Storm Alert: Tulsa Metro — April 15, 2026
Storm Details
On April 15, 2026 the National Weather Service recorded 18 significant storm reports across Cherokee, Creek, Osage, Tulsa, Washington, including hail up to 2.00 inches (golf ball size) and wind gusts to 65 mph. A tornado was also reported. The reports below are the actual NWS Local Storm Reports for that day, with the original source for each observation. Oklahoma CIB licence #80004070.
Source: NOAA/NWS Local Storm Reports for WFO Tulsa (TSA), retrieved from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive. Observation sources include Amateur Radio, Emergency Mngr, NWS Storm Survey, Official NWS Obs, Public, Storm Chaser, Trained Spotter. Proof Construction reports this record as published and adds no figures of its own.
| Type | Magnitude | Location | County | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAIL | 2.0 in | 3 SSE Bartlesville | Washington | Public |
| HAIL | 1.75 in | 1 SSE Bartlesville | Washington | Emergency Mngr |
| HAIL | 1.5 in | 3 E Bartlesville | Washington | Public |
| HAIL | 1.0 in | 2 E Wolco | Osage | Public |
| HAIL | 1.0 in | Ochelata | Washington | Public |
| HAIL | 1.0 in | Pawhuska | Osage | Emergency Mngr |
| HAIL | 1.0 in | Bartlesville | Washington | Amateur Radio |
| TORNADO | — | 3 NW Jenks | Tulsa | Official NWS Obs |
| TORNADO | — | 5 S Tahlequah | Cherokee | NWS Storm Survey |
| TSTM WND DMG | — | 4 WNW Jenks | Creek | Amateur Radio |
| TSTM WND DMG | — | 4 WNW Jenks | Creek | Amateur Radio |
| TSTM WND DMG | — | 2 SSE Bixby | Tulsa | Emergency Mngr |
| TSTM WND DMG | — | 5 S Tahlequah | Cherokee | Public |
| TSTM WND DMG | — | 4 WSW Lincoln | Washington | Public |
| TSTM WND DMG | — | 1 E Harmon | Washington | Trained Spotter |
| TSTM WND GST | 65.0 mph | 5 WSW Catoosa | Tulsa | Trained Spotter |
| TSTM WND GST | 62.0 mph | 3 ESE Sonora | Washington | Trained Spotter |
| TSTM WND GST | 60.0 mph | 4 ENE Tulsa | Tulsa | Storm Chaser |
Last updated: April 15, 2026
How to check a roof for THIS storm
This event is not a hail-only date: the National Weather Service recorded 2 tornadoes in the metro, alongside wind gusts to 65 mph and hail to 2.00 inches. A tornado signature is directional, and it should be documented as its own thing.
- First, rule the tornado in or out by pattern, not by severity. Tornadic wind is directional: debris impact on one face, shingles peeled from the upwind edge, and damage that stops abruptly along a line. If your damage is uniform across all slopes, it is far more likely hail than tornado.
- Look for debris impact. Tornadoes carry material. Dents and gouges on the same slope, in the same direction, away from any tree, are debris strikes — a different damage type and often a different line item on a claim.
- Then the wind field. 6 wind-damage reports were logged in the metro that day. Missing, creased or lifted shingles are consistent with this event; check ridge caps and rakes first.
- Then the hail. Up to 2.00 inches (golf ball). Check soft metals and the shingle mat as you would for any hail date — but do not let hail be the whole story. A hail-only claim on a tornado date leaves the wind damage unpaid.
- Two causes can both matter. If part of the damage is hail and part is tornadic wind, an adjuster will want them distinguished even within one event.
Proof Construction inspects at no charge, documents with photos and drone imagery, and tells you plainly what the record supports. Call (918) 734-4444.
Real-time storm activity and damage reports for the Tulsa Metro area.
What the record shows
The April 15, 2026 storm system produced 18 significant reports across Cherokee, Creek, Osage, Tulsa and Washington counties, including hail up to 2.00 inches (golf ball size) and wind gusts to 65 mph. Two tornadoes were reported: the National Weather Service identified a tornado debris signature on radar north-west of Jenks near 71st Street and US Highway 75, and a damage survey confirmed a second tornado 5 miles south of Tahlequah that uprooted numerous trees, snapped power poles and damaged outbuildings. The heaviest hail fell around Bartlesville, where emergency management reported 1.75-inch stones and the public reported sporadic two-inch hail. Power lines and poles came down in Bixby, and tree damage was reported across the Jenks and Catoosa areas.
Proof Construction dispatched emergency response teams immediately following the storm, prioritizing homes with active leaks and exposed roof decking. Our forensic inspection teams use drone technology to assess damage safely and comprehensively, documenting every impact point for insurance claim purposes.
Severe hail is not a one-day problem in Oklahoma. The National Weather Service logged significant hail across the Tulsa metro on multiple occasions during the spring of 2026, and roofs that took hail earlier in the season can fail under a later event even when the later hail was smaller. Cumulative impacts weaken shingle granules and compromise the mat long before anything is visible from the ground.
Emergency Response Steps
If your property was in the path of the April 15, 2026 storms, take immediate action to prevent further damage. Cover exposed roof areas with tarps if water is entering, photograph everything before any repair begins, and avoid walking the roof yourself — hail-damaged shingles can be brittle and unsound underfoot.
When filing your insurance claim, name the date of loss precisely as April 15, 2026, and reference the National Weather Service storm reports for that day rather than a generic "recent storm". Oklahoma insurance policies commonly require prompt notice and a documented date of loss; a claim that names the wrong date can be denied even when the damage is real.