Presbyterian Churchlisted 2002
Jefferson County Courthouselisted 1984
Rock Island Passenger Stationlisted 2002
Population over time
2 figuresWaurika fell from 2,064 to 1,837 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,064 | |
| 2020 | 1,837 | -227 (-11%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 16 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1901 USGS Addington quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1957 USGS Ardmore quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1962 USGS Ryan quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Ardmore quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Ardmore quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1987 USGS Waurika East quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
3 since 2001Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 3 fires within 5 miles of Waurika between 2001 and 2017, burning about 4,150 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 July 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 50 acres | Anadarko Agency | WAURIKA |
| 5 January 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,000 acres | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | SQUIRREL CREEK |
| 29 January 2008 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,100 acres | Chickasaw Agency | EAST WAURIKA |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Waurika: 3 occurrences, 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Copper, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Manganese. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Prospect | Manganese | Occurrence | 1941 | |
| Unknown Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Waurika West-1 | Copper | Occurrence | 1932 | |
| Waurika West-2 | Copper | Occurrence | 1932 |
Storms near this place
60 of 108 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Waurika in 108 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 56 hail, 36 thunderstorm wind, 9 flash flood, 3 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $5,000,000 | no account filed |
| March 1993 | Hail | Waurika | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $400,000 | Straight-line winds caused roof damage to 12 homes, uprooted or destroyed many trees, broke several windows, damaged an outbuilding at a golf course and damaged some signs at the Richard Football Field. The strong winds cut a damage path a quarter of a mile wide and 2 miles long through the town. |
| August 2008 | Flash Flood | Waurika | $50,000 | The Sugden bridge along Highway 81 was under water. Water was reported over numerous county roads and highways, including Highway 70. Several homes reported as much as one foot of water inside the homes. Total rainfall for this area was nine to eleven inches. Monetary damages were estimated. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $25,000 | A barn roof was blown off. Trees were also damaged. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $10,000 | Trees and power poles were damaged 9 miles east of Waurika in a delayed report on mPing. The time of the damage is estimated. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $10,000 | Truck stop at Highway 70 and 81 intersection had damage to roof. Estimated winds at 60 to 70 mph. |
| October 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $6,000 | Trained spotter reported a power pole down on Highway 70. |
| February 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $5,000 | Winds caused roof damage and 2-inch tree limbs downed. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Waurika | $5,000 | Minor damage was reported to a home. Monetary damages were estimated. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $5,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $2,400 | Thunderstorm winds downed 8 high voltage power poles, cutting power to Waurika and Terral until after 7 pm that evening. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $2,000 | MPing report of power pole damaged along US Highway 70. Time is radar estimated. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $2,000 | A small barn was blown down. Monetary damages were estimated. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Waurika | $500 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $100 | Large tree limbs were blown down. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | $50 | Several tree limbs were downed. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Waurika | - | A phone call report. |
| May 2025 | Flood | Waurika | - | A portion of U.S. Highway 70 was closed due to flooding along Beaver Creek. The event time is approximate. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Waurika (WAUR) Mesonet observation. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Waurika (WAUR) Mesonet observation. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Waurika (WAUR) Mesonet observation. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Waurika (WAUR) Mesonet observation. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Small tree limbs downed. |
| May 2019 | Tornado (EFU) | Waurika | - | Spotters with the highway patrol and emergency management and storm chasers observed a brief tornado estimated to be about 4 miles south-southwest of Waurika. No damage was reported. |
| May 2017 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | Minor roads and back roads were flooded. |
| April 2017 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | Highway 70 was closed due to flooding between the towns of Waurika and Ringling. |
| May 2015 | Tornado (EF0) | Waurika | - | KSWO TV reported a tornado crossed highway 70 to the west of Waurika. No damage was reported and the location is estimated. |
| May 2015 | Tornado (EF0) | Waurika | - | A video was taken of a brief tornado near Waurika. No damage was reported and the location of this tornado is estimated. |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | Street flooding in and around Waurika. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Waurika | - | The hail was reported on the north side of town. |
| April 2009 | Hail | Waurika | - | Up to quarter-size hail was reported in Waurika. |
| April 2008 | Hail | Waurika | - | The hail was reported near the intersection of Highways 81 and 70. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Waurika | - | Hail from quarter to over golfball size was reported in and around Waurika. |
| August 2008 | Heavy Rain | Waurika | - | The measured precipitation total at the Waurika Fire Department was 10.50 inches. The rain fell from 5am on the 18th to 4am on the 19th. |
| March 2007 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches fell over south central Oklahoma during the morning and afternoon of March 30 and generated flash flooding across the region. At 1350 CST, the Jefferson County sheriff reported flash flooding in the city of Waurika. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | Several streets were closed in town due to high water. |
| December 2006 | Hail | Waurika | - | Hail was reported at the Waurika courthouse. |
| December 2006 | Hail | Waurika | - | Hail was reported at courthouse in Waurika. |
| October 2006 | Flood | Waurika | - | Storm total precipitation amounts of 3 to 7 inches over western north Texas and southwestern Oklahoma generated heavy runoff along the Red River mainstem and its tributaries, and produced minor flooding along the Red River in the vicinity of Burkburnett, TX on October 17-19. The Red River crested at 10.5 feet, 1.5 feet above flood stage, at 9:00 am CST on October 18, and remained above flood stage from approximately 6:00 am CST on October 17 until 12:00 am CST on October 19. Low-lying areas and agricultural lands along the Red River were inundated during this period. |
| March 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet. |
| April 2004 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | During the afternoon of April 30, strong to severe thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall in excess of 3 inches over southern Jefferson County in south central Oklahoma. Flash flooding occurred in southwestern Jefferson County, as the Jefferson County emergency manager reported numerous secondary roads flooded at 4:00 pm CDT on April 30 from near Ryan, OK to 5 miles south of Waurika, OK. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet. |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Wind was measured by Oklahoma mesonet. |
| May 2000 | Hail | Waurika | - | Hail was reported on the south side. |
| April 1998 | Flash Flood | Waurika | - | Two-inch rain on already saturated ground caused flash flooding of low-lying areas and resulted in several road closings in the Waurika area. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Thunderstorms developed in northwest Oklahoma during the evening hours on the 29th and spread southeastward during the night. Wind gusts to 90 mph and hail up to walnut-size accompanied these storms. In several locations, damaging winds resulted in significant damage. Thunderstorm winds broke out windows, ripped shingles off roofs, damaged buildings, downed power poles, and broke off tree limbs in Enid. In addition, a building under construction at the Enid landfill sustained approximately $36,000 in damage. Thunderstorm winds blew out windows and downed tree limbs in Cherokee, knocked a tree onto a house and a camper, and downed power lines and trees in Alva, blew over a mobile home three miles west of Indiahoma, blew roofs off of boat houses near the south end of Lake Ellsworth four miles west-northwest of Elgin, knocked down a radio antenna and trees five miles northwest of Oakwood, knocked downed power lines east of Frederick, ripped a section of the roof off a gymnasium in Geronimo, damaged roofs and a greenhouse, broke plate glass windows, blew down fences, and uprooted trees in Temple, overturned a tractor-semitrailer three miles south of Cookietown on Interstate 44, downed power lines in Hastings, blew a camper over, damaged the Waurika Lake Marina, damaged several boats and sank one boat three miles northeast of Hastings, destroyed a roof and a barn just east of Hollis and deposited them across route 62, downed power lines in Hollis, and knocked down 28 power poles from just west of Hollis to two miles west of Hollis closing Route 62 for over nine hours. Thunderstorm winds also broke off large tree limbs in Tonkawa, Covington, Colony, Comanche, west of Jefferson, just north of Hydro, 6 NNE Elk City, Foss Lake State Park, and five miles southeast of Gould, downed a police antenna and a sign in Butler, overturned an unoccupied mobile home, tore the roof off another mobile home, and destroyed a fireworks stand in Clinton, tore half of the roof off an Economy Inn in Canute, knocked trees down into power lines, downed power poles, and tore shingles off of roofs in Elk City, downed a power pole in Burns Flat, downed power lines and trees in Waurika, ripped shingles off a house one mile north of Moorewood, ripped shingles off of houses, and knocked down large tree limbs in Granite, damaged the doors of a church and trees in Anadarko, tore the roof off a mobile home, knocked down power poles and trees in Mangum, knocked down 14 power poles from Walters to one and one-half miles west of Walters, downed power poles south of Thomas, blew over trees, and knocked down power lines in Medford, and knocked down a large tree in Garber. Lightning started two house fire near Geronimo. Two minor injuries were reported. In addition, lightning started a house fire one and one-half miles southeast of Comanche. Lightning started a house fire in Alva. Lightning destroyed four electric transformers, a fire station radio and a ceiling fan, and damaged television sets and computers in Clinton, damaged two transformers, an electric pole, and two conductors in Stillwater, and several transformers in Frederick. Lightning started a fire that destroyed a home in Faxon. Lightning struck a water well west of Jefferson which burnt out the motor. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Thunderstorms developed in northwest Oklahoma during the evening hours on the 29th and spread southeastward during the night. Wind gusts to 90 mph and hail up to walnut-size accompanied these storms. In several locations, damaging winds resulted in significant damage. Thunderstorm winds broke out windows, ripped shingles off roofs, damaged buildings, downed power poles, and broke off tree limbs in Enid. In addition, a building under construction at the Enid landfill sustained approximately $36,000 in damage. Thunderstorm winds blew out windows and downed tree limbs in Cherokee, knocked a tree onto a house and a camper, and downed power lines and trees in Alva, blew over a mobile home three miles west of Indiahoma, blew roofs off of boat houses near the south end of Lake Ellsworth four miles west-northwest of Elgin, knocked down a radio antenna and trees five miles northwest of Oakwood, knocked downed power lines east of Frederick, ripped a section of the roof off a gymnasium in Geronimo, damaged roofs and a greenhouse, broke plate glass windows, blew down fences, and uprooted trees in Temple, overturned a tractor-semitrailer three miles south of Cookietown on Interstate 44, downed power lines in Hastings, blew a camper over, damaged the Waurika Lake Marina, damaged several boats and sank one boat three miles northeast of Hastings, destroyed a roof and a barn just east of Hollis and deposited them across route 62, downed power lines in Hollis, and knocked down 28 power poles from just west of Hollis to two miles west of Hollis closing Route 62 for over nine hours. Thunderstorm winds also broke off large tree limbs in Tonkawa, Covington, Colony, Comanche, west of Jefferson, just north of Hydro, 6 NNE Elk City, Foss Lake State Park, and five miles southeast of Gould, downed a police antenna and a sign in Butler, overturned an unoccupied mobile home, tore the roof off another mobile home, and destroyed a fireworks stand in Clinton, tore half of the roof off an Economy Inn in Canute, knocked trees down into power lines, downed power poles, and tore shingles off of roofs in Elk City, downed a power pole in Burns Flat, downed power lines and trees in Waurika, ripped shingles off a house one mile north of Moorewood, ripped shingles off of houses, and knocked down large tree limbs in Granite, damaged the doors of a church and trees in Anadarko, tore the roof off a mobile home, knocked down power poles and trees in Mangum, knocked down 14 power poles from Walters to one and one-half miles west of Walters, downed power poles south of Thomas, blew over trees, and knocked down power lines in Medford, and knocked down a large tree in Garber. Lightning started two house fire near Geronimo. Two minor injuries were reported. In addition, lightning started a house fire one and one-half miles southeast of Comanche. Lightning started a house fire in Alva. Lightning destroyed four electric transformers, a fire station radio and a ceiling fan, and damaged television sets and computers in Clinton, damaged two transformers, an electric pole, and two conductors in Stillwater, and several transformers in Frederick. Lightning started a fire that destroyed a home in Faxon. Lightning struck a water well west of Jefferson which burnt out the motor. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Waurika | - | Thunderstorms developed in northwest Oklahoma during the evening hours on the 29th and spread southeastward during the night. Wind gusts to 90 mph and hail up to walnut-size accompanied these storms. In several locations, damaging winds resulted in significant damage. Thunderstorm winds broke out windows, ripped shingles off roofs, damaged buildings, downed power poles, and broke off tree limbs in Enid. In addition, a building under construction at the Enid landfill sustained approximately $36,000 in damage. Thunderstorm winds blew out windows and downed tree limbs in Cherokee, knocked a tree onto a house and a camper, and downed power lines and trees in Alva, blew over a mobile home three miles west of Indiahoma, blew roofs off of boat houses near the south end of Lake Ellsworth four miles west-northwest of Elgin, knocked down a radio antenna and trees five miles northwest of Oakwood, knocked downed power lines east of Frederick, ripped a section of the roof off a gymnasium in Geronimo, damaged roofs and a greenhouse, broke plate glass windows, blew down fences, and uprooted trees in Temple, overturned a tractor-semitrailer three miles south of Cookietown on Interstate 44, downed power lines in Hastings, blew a camper over, damaged the Waurika Lake Marina, damaged several boats and sank one boat three miles northeast of Hastings, destroyed a roof and a barn just east of Hollis and deposited them across route 62, downed power lines in Hollis, and knocked down 28 power poles from just west of Hollis to two miles west of Hollis closing Route 62 for over nine hours. Thunderstorm winds also broke off large tree limbs in Tonkawa, Covington, Colony, Comanche, west of Jefferson, just north of Hydro, 6 NNE Elk City, Foss Lake State Park, and five miles southeast of Gould, downed a police antenna and a sign in Butler, overturned an unoccupied mobile home, tore the roof off another mobile home, and destroyed a fireworks stand in Clinton, tore half of the roof off an Economy Inn in Canute, knocked trees down into power lines, downed power poles, and tore shingles off of roofs in Elk City, downed a power pole in Burns Flat, downed power lines and trees in Waurika, ripped shingles off a house one mile north of Moorewood, ripped shingles off of houses, and knocked down large tree limbs in Granite, damaged the doors of a church and trees in Anadarko, tore the roof off a mobile home, knocked down power poles and trees in Mangum, knocked down 14 power poles from Walters to one and one-half miles west of Walters, downed power poles south of Thomas, blew over trees, and knocked down power lines in Medford, and knocked down a large tree in Garber. Lightning started two house fire near Geronimo. Two minor injuries were reported. In addition, lightning started a house fire one and one-half miles southeast of Comanche. Lightning started a house fire in Alva. Lightning destroyed four electric transformers, a fire station radio and a ceiling fan, and damaged television sets and computers in Clinton, damaged two transformers, an electric pole, and two conductors in Stillwater, and several transformers in Frederick. Lightning started a fire that destroyed a home in Faxon. Lightning struck a water well west of Jefferson which burnt out the motor. |
| March 2026 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| March 2024 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| February 2012 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Waurika | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Heavy Rain | Waurika | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Waurika | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q3240380 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1099439. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.





