OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The National Weather Service says just 16 tornadoes were recorded in Oklahoma in 2014, fewer than any year on record.
The Oklahoman reports that last year's strongest tornado was an EF2 storm on April 27th that cut an 11-mile path through Ottawa County and Cherokee County, Kansas.
Authorities in Quapaw say the tornado resulted in one death and destroyed at least five businesses and 15 homes. Dozens more buildings, including the city's fire station, sustained damage in the storm.
Oklahoma state climatologist Gary McManus says a combination of factors led to the relative lack of tornadoes in 2014. The first five months of the year were among the driest on record. McManus says tornado outbreaks are not common during dry conditions because there are few thunderstorms to produce them.