Sweetwater, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Sweetwater is a town in Beckham
and Roger Mills
counties in the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. It was incorporated in 2003. Named for nearby Sweetwater Creek
, the town is at the junction of State Highway 30 and State Highway 152. The post office (zip code 73666), was established September 27, 1894.
On May 5, 2007, a tornado
, rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale
(EF scale) as EF3, traveled on a path around 100 to 150 yards (91 to 138 m) wide and 7.5 miles (12 km) long. It began about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Sweetwater and ended approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of Sweetwater, following State Highway 30. EF3 wind speeds range from 136 to 165 miles per/hour (mph; 219 to 266 km/h). It severely damaged several buildings in the town, including the church and high school, and destroyed eight homes.
The Sweetwater Public School District is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma. For the most recent data available, it tied with Boley
for the smallest high school with 15 students. For a combined district, K-12, Sweetwater finished third behind, Boley (51) and Clarita
(58), with 60 students.
Beckham County, Oklahoma
Beckham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 19,799. Its county seat is Sayre.Founded upon statehood in 1907, Beckham County was named for J. C. W...
and Roger Mills
Roger Mills County, Oklahoma
Roger Mills County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 3,436. Its county seat is Cheyenne.-History:Roger Mills County takes its name from Roger Q. Mills, a prominent American politician from Texas...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. It was incorporated in 2003. Named for nearby Sweetwater Creek
Sweetwater Creek (Gray County, Texas)
Sweetwater Creek forms in the northeastern Gray County, Texas, and terminates with its joining with the North Fork of the Red River just northeast of Texola, Oklahoma....
, the town is at the junction of State Highway 30 and State Highway 152. The post office (zip code 73666), was established September 27, 1894.
On May 5, 2007, a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
, rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
(EF scale) as EF3, traveled on a path around 100 to 150 yards (91 to 138 m) wide and 7.5 miles (12 km) long. It began about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Sweetwater and ended approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of Sweetwater, following State Highway 30. EF3 wind speeds range from 136 to 165 miles per/hour (mph; 219 to 266 km/h). It severely damaged several buildings in the town, including the church and high school, and destroyed eight homes.
The Sweetwater Public School District is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma. For the most recent data available, it tied with Boley
Boley, Oklahoma
Boley is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1903.The Boley Public School District is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma. For the most recent data available, it tied with Sweetwater for...
for the smallest high school with 15 students. For a combined district, K-12, Sweetwater finished third behind, Boley (51) and Clarita
Clarita, Oklahoma
Clarita is a small unincorporated community in Coal County, Oklahoma, United States. The post office was established January 19, 1910.Clarita's school district, Olney Public School District, is one of the smallest public school districts in the state of Oklahoma...
(58), with 60 students.