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73145 Zip Code Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in 73145 Zip Code is higher than Oklahoma average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in 73145 Zip Code is much higher than Oklahoma average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #109
| 73145 Zip Code | 0.68 |
| Oklahoma | 0.31 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| 73145 Zip Code | 0.0000 |
| Oklahoma | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #56
| 73145 Zip Code | 645.86 |
| Oklahoma | 363.83 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 6,711 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of 73145 Zip Code were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 4 | Cold: | 4 | Dense Fog: | 11 | Drought: | 32 |
| Dust Storm: | 1 | Flood: | 245 | Hail: | 3,780 | Heat: | 19 | Heavy Snow: | 43 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 24 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 24 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,231 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 6 | Winter Storm: | 33 | Winter Weather: | 23 |
| Other: | 231 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near 73145 Zip Code.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 2 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near 73145 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 20.8 | 1952-04-09 | 5.5 | N/A | 35.5 | -97.75 |
| 43.6 | 1981-07-11 | 3.5 | 5 | 34.85 | -97.73 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 226 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near 73145 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.0 | 1968-04-22 | 2 | 35°26'N / 97°24'W | 0.10 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 1.8 | 1974-04-20 | 3 | 35°21'N / 97°40'W | 35°32'N / 97°09'W | 31.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 1.8 | 2003-05-08 | 4 | 35°24'N / 97°29'W | 35°28'N / 97°15'W | 13.50 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 89 | 160.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: This is the final segment of a tornado that moved east-northeast from Cleveland County, 1.5 miles west-northwest of Moore, into Oklahoma County crossing the county line at Southeast 89th Street. The western edge of the damage path along SE 89th Street was about halfway between Eastern Avenue and Bryant Avenue and the eastern edge of the damage path was just east of Bryant Avenue. As the tornado approached Sunnylane Road, it produced significant damage to a manufacturing and distribution plant just west of Sunnylane along Southeast 85th Street. Six people were in the plant when the tornado struck, but were able to seek shelter in a safe room and nobody was injured at the plant. The manufacturing part of the complex was a large, free-span structure that was destroyed. The adjoining office part of the complex to the south was a brick structure that received significant damage to the exterior walls. To the east of the plant along the east side of Sunnylane Road, a car was flipped over. Between Sunnylane Road and Sooner Road, the tornado traveled through an open area narrowly missing a residential area. But as it crossed Sooner Road, it damaged or destroyed a number of businesses including a convenience store and a bank to the south of Interstate 240. The tornado continued east-northeast crossing Interstate 240 and Southeast 74th Street. Along SE 74th, a number of businesses received significant damage including a storage facility, a boat dealership, a Mary Kay Training Center, and a trucking company. Crossing Air Depot Boulevard, the tornado moved onto the property of the General Motors Corporation Assembly Plant causing significant (F4) damage to the plant. A newly built paint shop sustained the heaviest damage exposing equipment and new production parts to the weather. The body shop, power house, and a couple of cooling tanks also sustained significant damage. The stack of one of the boilers was also sheared off. More than 600 newly assembled sport utility vehicles parked outside the plant were damaged or destroyed. Approximately 100 employee vehicles were also damaged with one compact car being flipped vertically and wedged into the side of the paint shop. Two truck drivers making deliveries to the plant sustained minor injuries. However, the more than one thousand plant employees remained uninjured by moving to shelter well before the tornado struck. The nearby United Auto Workers Union headquarters was also heavily damaged in this area. The tornado moved into the southeast section of Tinker Air Force Base, including the south part of the runway complex. An ammunition storage bunker and a guard shack at the gate near Southeast 59th Street and Douglas Boulevard were heavily damaged. The guards and other personnel were able to seek shelter in an underground shelter. After crossing Douglas Boulevard, the tornado continued to slowly veer to the northeast and damaged homes along Berryman Road. The tornado continued to damage homes and downing trees and power lines. Strong F2 to F3 damage was observed on the west side of Post Road to the south of Southeast 44th Street. A number of homes were significantly damaged or destroyed in the north part of the Kennington neighborhood, which is located southeast of Southeast 44th Street and Post Road. Two homes in the north part of the neighborhood were completely destroyed consistent with F4 damage. One of these was a two story home with no roof or walls remaining. Two cars from the garage of a residence on the west side of Kennington Lane were found about 50 yards to the east. Another home farther east was destroyed, although walls remained intact. Other homes were severely damaged. The tornado continued across SE 44th Street and Interstate 40 and went into a residential area just west of Westminister Road. Homes were damaged on Newey Avenue, Randy Street, and Rowlett Avenue with the most significant damage near the intersection of Randy Street and Rowlett Avenue where house damage consistent with an F3 rating was observed. The tornado was likely a multiple-vortex tornado in this area as some of the damage in this area was inconsistent with a single cyclonic rotation. The tornado crossed Westminister Road and damaged more homes along Burning Oaks Drive. F3 damage occurred to a few homes along Burning Oaks Drive between Westminister and Twisted Oaks Drive. To the northeast, homes in another residential area on Southeast 32nd Street were significantly damaged and a number of large trees were also downed. Damage continued to the northeast crossing Anderson Road and Southeast 29th Street moving into the city of Midwest City. There were no known structures to hit as the tornado traveled northeast from near SE 29th and Anderson Road to Hiwassee Road. Significant tree damage was observed and one structure was damaged (F1) along Hiwassee Road just to the south of Southeast 15th Street. A large number of power poles and large trees were downed along SE 15th Street to the east of Hiwassee. To the north of Southeast 15th Street, the tornado moved into the "Hidden Valley" residential area of the city of Choctaw. The only known injury in Choctaw occurred where a woman suffered a broken leg as one home on Hidden Valley Lane was destroyed (F4). Two homes under construction were also destroyed. The tornado was narrower in this area. Other homes in the neighborhood were damaged along Willow Drive, Hummingbird Drive, and Kingbird Drive. In eastern portions of the neighborhood, significant tree damage continued, although there was no significant structural damage. The tornado turned more to the east-northeast again and crossed Henney Road and approached Choctaw Road near Southeast 10th Street where more homes were damaged. The tornado weakened as it moved east-northeast and dissipated southwest of Indian Meridian Road and Reno Avenue. This tornado carved a total path of 17.3 miles moving across the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area with the most significant damage (F4) occurring in Oklahoma County. Two tornadic supercells produced four tornadoes during the afternoon hours of May 8, 2003. One supercell produced three tornadoes that affected Moore, southern Oklahoma City, Midwest City, and Choctaw. A few locations in Moore and southeast Oklahoma City had also been hit by an F5 tornado that moved through the area on May 3, 1999. The General Motors Plant in southeast Oklahoma City sustained some of the most significant damage. This event was the second tornadic event of the day. Several tornadoes moved across south central Oklahoma during the early morning hours of May 8th (refer to appropriate data). This event was also the first of two days in a row where the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area was affected by tornadoes (refer to May 9, 2003 data). These thunderstorms developed near and along a strong dryline located across central Oklahoma. | |||||||||||
| 2.2 | 1986-09-29 | 2 | 35°27'N / 97°24'W | 0.10 Mile | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 2.7 | 1999-05-03 | 4 | 35°24'N / 97°27'W | 35°27'N / 97°26'W | 7.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 12 | 234 | 450.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: Tornado A9 (Oklahoma County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. M67PH, F75PH, F49PH, M80PH, F60PH, M86PH, F43PH, M62PH, M0PH, F50PH, M37BU, M52BU A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 3.7 | 1973-11-19 | 3 | 35°23'N / 97°28'W | 35°26'N / 97°27'W | 3.60 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 4.5 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°24'N / 97°19'W | 0 | 5 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma | |||
| 5.8 | 1973-11-19 | 3 | 35°21'N / 97°29'W | 35°23'N / 97°28'W | 2.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cleveland |
| 6.0 | 1960-04-28 | 3 | 35°25'N / 97°33'W | 35°32'N / 97°24'W | 11.70 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 57 | 2.5M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 6.1 | 1975-05-13 | 2 | 35°24'N / 97°30'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 6.2 | 1977-05-20 | 2 | 35°24'N / 97°24'W | 35°37'N / 97°24'W | 14.90 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 6.5 | 2010-05-10 | 3 | 35°17'N / 97°30'W | 35°22'N / 97°18'W | 13.00 Miles | 2000 Yards | 0 | 20 | 0K | 0K | Cleveland |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado is labeled I1. This long-tracked and devastating tornado developed west of I-35, northwest of Max Westheimer airport. Widespread tree, power line/pole damage was reported from near I-35 to the east side of Stanley Draper Lake. Several homes also sustained damage, mainly with mostly roofs receiving significant damage, and some siding was ripped off. Several fences were also knocked down as the tornado moved northeast. From the east side of Lake Stanley Draper, near Hiwassee Road and SE 89th Street, to just south of Harrah, the damage path became more severe and focused. The tree damage became more severe, breaking at various heights of the tree or being uprooted. Walls of homes collapsed, and debris from the homes scattered in all directions. Several 2x4's punctured roofs and ceilings over numerous structures. A few mobile homes in this area were also completely destroyed. Where the tornado crossed I-40, a gas station and drive-in restaurant sustained up to EF3 damage. The most severe damage, one of the two EF4 tornadoes of the day, occurred in the Deerfield West Subdivision. A well-built residence here was completely destroyed, with most exterior and interior walls collapsing. The tornado finally lifted 2 miles south of Harrah. In addition to the incredible damage, one person lost their life while trying to flee the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 8.0 | 2003-05-08 | 3 | 35°20'N / 97°32'W | 35°22'N / 97°29'W | 3.80 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 45 | 210.0M | 0 | Cleveland |
| Brief Description: This is the first segment of a tornado that began in Cleveland County and moved into Oklahoma County before dissipating 2.5 miles south-southeast of Choctaw. The tornado began in the area of Northwest 5th Street and Santa Fe Avenue in Moore, near the Church of Latter Day Saints. Damage intensities increased quickly to F2 and isolated F3 as the tornado, initially narrow, moved east along 5th street. Substantial structural damage in this initial touchdown area was confined to homes on the north side of 5th Street, just east of Santa Fe. Homes on the south side of 5th, and those on 6th Street one block to the north, were relatively undamaged. The damage track then widened quickly to nearly one-fifth of a mile as the tornado turned more to the northeast through residential areas, crossing Markwell Avenue between North 2nd and North 7th Streets. The most significant damage on Markwell, rated F2, was at North 6th Street. Continuing northeast and widening to nearly a quarter of a mile, the tornado crossed Janeway Avenue between Dillon Avenue (south edge) and 12th Street (north edge). Maximum damage on Janeway was to homes near 8th Street, and was rated F2. Damage intensity increased to F3 as the tornado approached 12th Street between Janeway and Interstate 35. A commercial building on the south side of 12th suffered F3 damage, as did several homes on the north side of 12th Street at City Avenue where several homes lost most of their outside walls. Maximum damage intensity on Sunrise Avenue (north of 12th and one block east of City Ave.) was rated strong F2 and consisted mostly of homes being partially or totally unroofed. Several vehicles were tossed into front yards, and in one case nearly into the front of a home. The worst damage produced within the city of Moore was as the tornado approached west sides of Interstate 35, just north of 12th Street. Damage in this area included major damage to two hotels, the First Christian Church, the Young Child Development Center, a Project Headstart building, an office building, and several restaurants. The church, child care center, and office building were leveled. The two hotels, both two-story, had their second floors partially or totally removed by the tornado. At least a half dozen vehicles were tossed in this area, with evidence suggesting that some of them may have traveled 100 yards or more. Had the leveled buildings here shown evidence of better construction, damage might have been rated F4. As it was, damage here was rated strong F3. A southbound moving Greyhound bus was hit by the tornado as it crossed Interstate 35. The bus was carrying twenty-three passengers, some of which chose to disembark to take cover in a ditch while others chose to stay on the bus. The bus rolled several times jostling passengers around the interior. Passengers were trapped between crushed seats and buckled walls while others were left hanging upside down and out broken windows. Of those that hid in the ditch, eleven were injured by flying debris. Eight passengers that stayed on the bus were also injured. Most of the injuries to the passengers were minor. The tornado crossed Interstate 35 0.25 to 0.50 miles north of 12th Street, damaging or destroying several businesses along Broadway, just east of the interstate. Intensity dropped to F2 in this area, but the path width remained close to a quarter of a mile. The tornado continued northeast across south and east parts of the Highland Park residential area, causing F1 and spotty F2 damage. The tornado weakened to F1 intensity and turned slightly to the north-northeast as it crossed Pole Road and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks near and just south of Northeast 27th Street. It should be noted that the damage track of this tornado through Moore was nearly parallel to, and generally a quarter of a mile or less south of, the track of the F5 tornado that struck Moore on 3 May 1999. In fact, Highland Park also suffered extensive damage from the May 3rd tornado, but that damage was mainly in the north and west parts of the area. The damage track through Highland Park on 8 May 2003 was roughly two blocks farther south. The tornado crossed Northeast 27th between Pole Road and Eastern Avenue and continued northeast, crossing Eastern at the Lakeside Golf Course, just east of Eastern and straddling the Oklahoma City and Moore city limits. This golf course also took a direct hit from the tornado on 3 May 1999, and from this point northeastward for about one mile, the two tornado tracks overlapped. The tornado, at this point F1, continued northeast from the golf course into an open field just south of Southeast 89th Street, then struck the northwest part of a subdivision just south of 89th Street and west of Bryant Avenue. More than a dozen residences, including duplexes and single-family homes, were heavily damaged or destroyed in this area. The same northwest part of this subdivision was hit hard on 3 May 1999; many of the homes damaged or destroyed on 8 May had been rebuilt and were less than four years old. This tornado continued into Oklahoma County becoming an F4 and traveling a total of 17.3 miles. Two tornadic supercells produced four tornadoes during the afternoon hours of May 8, 2003. One supercell produced three tornadoes that affected Moore, southern Oklahoma City, Midwest City, and Choctaw. A few locations in Moore and southeast Oklahoma City had also been hit by an F5 tornado that moved through the area on May 3, 1999. The General Motors Plant in southeast Oklahoma City sustained some of the most significant damage. This event was the second tornadic event of the day. Several tornadoes moved across south central Oklahoma during the early morning hours of May 8th (refer to appropriate data). This event was also the first of two days in a row where the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area was affected by tornadoes (refer to May 9, 2003 data). These thunderstorms developed near and along a strong dryline located across central Oklahoma. | |||||||||||
| 8.4 | 1951-04-05 | 2 | 35°19'N / 97°33'W | 35°22'N / 97°28'W | 5.70 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 8.4 | 1960-05-19 | 2 | 35°20'N / 97°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cleveland | |||
| 8.4 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 35°20'N / 97°30'W | 35°20'N / 97°30'W | 3.00 Miles | 580 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Cleveland |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 8.5 | 1951-04-30 | 3 | 35°26'N / 97°35'W | 35°30'N / 97°29'W | 7.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 9.0 | 1974-06-08 | 2 | 35°31'N / 97°22'W | 35°34'N / 97°19'W | 4.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 9.0 | 1998-06-13 | 2 | 35°29'N / 97°32'W | 35°29'N / 97°32'W | 5.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 17 | 1.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: This tornado was the most intense of the day. The tornado touched down approximately 1/4 mile southwest of the corner of Bryant Avenue and Hefner Road, and moved northeast crossing Interstate 35 at the Frontier City theme park parking lot. The tornado continued northeast along northeast 122nd Street and eventually dissipated 1/4 mile northeast of Interstate 44 at Douglas Blvd. The total path length was approximately 5 1/2 miles. Maximum width was 200 yards east of Interstate 35 and south of Interstate 44. The tornado was rated F2 (At 122nd Street approximately 1-2 miles east of I-35). Seventeen minor injuries (3 transported to hospital) occurred at Frontier City. Along the track, major structural damage occurred to businesses along Interstate 35 from 122nd Street southward for approximately three-quarters of a mile. The Frontier City theme park was among the hardest hit businesses. The tornado passed through the parking lot damaging numerous vehicles before striking a two-story concrete block building at the northeast corner of the park. This building suffered partial failure of external walls and the entire roof was removed. Damage to adjacent areas of the park was mainly due to strong inflow into the tornado. On the east side of Interstate 35, a Texaco truck stop was severely damaged. Empty semi-tractor trailers located in the east parking lot of the truck stop were over turned and rolled tens of feet. One trailer was briefly airborne and landed on another empty trailer. A small portable building containing a CB radio shop in the parking area was completely swept away into a grove of trees east of the lot. Numerous homes suffered major damage to roofs, windows, and garage doors in the Nottingham and Quail Ridge Run subdivisions located along 122nd Street 1-2 miles east of I35. Several homes suffered major or nearly complete roof failure, though most exterior walls remained intact. These homes were of recent construction and were well built with brick exterior facades (some likely in excess of $200K). No means of anchoring the roofs to the exterior walls was noted. The tornado may have approached F3 at times in these neighborhoods. The most severly damaged home was located atop a small hill with garage doors on the upwind side of the home. Debris patterns suggest the garage doors failed allowing the wind to lift the roof. Without the roof in place, failure of the external garage walls occurred. The most severe damage to trees occurred in these subdivisions and areas immediately adjacent. Summary of events of June 13, 1998: During the afternoon and evening four supercell thunderstorms developed near a dryline in western Oklahoma and tracked east into central sections of the state. The most significant storm developed in Washita county at approximately 400 pm CST and intensified as it moved east toward central Oklahoma. This storm produced at least six tornadoes as it tracked from Canadian County across Oklahoma County during the early evening. The most damaging tornado (an F2) touched down in northeast Oklahoma City and crossed Interstate 35 near the Frontier City theme park. Other tornadoes damaged the Oklahoma City Boat Club, portions of The Village and Nichols Hills, the Highland Park neighborhood west of Broadway Extension, and the area near May and Grand Avenues in Oklahoma City. Three weak tornadoes also touched down in open country northwest of El Reno and near Yukon. In addition to damaging tornadoes, the storm produced extensive straight-line wind damage from Lake Hefner, across Nichols Hills and The Village, into northeast Oklahoma County. Winds likely exceeded 100 mph in some areas. There were no fatalities and only 21 relatively minor injuries reported in Oklahoma County. The majority of the injuries were sustained at the Frontier City theme park. Earlier, another supercell thunderstorm produced tornadoes near Longdale in Blaine County and 3 miles southwest of Guthrie. Supercells that tracked across Noble County and northern Cleveland County produced large hail and severe winds, but no tornadoes. See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports. | |||||||||||
| 9.0 | 1974-06-08 | 3 | 35°24'N / 97°36'W | 35°30'N / 97°30'W | 8.90 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 14 | 2.5M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 9.1 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 35°28'N / 97°18'W | 35°32'N / 97°14'W | 7.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 4 | 3.2M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: Tornado A12. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 9.5 | 1999-05-03 | 5 | 35°18'N / 97°36'W | 35°22'N / 97°27'W | 10.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 11 | 293 | 450.0M | 0 | Cleveland |
| Brief Description: Tornado A9 (Cleveland County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. M26PH, M24PH, F94PH, M33PH, F30PH, M28PH, F89PH, F4PH, F36PH, M36PH, F26OU A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 9.5 | 1960-04-28 | 2 | 35°19'N / 97°33'W | 35°20'N / 97°29'W | 3.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 9.5 | 2010-05-10 | 4 | 35°22'N / 97°18'W | 35°28'N / 97°09'W | 11.00 Miles | 2000 Yards | 2 | 29 | 0K | 0K | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that began in Cleveland County, labeled #I1. This long-tracked and devastating tornado developed west of I-35, northwest of Max Westheimer airport. Widespread tree, power line/pole damage was reported from near I-35 to the east side of Stanley Draper Lake. Several homes also sustained damage, mainly with mostly roofs receiving significant damage, and some siding was ripped off. Several fences were also knocked down as the tornado moved northeast. From the east side of Lake Stanley Draper, near Hiwassee Road and SE 89th Street, to just south of Harrah, the damage path became more severe and focused. The tree damage became more severe, breaking at various heights of the tree or being uprooted. Walls of homes collapsed, and debris from the homes scattered in all directions. Several 2x4's punctured roofs and ceilings over numerous structures. A few mobile homes in this area were also completely destroyed. Where the tornado crossed I-40, a gas station and drive-in restaurant sustained up to EF3 damage. The most severe damage, one of the two EF4 tornadoes of the day, occurred in the Deerfield West Subdivision. A well-built residence here was completely destroyed, with most exterior and interior walls collapsing. The tornado finally lifted 2 miles south of Harrah. In addition to the incredible damage, two people lost their lives as a result of the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 9.7 | 1965-05-26 | 2 | 35°25'N / 97°34'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 9.8 | 1969-06-25 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°15'W | 0.80 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 9.9 | 1968-08-10 | 2 | 35°32'N / 97°30'W | 0.10 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 9.9 | 1964-07-28 | 2 | 35°27'N / 97°34'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 10.0 | 1960-04-28 | 2 | 35°20'N / 97°37'W | 35°22'N / 97°29'W | 7.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 10.3 | 1973-11-19 | 3 | 35°16'N / 97°33'W | 35°21'N / 97°29'W | 7.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 3 | 28 | 2.5M | 0 | Cleveland |
| 11.2 | 1970-04-30 | 2 | 35°25'N / 97°41'W | 35°40'N / 97°22'W | 24.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 11.3 | 1974-06-08 | 3 | 35°29'N / 97°18'W | 35°32'N / 97°09'W | 9.00 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 11.7 | 1958-05-24 | 2 | 35°24'N / 97°36'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 12.0 | 1951-04-30 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°35'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 12.0 | 1954-09-29 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°35'W | 0.10 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 12.0 | 1986-05-08 | 3 | 35°29'N / 97°32'W | 35°39'N / 97°29'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 15 | 25.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 12.3 | 1998-06-13 | 2 | 35°33'N / 97°33'W | 35°33'N / 97°32'W | 1.50 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 4 | 150K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: This tornado touched down 1 block west of north May Avenue and Pembroke Terrace and moved east to Woods Park in Nichols Hills. Total path length was 1.5 miles and maximum width was 75 yards. This tornado was rated F2(113-157 mph). Four persons were injured and transported to local hospitals. Considerable damage was done to the strip mall in the 7400 block of north May Avenue. Windows were blown out of several businesses, several lost roofs, power lines were downed and large signs were bent. One business on the east side of May Ave. suffered collapse of an exterior south facing wall. On Pembroke Terrace, an RV was thrown into a house, a car was over-turned, trees were toppled, and shingles and roof decking were partially blown away. Lesser damage occurred eastward into Nichols Hills. Interestingly, this tornado rotated anticyclonically. Although the over-turned car and major damage to one wood frame house roof suggested the tornado may have reached F2 intensity in a very small area, the majority of the damage was consistent with an F1 rating. Summary of events of June 13, 1998: During the afternoon and evening four supercell thunderstorms developed near a dryline in western Oklahoma and tracked east into central sections of the state. The most significant storm developed in Washita county at approximately 400 pm CST and intensified as it moved east toward central Oklahoma. This storm produced at least six tornadoes as it tracked from Canadian County across Oklahoma County during the early evening. The most damaging tornado (an F2) touched down in northeast Oklahoma City and crossed Interstate 35 near the Frontier City theme park. Other tornadoes damaged the Oklahoma City Boat Club, portions of The Village and Nichols Hills, the Highland Park neighborhood west of Broadway Extension, and the area near May and Grand Avenues in Oklahoma City. Three weak tornadoes also touched down in open country northwest of El Reno and near Yukon. In addition to damaging tornadoes, the storm produced extensive straight-line wind damage from Lake Hefner, across Nichols Hills and The Village, into northeast Oklahoma County. Winds likely exceeded 100 mph in some areas. There were no fatalities and only 21 relatively minor injuries reported in Oklahoma County. The majority of the injuries were sustained at the Frontier City theme park. Earlier, another supercell thunderstorm produced tornadoes near Longdale in Blaine County and 3 miles southwest of Guthrie. Supercells that tracked across Noble County and northern Cleveland County produced large hail and severe winds, but no tornadoes. See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports. | |||||||||||
| 12.3 | 2003-05-09 | 3 | 35°33'N / 97°29'W | 35°38'N / 97°12'W | 17.80 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 2 | 7.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: This long track tornado began 0.25 miles northeast of the intersection of North Kelly Avenue and East Wilshire Boulevard, just northeast of the KWTV-9 TV station and near the WB-34 TV station...neither tall tower was toppled. As the tornado moved northeast to Interstate 35, the width of the damage consistently was a third of a mile wide, and the maximum damage was F1 with widespread tree damage, snapped power poles, and roof damage to a number of homes south of Britton Road. The damage intensified to F2 on the west side of Interstate 35 where the roof was taken off of one wing of the Clara Waters Community Corrections Center. South of East Hefner Road and east of Interstate 35, an industrial building at a horse ranching operation sustained F3 damage. At that location, the steel frame, fastened to the concrete foundation with four one-inch diameter steel rods, was destroyed and steel reinforced concrete was pulled out of the ground. The tornado next produced F2 damage to the front portion of the Oakdale School at North Sooner Road and East Hefner Road. The Witcher Baptist Church, just south of the school, sustained F1 damage. East of Sooner Road and north of Hefner Road, the tornado weakened, producing F1 damage on the southeast side of the River Oaks Golf Club/Community. South of Northeast 122nd Street, between North Air Depot Boulevard and North Midwest Boulevard, the tornado strengthened again and the path widened to over three-quarters of a mile wide as the tornado turned more to the northeast. South of Northeast 122nd, between Midwest Boulevard and Douglas Boulevard, significant damage occurred to homes and trees. One home was completely destroyed (F3), two homes were heavily damaged (F2), and a vehicle was tossed 25 yards. The tornado turned to the southeast and damage weakened to F1 approximately 0.3 miles west of the intersection of North Post Road and Hefner Road. The tornado then turned back east-northeast causing a sheet metal hay barn to be completely blown down with hay intact. Several poles were downed towards the north, 0.25 miles west of the barn. Partial barn roof removal was found southwest of location in an open field. Another area of F1 damage began 0.3 miles north of the intersection of North 108th Street and Westminster Boulevard. A metal roof was peeled off and several tree limbs downed in this location. The tornado intensified to F2 just shortly after this, downing high tension poles 0.5 miles north of the intersection of Anderson Road and 108th Street. A farm just to the west of this location had a roof missing. The roof slid off the garage to the east. Large barn on west side lost west end of roof with debris inside. Northeast wall section of barn was essentially undamaged. A house also had shingle damage and broken windows. To the north of the farm, trees were damaged and poles were snapped. The tornado continued northeast causing the metal roof of a building, located 0.4 miles south of the intersection of Hiwassee Road and Memorial Road (North 136th Street), to peel off and be thrown 30 yards to the south. Tree damage was also found south of this location. A farm was damaged 0.8 miles south of the intersection. A barn was heavily damaged with debris thrown to the north. A pecan fork was also downed. There was also shingle damage just south of the barn. The tornado then caused damage to an outbuilding at the corner of Northeast 122nd Street and Henney Road. In an area just west of the intersection of Choctaw Road and Memorial Road, the northwest part of the roof of a house located on Spruce Valley Drive was removed, along with removing the roof of a mobile home located on Cedar Bend Road. As the tornado continued northeast, it uprooted trees and downed tree limbs. Shortly before the tornado dissipated, a mobile home rolled off of cinder blocks, but was otherwise undamaged. The tornado did some more minor tree damage before dissipating. The tornado first moved northeast causing a damage path which was located from 6.9 miles south of Edmond to 4.8 miles northwest of Jones. The tornado then turned southeast with a path from 4.8 miles northwest of Jones to 3.9 miles west-northwest of Jones. After the tornado turned back to the northeast, the path extended from 3.9 miles west-northwest of Jones to 2.8 miles south of Luther. The tornado traveled a total of 17.8 miles before dissipating. All of the tornadoes, nine total, that occurred on May 9, 2003 were produced by the same supercell. This thunderstorm developed in southwest Oklahoma along a retreating dryline. The storm moved northeast across Oklahoma eventually dissipating in northeastern Oklahoma. Most of the tornadoes occurred after dark. Three of the tornadoes affected western and northern portions of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area making two days in a row (see May 8, 2003 data) that the Oklahoma City metro area was affected by a tornadic thunderstorm. The strongest tornado, an F3, moved across portions of the northeastern metro area. Large hail and strong straight-line winds associated with the rear-flank downdraft also occurred with this tornadic supercell. Other severe thunderstorms produced damaging large hail and strong winds across portions of Oklahoma. | |||||||||||
| 12.5 | 1979-07-16 | 2 | 35°25'N / 97°37'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma | |||
| 12.6 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 35°18'N / 97°14'W | 35°23'N / 97°09'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 13.5 | 1986-09-29 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°12'W | 35°30'N / 97°09'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 13.6 | 1960-05-04 | 3 | 35°31'N / 97°37'W | 35°34'N / 97°33'W | 5.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 13.7 | 1974-06-08 | 3 | 35°33'N / 97°21'W | 35°38'N / 97°12'W | 10.20 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 14.2 | 1961-02-17 | 3 | 35°31'N / 97°23'W | 35°41'N / 97°10'W | 16.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 14.7 | 1950-02-27 | 2 | 35°33'N / 97°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 14.7 | 1954-05-01 | 4 | 35°24'N / 97°22'W | 35°28'N / 96°54'W | 26.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 15.0 | 1974-06-08 | 2 | 35°20'N / 97°09'W | 2.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |
| 15.1 | 1962-05-26 | 2 | 35°10'N / 97°27'W | 35°14'N / 97°22'W | 6.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mcclain |
| 15.7 | 1981-05-17 | 2 | 35°38'N / 97°21'W | 35°39'N / 97°19'W | 1.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 15.9 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°41'N / 97°20'W | 35°34'N / 97°12'W | 11.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 16.0 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°34'N / 97°12'W | 35°34'N / 97°09'W | 2.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 16.0 | 1999-05-03 | 4 | 35°15'N / 97°40'W | 35°17'N / 97°33'W | 5.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 1 | 17 | 10.0M | 0 | Mcclain |
| Brief Description: Tornado A9 (McClain County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. F40OU A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 16.0 | 2010-05-10 | 4 | 35°10'N / 97°25'W | 35°15'N / 97°08'W | 17.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 32 | 0K | 0K | Cleveland |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado is labeled #J1, and moved into Pottawatomie County near state highway 9. The tornado a few hundred yards east of the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma. The damage intensity increased gradually along the path with significant damage beginning as the tornado approached Lake Thunderbird. This tornado crossed Lake Thunderbird, severely damaging two campgrounds and the marina where about 300 boats were docked. The most severe damage occurred from the Little Axe School to the Cleveland/Pottawatomie county line. Trees were stripped of some bark and branches. Large objects were thrown considerable distances, including some concrete pillars. The metal bleachers near the school were tossed or rolled several hundred yards. Some appliances were also lofted as a dryer was found about 50 feet up in a tree. Considerable structural damage also occurred, as some foundation homes were mostly destroyed. In addition to the damage, one person lost their life as a result of the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 17.5 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 35°23'N / 97°09'W | 35°27'N / 97°01'W | 11.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 18.1 | 1960-05-04 | 2 | 35°08'N / 97°24'W | 35°11'N / 97°20'W | 5.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 18.2 | 1953-03-13 | 2 | 35°11'N / 97°15'W | 1.30 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cleveland | |
| 18.7 | 1974-04-20 | 3 | 35°19'N / 97°45'W | 35°21'N / 97°40'W | 5.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Canadian |
| 18.7 | 1970-06-11 | 3 | 35°33'N / 97°41'W | 35°39'N / 97°36'W | 8.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 18.8 | 1957-05-22 | 2 | 35°39'N / 97°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oklahoma | |
| 19.1 | 2009-02-10 | 2 | 35°39'N / 97°31'W | 35°43'N / 97°28'W | 5.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the intersection of 192nd and Western. This tornado tracked to the northeast, damaging a number of homes???some severely???and trees along its path. Most of the severe damage started around Kelly Ave and Sorghum Mill Rd and continued until the end of the tornado???s path. Several homes in the Oak Tree development lost significant portions of their roof. Several homes also has large portions destroyed due to large garages and rooms above the garages. This tornado continued into Logan County. In all, over 200 homes were damaged or destroyed. Over 28,500 people were without power at the its peak. Luckily, only four minor injuries were reported. Monetary damage estimates were not available. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed early in the afternoon, from near the Lawton area, northeast toward the Oklahoma metro area. Thunderstorms became severe relatively quickly as they moved through Caddo and Grady counties, and began to show signs of rotation as they moved toward western Oklahoma City. One supercell thunderstorm spawned several tornadoes as it moved through western and northern Oklahoma. Sporadic damage was reported along its path, some of it significant as it moved through northern Oklahoma county and southern Logan county. Other supercells developed near the same areas of Caddo and Grady counties and moved northeast. Some locations received several rounds of very large hail through the afternoon. Later in the afternoon, a second area of thunderstorms developed over northern Texas. Several supercell thunderstorms developed and moved northeast toward the Red River. One supercell thunderstorm moved northeast over Clay county and northwest Montague county. A tornado developed as it moved into Jefferson county near the Red River. It continued northeast through western Love county and into Carter County. Significant damage was reported in and around the Lone Grove area and over the far north sides of Ardmore. There were eight fatalities in and around Lone Grove. The tornado crossed Interstate 35 and eventually crossed into southern Murray county. Wind damage was reported in Coal and Atoka counties. Minor injuries were reported with the Atoka county thunderstorms. Monetary damages were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 19.1 | 1973-11-19 | 3 | 35°08'N / 97°39'W | 35°16'N / 97°33'W | 10.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 18 | 2.5M | 0 | Mcclain |
| 19.2 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 35°05'N / 97°24'W | 35°12'N / 97°20'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cleveland |
| 19.2 | 1982-06-11 | 2 | 35°09'N / 97°29'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mcclain | |
| 19.3 | 2007-03-29 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°42'W | 35°37'N / 97°41'W | 8.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 5 | 500K | 0K | Canadian |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado developed around 1505 CST near the intersection of NW 39th Street and Sara Road in western Oklahoma City, and moved north northeast. In this area several homes suffered roof and garage door damage. The tornado continued north along and just west of the Kilpatrick Turnpike. Significant damage was noted along NW 63rd Street, where a home was heavily damaged, several travel trailers and a boat were rolled and damaged. Several vehicles were also pushed by the wind. Another area of significant damage was noted along Wilshire Blvd., just west of the Kilpatrick Turnpike. In this area a travel trailer was destroyed, with additional damage to a home and several outbuildings. Two people were directly injured in the travel trailer. In addition, several hardwood trees were snapped, indicative of EF2 damage. The tornado appeared to have been at its widest toward the end of its path along Morgan Road just north of NW 122nd Street, and it was at this point along the path where the intensity appeared to have been at its highest. Several homes sustained significant roof and siding damage and several wooden power poles were snapped. A metal building was severely damaged. Just to the east of this location, three large electrical transmission towers were damaged. Spotty light damage continued a little further north before the tornado dissipated along Morgan Road north of Memorial Road at 1525 CST. Three additional people were directly injured on the Kilpatrick Turnpike. This EF2 tornado injured 5 people and caused an estimated half of a million dollars in damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Showers and thunderstorms developed during the morning hours over central Oklahoma. During the afternoon hours, thunderstorms began to show brief, but persistent signs of rotation, that later resulted in three tornadoes. The most significant tornado of the day struck the western Oklahoma City metro area, producing EF2 damage. Other tornadoes were reported near Okeene, and over northwest Garfield county. Damage was reported with each of these thunderstorms, which included roof damage, tree and power line damage, and automobile accidents. No fatalities were reported, but five direct injuries were reported in western Oklahoma City. | |||||||||||
| 19.3 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 35°10'N / 97°35'W | 35°10'N / 97°30'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 125K | 0 | Grady |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 19.6 | 1970-06-11 | 3 | 35°30'N / 97°45'W | 35°33'N / 97°41'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pawnee |
| 19.6 | 2010-05-10 | 2 | 35°07'N / 97°16'W | 35°15'N / 97°08'W | 12.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0K | Cleveland |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Cleveland County portion of tornado #J3. The tornado developed west of SE 120th Avenue between Maguire Road and Cemetary Road. The tornado moved through a mobile home park northeast of SE 120th Avenue and Maguire Road causing significant damage to a number of the mobile homes and injuring 2 people. The tornado continue to cause tree damage as it moved northeast, then heavily damaged the Country Boy IGA grocery store and service station on State Highway 9 to the east of Lake Thunderbird. The tornado began to move east-northeast and moved into Pottawatomie County along State Highway 9 about one minute before tornado #J1 also crossed into Pottawatomie County at about the same location. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 19.8 | 1961-02-17 | 2 | 35°20'N / 97°06'W | 35°23'N / 97°00'W | 6.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 19.9 | 2010-05-10 | 3 | 35°20'N / 97°06'W | 35°22'N / 97°00'W | 7.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0K | Pottawatomie |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado is labeled #L1. The tornado developed near the junction of Walker and Ingram Roads, causing major damage to home and damaging several trees. The tornado crossed to the east side of the lake, downing high tension power lines and another residence. The tornado grew to its widest near Highway 102. Another home, a mobile home, and barn were severely damaged just east of the highway. Metal poles that were embedded in concrete at the barn were ripped out of the ground with the concrete still attached. A 80,000 pound box car was rolled about 300 yards. A few trees that were damaged were debarked. The tornado lifted south of Interstate 40. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 20.0 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°44'N / 97°25'W | 35°41'N / 97°20'W | 5.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 20.0 | 1970-04-30 | 2 | 35°08'N / 98°05'W | 35°43'N / 97°25'W | 55.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grady |
| 20.2 | 1956-06-03 | 2 | 35°23'N / 97°45'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Canadian | |||
| 20.5 | 1953-04-14 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°50'W | 35°18'N / 97°41'W | 16.20 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Canadian |
| 20.8 | 1977-05-20 | 3 | 35°42'N / 97°18'W | 35°43'N / 97°17'W | 1.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 20.9 | 2009-02-10 | 2 | 35°43'N / 97°28'W | 35°43'N / 97°28'W | 1.00 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Logan |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado crossed into Logan County from Oklahoma County. An auto body repair shop just west of Broadway and Waterloo was completely destroyed. One man, near Broadway and Waterloo, was blown out of his home and carried across the street where he landed near a creek. A mobile home on the same property of this man was completely destroyed and the frame was turned on its side and slightly bent. Monetary damage estimates were not available. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed early in the afternoon, from near the Lawton area, northeast toward the Oklahoma metro area. Thunderstorms became severe relatively quickly as they moved through Caddo and Grady counties, and began to show signs of rotation as they moved toward western Oklahoma City. One supercell thunderstorm spawned several tornadoes as it moved through western and northern Oklahoma. Sporadic damage was reported along its path, some of it significant as it moved through northern Oklahoma county and southern Logan county. Other supercells developed near the same areas of Caddo and Grady counties and moved northeast. Some locations received several rounds of very large hail through the afternoon. Later in the afternoon, a second area of thunderstorms developed over northern Texas. Several supercell thunderstorms developed and moved northeast toward the Red River. One supercell thunderstorm moved northeast over Clay county and northwest Montague county. A tornado developed as it moved into Jefferson county near the Red River. It continued northeast through western Love county and into Carter County. Significant damage was reported in and around the Lone Grove area and over the far north sides of Ardmore. There were eight fatalities in and around Lone Grove. The tornado crossed Interstate 35 and eventually crossed into southern Murray county. Wind damage was reported in Coal and Atoka counties. Minor injuries were reported with the Atoka county thunderstorms. Monetary damages were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 21.1 | 1960-04-28 | 2 | 35°10'N / 97°11'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cleveland | |||
| 21.8 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°44'N / 97°26'W | 35°44'N / 97°25'W | 1.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 3K | 0 | Logan |
| 21.9 | 1983-04-27 | 2 | 35°34'N / 97°03'W | 0.50 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln | |
| 22.0 | 1979-04-10 | 2 | 35°06'N / 97°24'W | 1.50 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cleveland | |
| 22.1 | 1957-09-14 | 2 | 35°20'N / 97°01'W | 0.50 Mile | 43 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |
| 22.1 | 1979-04-10 | 2 | 35°06'N / 97°22'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cleveland | |
| 22.1 | 1982-08-27 | 2 | 35°06'N / 97°22'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mcclain | |
| 22.2 | 1951-04-05 | 2 | 35°14'N / 97°43'W | 0.20 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Grady | |
| 22.5 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 35°27'N / 97°01'W | 35°30'N / 96°59'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln |
| 22.6 | 1978-04-30 | 4 | 35°39'N / 97°41'W | 35°41'N / 97°38'W | 3.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| 22.7 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 35°22'N / 97°00'W | 35°26'N / 96°59'W | 7.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 1 | 10 | 500K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| Brief Description: Tornado D2. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. F41MH A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 22.7 | 1978-04-30 | 4 | 35°35'N / 97°45'W | 35°39'N / 97°41'W | 5.70 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Canadian |
| 22.9 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°34'N / 97°09'W | 35°33'N / 96°54'W | 14.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lincoln |
| 23.3 | 2004-05-29 | 2 | 35°42'N / 97°39'W | 35°43'N / 97°34'W | 4.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5.0M | 0 | Oklahoma |
| Brief Description: Sporadic F1 to low-end F2 damage occurred in the Deer Creek area, from Council Road between 206th and 220th Streets, east-northeast to near Highway 74 (Portland Ave.) and Sorghum Mill Road. As with earlier tornadoes, much of the damage in this area may have been the result of strong straight-line winds, although the concentration and severity of damage in this area suggests a probable tornadic spin up. In the Deer Creek area, 135 homes sustained minor damage, 7 major damage, and 7 homes were destroyed. Six mobile homes were damaged. Three were reported to have minor damage, while three others sustained major damage. Two businesses were also destroyed. The Deer Creek/Edmond public school received damage along with the First Baptist Church which was heavily damaged. On this day one supercell thunderstorm produced all the tornadoes in the state of Oklahoma and a majority of the extremely large hail. This storm began in extreme west central Oklahoma, moved through center sections of the state, and ended in extreme eastern Oklahoma. The storm affected portions of both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas. | |||||||||||
| 23.5 | 1954-04-29 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°48'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Canadian | |
| 23.6 | 1974-04-20 | 3 | 35°32'N / 97°09'W | 35°38'N / 96°54'W | 15.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 23.8 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 35°03'N / 97°22'W | 35°06'N / 97°21'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 24.6 | 1965-05-09 | 2 | 35°16'N / 97°00'W | 0.10 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |
| 24.8 | 1953-03-13 | 2 | 35°04'N / 97°29'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Mcclain | |
| 25.2 | 1970-10-05 | 2 | 35°04'N / 97°17'W | 35°06'N / 97°09'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 25.3 | 1961-04-30 | 2 | 35°39'N / 97°45'W | 35°49'N / 97°30'W | 18.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Canadian |
| 25.4 | 1965-04-14 | 2 | 35°18'N / 96°58'W | 0.10 Mile | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |
| 25.5 | 1977-05-20 | 3 | 35°43'N / 97°18'W | 35°50'N / 97°15'W | 8.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Logan |
| 26.0 | 1970-04-30 | 2 | 35°14'N / 98°00'W | 35°25'N / 97°41'W | 21.90 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Grady |
| 26.1 | 1960-04-28 | 3 | 35°18'N / 97°50'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Grady | |
| 26.2 | 1999-05-03 | 5 | 35°08'N / 97°51'W | 35°14'N / 97°40'W | 15.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 12 | 39 | 90.0M | 0 | Grady |
| Brief Description: Tornado A9 (Grady County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. The beginning time of this tornado was changed from 1723 CST to 1726 CST. Please refer to the original version of May Storm Data for more information. F55MH, F44PH, F1PH, F53PH, F59MH, M73MH, F73MH, M50MH, F59MH, F25MH, F41MH, M39MH A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 26.2 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 35°14'N / 97°48'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grady | |
| 26.5 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 35°15'N / 97°49'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grady | |
| 26.7 | 1974-04-20 | 3 | 35°16'N / 97°56'W | 35°19'N / 97°45'W | 11.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grady |
| 26.9 | 1977-05-21 | 2 | 35°17'N / 96°58'W | 35°24'N / 96°53'W | 9.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 27.0 | 1973-05-24 | 4 | 35°24'N / 97°58'W | 35°18'N / 97°46'W | 13.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 2 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Canadian |
| 27.2 | 1960-05-05 | 3 | 35°07'N / 97°03'W | 35°15'N / 96°58'W | 10.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 27.2 | 1961-04-08 | 2 | 35°30'N / 97°52'W | 1.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Canadian | |
| 27.7 | 1979-08-31 | 2 | 35°47'N / 97°41'W | 35°45'N / 97°36'W | 5.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Logan |
| 28.3 | 1952-08-15 | 2 | 35°48'N / 97°30'W | 35°51'N / 97°26'W | 5.10 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Logan |
| 28.5 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 35°39'N / 97°47'W | 35°43'N / 97°47'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Canadian |
| Brief Description: Tornado B17 (Canadian County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 28.8 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 34°58'N / 97°36'W | 35°03'N / 97°22'W | 15.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mcclain |
| 29.0 | 1960-04-28 | 2 | 35°11'N / 97°51'W | 35°13'N / 97°49'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grady |
| 29.3 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 34°56'N / 97°39'W | 35°05'N / 97°24'W | 20.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Mcclain |
| 29.4 | 1970-04-30 | 2 | 35°43'N / 97°25'W | 35°58'N / 97°14'W | 20.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Logan |
| 29.5 | 1981-05-17 | 3 | 35°13'N / 96°59'W | 35°18'N / 96°50'W | 10.20 Miles | 587 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 29.6 | 1957-05-24 | 2 | 34°56'N / 97°03'W | 35°14'N / 97°05'W | 20.80 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 29.7 | 1970-10-05 | 2 | 35°06'N / 97°09'W | 35°09'N / 96°52'W | 16.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 30.0 | 1960-05-05 | 3 | 34°57'N / 97°15'W | 35°07'N / 97°03'W | 16.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 30.5 | 1963-06-16 | 2 | 35°23'N / 97°56'W | 0.80 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Canadian | |
| 30.7 | 1997-05-25 | 2 | 34°59'N / 97°29'W | 34°58'N / 97°22'W | 6.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 2 | 900K | 0 | Mcclain |
| Brief Description: This description was taken almost entirely, and with minimal editing, from a damage survey conducted Monday May 26th (Memorial Day), the day after the tornado, by a National Weather Service meteorologist. This tornado, rated F2, began 5 miles east of Criner, or 7 miles west-southwest of downtown Purcell, in southern McClain County. The beginning time of this tornado is not entirely certain but is believed to be near or just after 16:00 CST. This tornado tracked just south of due east for 6 miles, ending about 4 miles northwest of Wayne or 4 miles south of downtown Purcell at around 16:24 CST. At its widest, the damage path was estimated to be 3/4 mile wide. Numerous power lines were downed, prompting the temporary closing of both Highways 24 and 74 for a time during the evening. At least 18 dwellings, including mobile homes and permanent dwellings, were destroyed or suffered major damage. This probably was a multiple-vortex tornado, at least in its latter stages, based on eyewitness reports. No one was killed or seriously injured by this tornado, but two minor injuries were reported. Damage began along a concentrated path from along Highway 24 around 3 miles south and 1 mile east of Woody Chapel (which is located at the intersection of Highways 39 and 24 about 3 miles south of Washington). Details are described below, highlighting six areas along the damage track. Along Hwy 24, 5 miles east of Criner, sheet metal was scattered over about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile path, apparently the remnants of a destroyed outbuilding. Several large trees were toppled or heavily damaged in this area. Damage was F1. Tree damage also was noted over a larger area 1 mile west of this location (or 3 miles south of Woody Chapel on Highway 24), along with a few pieces of sheet metal debris. Since damage in this area was more minor (small to medium size branches broken) and not concentrated, straight-line winds were considered the likely source. Also along Hwy 24, from Hwy 112 southward for about a mile, power lines were downed along a 1/4 to 1/2 mile stretch of the road. Considerable debris was found from fallen trees, metal outbuildings, etc. Damage was F1. About 1 mile east of Hwy 24 and 1 mile south of Hwy 112, a home was unroofed. Widespread but mostly minor tree damage was noted, with trees uprooted and/or branches snapped off. Aside from the home with the damaged roof, there were few if any other manmade structures in the area. Damage probably was F1, but an exact determination could not be made since the roof was being repaired at the time of the survey. On Emu Road, 1/2 to 1 mile south of Hwy 112 and 2 miles east of Hwy 24, one permanent home was destroyed. Numerous large trees were downed - some snapped off, and others uprooted. Several of the uprooted trees fell toward the northwest, others to the southwest. Damage was considered F2. At Highway 74 and Horse Road, (3.5 to 4.5 miles east of Hwy 24 and 1 mile south of Hwy 112), the worst damage and widest damage path (about 3/4 mile wide) were in this area. Power lines were downed along Hwy 74 for nearly a mile. Numerous large trees were snapped off or uprooted. In one area between the two roads, nearly every tree suffered some kind of significant damage. Two mobile homes were destroyed along Horse Road. One was blown east and landed across the street near a church. The other rolled three times and landed 50 to 100 feet northeast of its original location. Two women, a mother and daughter, were inside the second mobile home and were lucky to escape with only minor injuries. Metal outbuildings, satellite dishes, fences, and at least one pickup truck were destroyed - mostly by impacts from other blown objects. However, the church, which was brick, sustained only minor structural damage to the exterior, as the roof was intact and only a few shingles were missing. (Broken windows in the church led to more substantial damage on the interior as rain and wind entered the building.) Damage in this area was considered F2, but the fact that the church escaped with such minor damage to its exterior suggests either a lower rating or the possibility of a multiple-vortex tornado. At least one eyewitness indicated a second tornado. Although the entire damage track appeared consistent and more-or-less continuous, suggesting only one tornado, the eyewitness account and the observed gradients in damage intensity suggest that this probably was a multiple-vortex tornado, at least in its latter stages. From 1/4 to 1/2 mile east of Horse Road, a large home suffered major damage, with most of the second floor destroyed. Downed trees were widespread. Damage was rated F2. Another home immediately east of this location lost part of its roof. But farther east, near Interstate 35, several homes were undamaged and no significant damage could be found - except for a lone uprooted tree immediately west of the interstate. Summary of events of the afternoon and evening of May 25, 1997: Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon in central Oklahoma and spread into southern Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening. In all, thirteen tornadoes were confirmed, including an F2 tornado that tracked for 6 miles through McClain County southwest of Purcell. Some minor injuries were reported with one of the tornadoes, but no fatalities or serious injuries occurred. Reports of 3-inch hail, severe straight-line winds, and lightning damage were also received. One particularly strong supercell storm tracked across central Oklahoma, reaching its maximum strength and producing 3 tornadoes and extensive straight-line wind damage over Grady and McClain Counties. What follows here is an excerpt from a damage survey conducted by a National Weather Service meteorologist on May 26th, the day after the storm. "A large severe thunderstorm moved through northern and central Grady County into central and southern McClain County during the late afternoon on Sunday, 25 May 1997. Several reports were received immediately after the storm indicating significant wind damage, especially in southern McClain County southwest of Purcell. There also were numerous confirmed tornado sightings by storm spotters, chasers, local emergency management officials, and local residents. Findings indicate that 3 tornadoes occurred in this area. Most of the damage, and all of the significant structural damage, resulted from the first two tornadoes. Widespread tree damage in some areas, especially in McClain County, was attributed to straight-line winds. The first tornado, rated F1, began 3 miles northeast of Tabler at 15:14 CST and tracked just south of due east for about 2.5 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles SSW of Middleberg at 15:24 CST. Structural damage was confined to a dairy farm near the beginning of the track; otherwise, this tornado remained over mostly open country. The second and more significant tornado, rated F2, began 5 miles east of Criner, or 7 miles WSW of downtown Purcell, in southern McClain County. The beginning time of this tornado is less certain but is believed to be near or just after 16:00 CST. This tornado also tracked just south of due east for 6 miles, ending about 4 miles NW of Wayne or 4 miles S of downtown Purcell at around 16:24 CST. Numerous power lines were downed, prompting the temporary closing of both Highways 24 and 74 for a time Sunday evening. At least 18 dwellings, including mobile homes and permanent dwellings, were destroyed or suffered major damage. This probably was a multiple-vortex tornado, at least in its latter stages, based on eyewitness reports. A third small tornado, rated F0, formed around 16:32 CST and lasted about one or two minutes. It damaged an outbuilding and a few trees 2 miles NNE of Wayne in Southern McClain County, about 4 miles east of where the second tornado ended. No one was killed or seriously injured by any of the tornadoes, but several minor injuries were reported. " The remaining 10 tornadoes were associated with other severe thunderstorms, mainly across central and southern Oklahoma. The strongest of these occurred south of Duncan in Stephens County at 17:36 CST. Spotter and damage reports rated this as an F1 tornado. The remaining 9 tornadoes were all rated F0 and resulted in little or no damage. In chronological order, these tornadoes occurred on the Caddo Comanche County line between Cyril and Fletcher (16:27CST), south of Maysville in Garvin County (17:28 CST), east of Joy in Murray County (18:07 CST), south of Stratford in Garvin County (18:13 CST), east of Roff in Pontotoc County (18:53 CST), northeast of Mill Creek in Johnston County (19:20 CST), west-northwest of Madill in Marshall County, (19:43 CST), north of Tupelo in Coal County (19:48 CST), and northwest of Newkirk in Kay County (21:10 CST). Severe straight-line winds were estimated at up to 80 mph (southwest of Fittstown in Pontotoc County). Wind damage from thunderstorm winds occurred north of Tabler in Grady County, southwest of Purcell in McClain County, in Wynnewood in Garvin County, west of Hardy in Kay County, and west of Antlers in Pushmataha County. Hail up to 3 inches in diameter fell south of Stratford in Garvin County, and lightning damage was reported south of Duncan in Stephens County. See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports. | |||||||||||
| 30.9 | 1968-04-16 | 2 | 35°52'N / 97°24'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Logan | |
| 31.3 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 35°30'N / 97°00'W | 35°42'N / 96°46'W | 19.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 30 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 31.4 | 1992-09-02 | 2 | 35°00'N / 97°24'W | 34°56'N / 97°16'W | 8.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mcclain |
| 31.5 | 1963-05-26 | 2 | 35°14'N / 96°53'W | 2.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |
| 31.7 | 2010-05-10 | 3 | 35°15'N / 96°58'W | 35°16'N / 96°46'W | 12.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0K | Pottawatomie |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado lasted for at least 30 miles and continued into Seminole and Okfuskee counties, with significant damage along almost its entire path. At times, the tornado damage path widened up to a mile. The most significant damage was located north and northeast of Earlsboro near the Pottawatomie/Seminole county border. Here a two story home was destroyed except for a few interior walls. A pick-up truck was also lofted approximately a quarter of a mile, and a semi-trailer was lofted or rolled approximately 200 yards. Farther east along its path, seven high tension towers were downed. Significant tree damage was reported along the entire track of the tornado, some of them debarked and stripped off all their branches. This tornado is labeled #J4. This tornado moved into Seminole County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 31.8 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 35°28'N / 96°51'W | 35°30'N / 96°49'W | 3.00 Miles | 580 Yards | 0 | 0 | 60K | 0 | Lincoln |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 31.9 | 1961-04-30 | 3 | 35°20'N / 97°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Grady | |
| 32.0 | 1970-10-05 | 4 | 35°20'N / 96°56'W | 35°28'N / 96°43'W | 15.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 4 | 80 | 25.0M | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 32.5 | 1960-04-28 | 3 | 35°13'N / 97°57'W | 35°15'N / 97°54'W | 3.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Grady |
| 32.9 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 35°33'N / 97°58'W | 35°43'N / 97°52'W | 16.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 125K | 0 | Canadian |
| Brief Description: Tornado G2 (Canadian County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 33.0 | 1972-12-29 | 2 | 34°54'N / 97°30'W | 34°59'N / 97°16'W | 14.50 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mcclain |
| 33.5 | 1954-05-01 | 4 | 35°28'N / 96°54'W | 35°42'N / 96°46'W | 17.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 65 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 33.5 | 1999-12-02 | 2 | 35°49'N / 97°31'W | 35°59'N / 97°26'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 275K | 0 | Logan |
| Brief Description: Refer to summary at end of Dec 2nd storm reports for more information. Severe thunderstorm formed first across portions western Oklahoma during the late afternoon of the 2nd and moved into the central Oklahoma during the evening. As these storms reached central Oklahoma, straight-line winds caused minor tree damage 5 miles northwest of Edmond in northwest Oklahoma County. At 1836 CST, a tornado formed 5 miles southwest of Seward in Logan County, near Western and Simmons Road where a shed was damaged. The tornado, rated F1, then tracked north-northeast for 4 miles before dissipating 1 mile southwest of Seward. Tree damage was observed at a home along Sante Fe Avenue, and a sign was damaged at Sante Fe and EW86 Road. The tornado continued north-northeast inflicting tree damage as it crossed EW85 Road between Santa Fe and Kelley, then dissipated between EW85 and EW84 Roads. Near the end of the tornado's path, a one-mile width of straight-line wind damage, consisting of scattered, light tree damage, was observed southwest of Seward along EW85 Road and between Sante Fe and Kelley Roads. Small trees were also damaged by straight-line winds near the intersection of Sante Fe and Seward Road, or about 1.5 miles west of Seward. Another tornado then formed in Logan County about 6 miles southwest of downtown Guthrie along Kelley Avenue and about 1.2 miles south of Prarie Grove Road, where outbuildings received light damage. Very light damage was noted on Prairie Grove Road between Kelley and Broadway, and three power poles were downed along Industrial Road. The tornado crossed State Highway 33 where power poles were again downed. As it crossed State Highway 33, the tornado moved into the Cimarron National Golf Course and tracked down the 16th fairway. There was widespread tree damage along the eastern-most four holes of the golf course, and light damage to an outbuilding on the fringe of the tornado's path. The tornado then moved into a neighborhood adjacent to the golf course where a number of homes were damaged. One house, located on Canyon Road, suffered significant damage (rated F2) with most of the roof removed and some light damage to the walls. There was a minor injury reported at this home where a woman was cut by flying glass as she ran to take shelter. Two adjacent houses suffered roof damage. The framing to one home under construction was knocked off-center, and another house under construction received roof damage. The homes in this area looked to be well-built and of typical construction for newer homes. As the tornado traveled north-northeast, an old farmhouse on College Avenue received some minor roof and wall damage before the tornado crossed the Cimarron River. On the north side of the river, a mobile home roof was peeled off, and a permanent home received some minor damage along EW76 Road just to the east of NS311 Road. From this point northeast, damage was confined to trees in this rural area of Logan County. The tornado is believed to have crossed US Highway 77 once, and then dissipated in the Cimarron River Valley, traveling a distance of 12 miles. The third and final tornado of the day formed near EW55 Road and west of NS323 Road, or about 5 miles south-southeast of Perry in Noble County Oklahoma along North Stillwater Creek, producing tree damage. The tornado passed just west of the intersection of EW54 Road and NS323 Road, where a residential windmill and a hay barn were destroyed. Several 1500 pound cylindrical hay bales were blown 100 feet. The width of damage was estimated at 50 to 75 yards at this point. Sheet metal from the hay barn originally at this location was found 1/2 to 3/4 mile to the northeast along the west side of NS323 Road. Across the street (east) from the sheet metal remains of the hay barn, a metal frame/sheet metal exterior hay barn was pushed over to the north and the roof removed. One half mile north on EW53 Road, two wood utility poles were down. Sheet metal debris and grass caught in the barb wire fence indicated winds from the south-southwest. A total of 19 metal utility poles were blown over to the north along EW51 Road. The tornado crossed U.S. Highway 64 three miles east of downtown Perry, or at the intersection of NS324 Road. Damage width was estimated at 100 yards. A pole barn building used for auto repair was destroyed. Construction of this building consisted of 6x6 wooden uprights embedded in cement with a sheet metal exterior. Most of the building was carried away with a small amount of debris deposited on the north side of the slab. The owner stated that some of the 6x6 uprights were rotted near the footings. Across NS324 Road to the east of the auto repair building, a sheet metal hay barn lost its roof, and several smaller outbuildings were destroyed. Across Highway 64 to the northwest, a home suffered minor tree damage; a satellite dish was blown over and bent, and there was major damage to an outbuilding which was pushed over from the southwest. The tornado continued north crossing EW49 Road removing the roof from a hay barn and causing extensive tree damage. This F0 to low end F1 damage occurred in a 300 yard wide path at this point. One mile north on EW48 Road, a pole barn lost its roof and three walls, and extensive tree damage was noted. Two miles north, just south of EW46 Road, widespread, major tree damage was observed in a grove of trees along Black Bear Creek, and also on EW46 Road, where a hay barn filled with hay was destroyed. The tornado weakened rapidly after this point as it moved northeast, with the damage path ending somewhere just west of Red Rock Road (NS327 Road) and north of EW45 Road. Northward in Kay County, straight-line winds destroyed a shed 4 miles east of Ponca City, and power lines were downed in Kaw City, while in Pottawatomie County power lines and 1 tree were downed at Wolverine and Leo Streets in downtown Shawnee, interrupting power to about 300 residences. Also in Shawnee, lightning struck a high-voltage conductor which fell onto a power line leading into several homes. Many of these homes received damage to appliances and electrical systems. | |||||||||||
| 33.6 | 1961-03-26 | 2 | 35°35'N / 98°01'W | 35°54'N / 97°40'W | 29.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Canadian |
| 33.6 | 1957-09-14 | 4 | 34°57'N / 97°15'W | 34°58'N / 97°09'W | 5.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 34.1 | 1960-05-05 | 3 | 35°15'N / 96°58'W | 35°42'N / 96°37'W | 36.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleveland |
| 34.3 | 1999-05-03 | 3 | 35°44'N / 97°52'W | 35°46'N / 97°50'W | 6.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| Brief Description: Tornado G2 (Kingfisher County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 34.5 | 1960-04-28 | 2 | 35°10'N / 97°57'W | 35°12'N / 97°55'W | 3.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Grady |
| 34.7 | 1950-04-02 | 2 | 35°49'N / 97°01'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln | |
| 34.8 | 1983-05-17 | 2 | 35°33'N / 98°03'W | 35°38'N / 97°54'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Canadian |
| 34.8 | 1979-08-31 | 2 | 35°51'N / 97°52'W | 35°47'N / 97°41'W | 11.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 35.0 | 1977-03-02 | 2 | 34°57'N / 97°43'W | 35°00'N / 97°40'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Grady |
| 35.3 | 1960-04-28 | 2 | 35°11'N / 97°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grady | |
| 35.4 | 1951-02-19 | 2 | 35°22'N / 98°08'W | 35°50'N / 97°50'W | 36.30 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Canadian |
| 35.5 | 1959-05-22 | 2 | 35°20'N / 98°01'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Grady | |||
| 35.6 | 1969-06-22 | 2 | 35°29'N / 96°46'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lincoln | |||
| 35.6 | 1956-07-02 | 2 | 35°24'N / 98°09'W | 35°31'N / 97°54'W | 16.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Canadian |
| 35.7 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 35°29'N / 96°48'W | 35°31'N / 96°44'W | 6.00 Miles | 580 Yards | 0 | 0 | 40K | 0 | Lincoln |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 36.2 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 35°23'N / 96°46'W | 35°26'N / 96°44'W | 6.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0 | Seminole |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 36.7 | 1979-04-10 | 2 | 35°25'N / 96°45'W | 35°26'N / 96°44'W | 1.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 37.5 | 1963-05-26 | 2 | 35°09'N / 96°49'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Pottawatomie | |||
| 37.5 | 1981-04-30 | 2 | 35°18'N / 97°58'W | 34°53'N / 97°53'W | 29.10 Miles | 7 Yards | 1 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Grady |
| 37.7 | 1979-04-10 | 2 | 35°26'N / 96°44'W | 35°28'N / 96°43'W | 2.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln |
| 37.7 | 1960-05-05 | 5 | 35°17'N / 96°56'W | 35°38'N / 96°31'W | 33.60 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 37.8 | 1980-05-11 | 2 | 35°39'N / 96°49'W | 35°42'N / 96°47'W | 3.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Lincoln |
| 38.1 | 1981-05-17 | 2 | 35°19'N / 96°44'W | 35°21'N / 96°43'W | 2.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Seminole |
| 38.6 | 1957-09-14 | 4 | 34°58'N / 97°09'W | 35°00'N / 96°47'W | 20.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 2 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 38.6 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 35°09'N / 98°04'W | 35°10'N / 97°56'W | 7.70 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grady |
| 38.6 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 35°05'N / 97°59'W | 35°06'N / 97°55'W | 4.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 4 | 500K | 0 | Grady |
| Brief Description: Tornado A8. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 38.9 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 34°53'N / 97°43'W | 34°56'N / 97°39'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grady |
| 39.1 | 1999-05-03 | 3 | 35°55'N / 97°36'W | 36°02'N / 97°27'W | 13.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 13 | 10.0M | 0 | Logan |
| Brief Description: Tornado G5. The beginning and ending times for this tornado were incorrectly listed in the original version of May Storm Data. The beginning time should be 2156 CST rather than 2150 CST, and the ending time should be 2218 CST rather than 2240 CST. Refer to the summary portion at the end of the May 3, 1999 storm reports of the original version of May Storm Data for more information. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 39.2 | 1998-10-04 | 3 | 35°24'N / 96°43'W | 35°32'N / 96°41'W | 4.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 1.5M | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| Brief Description: A major severe weather outbreak occurred across western and central Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 4th through the early morning of the 5th, resulting in 19 tornadoes, straight-line wind damage, hail as large as baseballs, and significant flooding across portions of Lincoln and Noble Counties, where numerous costly bridges were destroyed. Thunderstorms first developed over northwest Oklahoma during the early and mid-afternoon where hail larger than golf balls was reported in Major and Woodward Counties. The first of 19 tornadoes occurred at 1425 CST in Woods County 11 miles south-southwest of Dacoma. A media storm chaser observed this multiple vortex tornado as it touched down in southeastern Woods County and traveled northeast into western Alfalfa County before dissipating 4 miles northwest of Carmen. Damage was first reported south of Dacoma where an old abandoned house was damaged and a barn and garage were destroyed. As the tornado moved into western Alfalfa County, an office building at Carmen Field Limited Partnership and a local gas plant were completely destroyed. A modular home adjacent to the gas plant also had most of its roof blown off. Numerous witnesses described this tornado (F2) as very large and was at least a quarter of a mile wide. The 2nd tornado, an F0, developed on the salt flats 5 miles southeast of Cherokee in Alfalfa County and was seen by an Alfalfa County Sheriff's Deputy. The 3rd tornado was witnessed by a state trooper touching down very close to Highway 11, 5 miles west of Medford in Grant County, and was on the ground for less than one minute with no known damage (F0). As the thunderstorms associated with these tornadoes moved east, additional thunderstorms began to intensify farther south. Near Mountain Park in Kiowa County, Baseball size hail destroyed numerous car windshields. A short while longer, at 1638 CST, the 4th tornado was captured on video by a reliable storm chaser 9 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County. This tornado touched down for only a few seconds in an open field with no known damage (F0). Several storage buildings at a Lowe's Department Store in Ponca City in Kay County, were blown over by winds estimated between 80-90 mph. The 5th tornado touched down 2.5 miles southwest of Watonga in Blaine County and crossed US-270/281 two miles south of Watonga. The tornado continued to the northeast and finally dissipated about 9 miles east-northeast of Watonga. At least three homes suffered significant damage, one of which had its roof completely removed (F2). The 6th tornado was seen by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer 5 miles north of Medicine Park in Comanche County touching down briefly in an open field with no known damage (F0). The 7th tornado, an F1, touched down 6 miles southwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and traveled northeast for 7 miles, crossing Highway 81 near the Cimarron River, and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dover. One haybarn was destroyed, while 1 residence and 5 barns were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The 8th tornado, an F0, touched down just west of the intersection of US-277 and SH-8, 1 mile north of Cyril in Caddo County, and moved east for one-half mile knocking down trees and power lines and causing minor roof damage in the extreme northeastern portion of Cyril. While straight-line winds damaged a roof at the Farmers Coop Association building, and a trailer home in Guthrie in Logan County at 1745 CST, the 9th tornado touched down at 1747 CST on or just south of Lake Carl Blackwell in Payne County, and was observed by numerous people in and near Stillwater. The tornado moved northeast over the lake, crossed into extreme southern Noble County, and over Lake McMurtry. Minor damage was reported in northern Payne County, however the worst damage occurred in southern Noble County as the tornado moved off of Lake McMurtry and severely damaged a mobile home (F1). The 10th tornado (F2) was witnessed by 3 firefighters 1 mile south of Highway 277 on Lake Burtshi Road 9 miles west-southwest of Ninnekah in Grady County, and was on the ground for 1.5 miles. One mobile home was disintegrated, while 2 others nearby were flipped over. Many well-structured homes sustained minor roof damage, and numerous trees were blown over, some onto homes and one onto an RV. A storage building was also destroyed. The 11th tornado, also an F2, touched down in Grady County, 4.5 miles north of Middleburg, damaging several mobile homes and outbuildings. One mobile home was completely destroyed in the Bridge Creek area while two others were blown over. Scattered tree damage continued for 5 miles into McClain county just to the southwest of the Newcastle city limits. Wind damage continued into the south part of Newcastle causing damage to trees and power lines. In addition to the tornado damage, straight-line winds overturned several tractor-trailers 7 miles south of Tuttle, also in Grady County, and destroyed a barn in Dibble in McClain County. Lightning also struck a house on Broadway in Norman in Cleveland County, causing a small fire at 1900 CST. The 12th tornado (F0) developed at 1926 CST 3 miles north of Newcastle in McClain County, and was observed by people from Norman, Moore and Newcastle. This tornado touched down just northeast of the intersection of I-44 and North 32nd Street north of Newcastle, and moved north into extreme western Cleveland County near SW 149th St. and Meridian Avenue, in southwest Oklahoma City. Damage was primarily to trees. The 13th tornado was one of the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, developing over the city of Moore in Cleveland County about 1/2 mile north of SW 19th Ave, just east of Santa Fe Ave. The tornado tracked almost due north at first, and then curved slightly east of north. Many homes lost all or parts of their roofs, leaving them uninhabitable, and one home lost a portion of an exterior wall. Sections of roofs were also torn off of a few warehouses as the tornado crossed Shields Ave. and then dissipated just west of I-35. The worst damage occurred along NW 12th Ave to the west of Janaway where F2 damage was observed. In total, 10 single-family residences were either destroyed or severely damaged; 8 multi-family buildings were severely damaged; and hundreds of other homes and businesses sustained minor damage. Damage estimates were near 2 million dollars. The 14th tornado touched down near EW 106 road and NS 346 Road 4 miles southeast of Meeker in Lincoln County, where light damage occurred to many trees. The tornado then moved northeast crossing EW 347 south of US 62. Damage was observed from just south of this intersection southward for about one mile. Just south of the intersection, trees were downed and a house received damage to the roof and porch. F2 damage occurred about 1/2 mile south of US 62, where three homes received significant roof damage, and an RV was pushed over onto its side. The tornado crossed US 62 with light damage to trees and minor damage to a house along the highway. The tornado likely dissipated just northeast of the intersection of US 62 and NS 347 Road. The 15th tornado, also an F2, developed a few minutes after the last tornado about 7 miles west of Prague. This tornado touched down near NS 348 road about 1/2 mile north of EW 106 Road where a mobile home received light damage. The tornado moved northeast crossing near the intersection of EW 105 Road and NS 349 Road, then grew in size and intensity before crossing US 62. A mobile home along US 62 just west of NS 350 Road was destroyed. The metal frame that supported the home and most of the contents was deposited northwest of the original location up to 150 yards. Other debris was thrown north-northeast across US 62. The tornado then continued northeast and damage was noted for 3/4 of a mile along NS 350 Road centered on US 62. Slight damage to trees and outbuildings was observed along NS 352 Road approximately 2 miles north of US 62. The tornado probably dissipated northeast of this point, although roads became inaccessibe due to flooding and made it difficult to determine the exact location. In addition, a 6 mile long swath of damaging straight-line winds accompanied this tornado from 6 miles west of Prague to 3 miles northwest of Prague, resulting in massive tree damage. Damaging straight-line winds were also responsible for blowing down trees and power lines in Shawnee in Pottowatomie County at 2010 CST, and for a wind gust of 64 mph at 2020 CST, 4 miles west-southwest of Guthrie in Logan County, measured by Oklahoma Mesonet. Another tornado, the 16th of the outbreak, developed at about the same time 6 miles northwest of Prague, and moved northeast for 7 miles before dissipating 7 miles north-northeast of Prague. This tornado, rated an F1, touched down at the intersection of EW 102 Road and NS 350 Road where outbuildings received moderate damage. Less than 1/4 of a mile away on EW 102 Road, a mobile home was lifted and thrown east about 100 yards, uprooting a power pole while airborne. The mobile home was destroyed upon impact. All 6 family members who took shelter inside an interior closet were injured. All injuries were minor, except for the father who suffered broken ribs, a cracked pelvis and head injuries. He stayed overnight in a nearby hospital and was released the next day. As the tornado continued east-northeast along NS 352 Road, south of the community of Wilzetta, an outbuilding was unroofed, minor damage occurred to a house roof, and trees were uprooted. Tree and power line damage continued to about 2 or 3 miles east of Wilzetta. The tornado then turned more to the northeast as it crossed SH 99 where a mobile home received minor damage, 3 outbuildings were destroyed, a few logs at a sawmill were tossed, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage was observed to just southwest of the intersection of NS 357 Road and EW 99 Road where the tornado lifted. In addition to the tornadoes near Prague, straight-line winds were responsible for downing numerous trees and awnings of several businesses in downtown Prague. Farther south in Pottawatomie County, 2 tornadoes (Numbers 17 and 18 of the outbreak) embedded in larger swaths of damaging straight-line winds, developed near Shawnee. The first one touched down 3 miles northwest of Shawnee and remained on the ground for 3 miles before dissipating 3 miles north of Shawnee. A large swath of damaging straight-line winds approximately 1 mile wide and 4 miles long accompanied this F1 tornado as it moved across northern portions of Shawnee. Extensive tree damage occurred on a private golf course just west of Acme road. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the clubhouse and to the roof-mounted air conditioning unit. Widespread tree and roof damage also occurred in a subdivision south of 45th St. and west of Kickapoo. In addition to a mobile home being destroyed near the east end of the damage path, which is believed to be the result of a tornado, many other mobile homes nearby received minor damage. In addition, 1 mile southeast of Dale in Pottowatomie County, numerous trees and signs were either destroyed or uprooted along Interstate 40; a shed was destroyed, and a barn was unroofed along Highway 102. Oklahoma Mesonet also measured a wind gust of 72 mph at 2055 CST, 3 miles north-northwest of Shawnee. The 2nd tornado, also an F1 and the 18th tornado of the outbreak, developed in or very close to the Shawnee business district, moved east for 2 miles, and was also accompanied by a large area of damaging straight-line winds. The exact damage resulting from the tornado was difficult to assess, but it is believed it was limited to fallen trees, downed power lines, and minor roof and structural damage to many homes. The area of straight-line wind damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long, and occurred from the western side of Shawnee to the eastern side of Shawnee. Damage included widespread fallen trees in a suburban area north of Highland extending several blocks either side of Kickapoo, in the Woodland Park area, Boy Scout Park, and in the rural area along and south of Farrel Road between Harrison and Bryan. One tree fell on and heavily damaged the Beard House, a local landmark that was the first homestead built in Shawnee in 1895. An east-facing cinder block wall of a warehouse was blown outward in the vicinty of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Streets, and structural damage occurred to many buildings in downtown Shawnee, including toppled brick walls and broken windows. The combination of widespread straight-line wind damage and a tornado resulted in major damage over a very large area. The 19th and last tornado of the outbreak touched down 5 miles west-northwest of Little, near the intersection of EW 114 Road and NS 351 Road in northwestern Pottowatomie County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado, an F3, then increased in size to approximately a 1/2 mile wide as it moved northeast. As it crossed NS 351 Road and then EW 113 Road, a number of outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped. Three mobile homes received light damage near the north edge of the path, and 3 other homes received light damage to shingles. The tornado crossed Interstate 40 blowing over a truck which was carrying hazardous materials. The tornado then continued northeast unroofing a mobile home, causing damage to trees and destroying a number of outbuilding before crossing the North Canadian River into northeast Pottawatomie County. Along EW 110 Road, significant tree damage was observed, and a barn was partially unroofed. The community of Center View near the intersection of SH 99 and EW 109 Road was then hard hit with most of the damage south and east of this intersection. From the debris pattern, the center of the tornado crossed Highway 99 one-half mile south of EW 109 Road. A house along Highway 99 was unroofed and lost most of its exterior walls. Three homes suffered major damage along EW 109 Road. Two other homes suffered significant damage. As the tornado continued moving northeast another home suffered significant roof damage, and the south facing brick wall was buckled. The garage was destroyed. Steel and cinder block from the garage were impaled in a tree. There was also significant damage to large trees. Farther northeast, damage to a roof was noted, and a large number of power lines were downed along NS 357 Road near the intersection of EW 108 Road. One outbuilding was damaged, and light damage was observed in trees just south of EW 107 Road. In total, at least 60 homes or businesses were damaged. Major flooding developed across Noble, Lincoln, and Payne Counties shortly after midnight on the 5th. Red Rock Creek and Black Bear Creek near Red Rock in Payne County, overflowed their banks between Highway 77 and Interstate 35 washing away several small bridges. Damage was estimated at 200 thousand dollars. Six to seven inches of rain fell across a large portion of Lincoln County. At least 3 bridges were washed away by the floods including 1 bridge 1 mile east of Kendrick, and dozens of roads suffered erosion damage. Creeks also overflowed their banks in Stroud, Davenport, and Agra. At least 500 thousand dollars in damage resulted. Between 4 and 5 inches of rain fell across Payne County forcing the Cu Chee Creek to overflow its banks, flooding many roads in Cushing and Stillwater. | |||||||||||
| 39.4 | 1957-05-20 | 2 | 35°30'N / 96°42'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Lincoln | |||
| 39.6 | 1974-06-08 | 3 | 35°37'N / 96°44'W | 2.50 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln | |
| 39.6 | 1956-05-31 | 2 | 35°16'N / 96°43'W | 1.50 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Seminole | |
| 39.6 | 1968-04-19 | 3 | 35°17'N / 96°44'W | 35°22'N / 96°40'W | 6.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Seminole |
| 39.9 | 1974-06-08 | 2 | 35°18'N / 96°47'W | 35°23'N / 96°36'W | 11.80 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Seminole |
| 40.6 | 1999-05-03 | 4 | 35°53'N / 97°41'W | 36°07'N / 97°20'W | 24.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 1 | 13 | 10.0M | 0 | Logan |
| Brief Description: Tornado B20 (Logan County portion). On January 10,2001 tornadoes B20 and B21 were combined and will be identified as B20. Tornado B21 no longer exists. Please see summary at end of May 3rd storm reports for more information. F76PH A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 40.8 | 1953-03-13 | 3 | 34°53'N / 97°42'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 1 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Grady | |
| 41.0 | 1975-02-22 | 2 | 34°50'N / 97°37'W | 34°52'N / 97°35'W | 3.30 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 14 | 2.5M | 0 | Garvin |
| 41.1 | 1974-06-08 | 3 | 35°41'N / 96°48'W | 35°46'N / 96°44'W | 6.80 Miles | 1300 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 41.2 | 1970-10-05 | 4 | 35°28'N / 96°43'W | 35°31'N / 96°37'W | 6.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25.0M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 41.5 | 1973-05-06 | 2 | 35°10'N / 96°45'W | 35°16'N / 96°39'W | 9.10 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Seminole |
| 41.7 | 1964-08-26 | 2 | 34°49'N / 97°21'W | 0.10 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Garvin | |
| 42.1 | 1981-05-22 | 4 | 35°23'N / 98°10'W | 35°26'N / 98°07'W | 4.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Canadian |
| 42.2 | 1983-05-13 | 3 | 35°51'N / 97°57'W | 35°55'N / 97°49'W | 8.80 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 42.4 | 1970-04-30 | 2 | 35°58'N / 97°14'W | 36°02'N / 97°04'W | 10.40 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Payne |
| 42.4 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 36°02'N / 97°25'W | 36°02'N / 97°24'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Logan |
| Brief Description: Tornado G6. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 42.5 | 1960-05-27 | 2 | 35°54'N / 97°52'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Kingfisher | |||
| 42.8 | 1973-01-18 | 2 | 35°24'N / 96°40'W | 35°27'N / 96°36'W | 5.10 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Seminole |
| 42.9 | 1960-05-05 | 3 | 34°46'N / 97°30'W | 34°50'N / 97°24'W | 7.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Garvin |
| 43.1 | 1957-04-22 | 2 | 35°52'N / 97°56'W | 35°54'N / 97°53'W | 3.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 43.2 | 1953-03-13 | 2 | 34°46'N / 97°57'W | 35°04'N / 97°45'W | 23.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Grady |
| 43.5 | 1995-06-09 | 2 | 35°11'N / 96°41'W | 35°14'N / 96°39'W | 5.25 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5.0M | 0 | Seminole |
| 43.6 | 1951-02-19 | 2 | 35°16'N / 98°11'W | 35°22'N / 98°08'W | 7.60 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Caddo |
| 43.6 | 1999-05-03 | 3 | 35°39'N / 96°48'W | 35°47'N / 96°37'W | 14.00 Miles | 750 Yards | 0 | 13 | 60.0M | 0 | Lincoln |
| Brief Description: Tornado D4 (Lincoln County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 43.7 | 1977-05-19 | 2 | 34°47'N / 97°15'W | 34°49'N / 97°13'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Garvin |
| 43.7 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 35°05'N / 98°05'W | 35°09'N / 98°04'W | 4.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grady |
| 43.8 | 1961-04-30 | 2 | 35°30'N / 98°10'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Canadian | |
| 43.9 | 1975-06-13 | 2 | 35°49'N / 96°47'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln | |
| 43.9 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 35°42'N / 96°46'W | 35°45'N / 96°39'W | 7.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 44.0 | 1968-06-30 | 2 | 36°02'N / 97°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Logan | |
| 44.0 | 1975-06-13 | 2 | 35°51'N / 96°49'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln | |
| 44.3 | 1974-06-08 | 3 | 35°24'N / 96°41'W | 35°32'N / 96°32'W | 12.50 Miles | 1300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Seminole |
| 44.3 | 1972-06-19 | 2 | 35°59'N / 97°01'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Payne | |||
| 44.7 | 1954-05-01 | 4 | 35°42'N / 96°46'W | 35°45'N / 96°37'W | 9.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lincoln |
| 44.8 | 1999-05-03 | 3 | 34°59'N / 98°04'W | 35°04'N / 97°59'W | 7.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 4 | 75K | 0 | Grady |
| Brief Description: Tornado A6 (Grady County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 45.0 | 1963-05-26 | 3 | 35°09'N / 96°40'W | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Seminole | |||
| 45.4 | 1973-04-19 | 2 | 34°42'N / 97°18'W | 34°52'N / 97°05'W | 16.80 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Garvin |
| 45.4 | 1957-01-22 | 2 | 35°04'N / 96°52'W | 35°09'N / 96°30'W | 21.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 45.5 | 2010-05-10 | 3 | 35°16'N / 96°46'W | 35°20'N / 96°26'W | 20.00 Miles | 2200 Yards | 0 | 26 | 0K | 0K | Seminole |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado continued from Pottawatomie county, moved through Seminole county and continued into Okfuskee County just east of Cromwell. This tornado lasted at least 30 miles, with significant damage along its entire path. At times, the tornado damage path widened up to a mile. The most significant damage was located north and northeast of Earlsboro near the Pottawatomie/Seminole county border. Here a two story home was destroyed except for a few interior walls. A pick-up truck was also lofted approximately a quarter of a mile, and a semi-trailer was lofted or rolled approximately 200 yards. Farther east along its path, seven high tension towers were downed. Several hangers were destroyed at the Seminole Municipal Airport north of Seminole, and one small aircraft was flipped onto one of the destroyed hangers. Two mobile homes were destroyed near the airport and one resident suffered a broken arm. Significant tree damage was reported along the entire track of the tornado, some of them debarked and stripped off all their branches. See the documentation by the NWS Tulsa office for information of this tornado in Okfuskee County. This tornado is labeled #J4. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected a large part of northern, central, and southern Oklahoma. Tornadoes were most numerous across central and southern Oklahoma, with significant damage occurring over many areas. Severe thunderstorms erupted by mid afternoon across northern and western Oklahoma. Given the potent combination of ingredients in place, storms began to produce tornadoes quickly after initiation. Storm motions of 50 to 60 mph were common. During the mid afternoon hours, severe weather was confined to northern Oklahoma. It was there a long track supercell storm produced tornadoes near the Kansas border - including one rated EF3 - from near Wakita to north of Braman. The capping inversion that had delayed thunderstorm development into central Oklahoma weakened, allowing for explosive supercell development along the dry line along and west of the Interstate 35 corridor. Rapid development and intensification was common with the late afternoon storms, with storms becoming tornadic within a very short time after initiation. This round of storms would directly impact a large part of the Oklahoma City metro area at rush hour, and posed a significant threat to the area. The first tornado in this area occurred in Canadian County. During the next several hours, tornadoes were clustered around the metro area, and at times there were multiple significant damaging tornadoes occurring simultaneously. Several of the tornadoes had long tracks. Damage from the tornadoes was substantial, with numerous structures, vehicles, trees and power poles/lines significantly damaged or destroyed. One of the more intense tornadoes moved across Lake Thunderbird east of Norman destroying numerous boats. More storms developed across southwest and south central Oklahoma, and also quickly became tornadic. By 9 pm, 35 tornadoes had been reported. While the loss of three lives was tragic, the casualties could have been much higher given the storm's fast motions, their intensity, the time of day and the areas impacted. While exact monetary damage figures were not available, it is estimated that losses were in excess of $595 million. At least 450 sustained injuries, most of them minor. Unfortunately three people lost their lives. Note: The large number of injuries and tornadoes made it difficult to associate injuries with specific tornadoes. Injury numbers were included when we had confidence in the numbers. Note: The complex nature of storm evolutions and interactions made the job of classifying tornadoes difficult. This represents our best scientific assessment based on ground and aerial surveys, data from multiple radars, photographic and video evidence and anecdotal information. | |||||||||||
| 45.7 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 35°05'N / 98°06'W | 35°05'N / 98°05'W | 1.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Grady |
| 45.7 | 1970-10-05 | 4 | 35°31'N / 96°37'W | 35°32'N / 96°34'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Okfuskee |
| 45.7 | 1960-05-04 | 4 | 34°57'N / 96°48'W | 35°03'N / 96°44'W | 8.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 45.7 | 1968-05-13 | 3 | 34°56'N / 96°51'W | 35°03'N / 96°42'W | 11.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pottawatomie |
| 46.2 | 1961-05-04 | 2 | 35°42'N / 98°12'W | 35°45'N / 98°03'W | 9.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Canadian |
| 46.9 | 1954-05-01 | 2 | 35°09'N / 96°41'W | 35°23'N / 96°29'W | 19.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Seminole |
| 47.3 | 1974-06-08 | 2 | 35°46'N / 96°41'W | 35°47'N / 96°40'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lincoln | ||
| 48.0 | 1995-06-09 | 2 | 35°47'N / 96°40'W | 0.20 Mile | 25 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Lincoln | |
| 48.0 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 36°01'N / 97°04'W | 36°05'N / 97°00'W | 6.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Payne |
| 48.1 | 1999-05-03 | 4 | 35°56'N / 97°57'W | 36°04'N / 97°47'W | 15.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 11 | 2.5M | 0 | Kingfisher |
| Brief Description: Tornado E6. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. F46PH A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 48.2 | 1969-06-23 | 2 | 35°57'N / 97°02'W | 36°05'N / 96°52'W | 13.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Payne |
| 48.2 | 1961-03-05 | 2 | 34°44'N / 97°14'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Garvin | |
| 48.4 | 1956-06-08 | 2 | 35°17'N / 96°37'W | 35°14'N / 96°30'W | 7.40 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Seminole |
| 48.5 | 1999-05-03 | 3 | 35°46'N / 98°09'W | 35°53'N / 98°03'W | 12.00 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 4 | 300K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| Brief Description: Tornado E3. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
| 48.8 | 1961-02-17 | 3 | 34°49'N / 96°55'W | 34°56'N / 96°46'W | 12.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pontotoc |
| 48.9 | 1958-11-17 | 2 | 34°48'N / 96°57'W | 34°53'N / 96°50'W | 8.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garvin |
| 49.1 | 1958-11-17 | 3 | 35°09'N / 96°40'W | 35°20'N / 96°26'W | 18.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 15 | 250K | 0 | Seminole |
| 49.3 | 1967-06-11 | 2 | 35°45'N / 96°37'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Lincoln | |||
| 49.4 | 1981-05-22 | 4 | 35°19'N / 98°22'W | 35°23'N / 98°10'W | 12.20 Miles | 1333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Caddo |
| 49.5 | 1981-05-17 | 4 | 35°21'N / 96°36'W | 35°23'N / 96°26'W | 9.70 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Seminole |
| 49.6 | 1961-02-17 | 3 | 34°48'N / 96°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Garvin | |
| 49.7 | 1954-07-23 | 2 | 36°01'N / 96°54'W | 0.20 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Payne | |
| 49.8 | 1965-04-07 | 2 | 35°05'N / 98°15'W | 35°05'N / 98°06'W | 8.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Caddo |
| 49.9 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 34°58'N / 98°07'W | 34°59'N / 98°04'W | 2.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0 | Caddo |
| Brief Description: Tornado A6 (Caddo County portion). See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports. A record outbreak of tornadoes struck Oklahoma from late afternoon of May 3, 1999, through early morning of May 4, 1999. To date, 58 tornadoes have been recorded across portions of western and central Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across eastern Oklahoma from late evening of May 3rd through the early morning of May 4th, and are listed under the eastern Oklahoma portion of Storm Data, provided by the National Weather Service Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All direct fatalities (40) and all direct injuries (675) occurred in the Norman National Weather Service warning area. The most notable tornado was rated F5 and formed over Grady County near Amber and tracked northeast for 37 miles eventually into the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, Moore, Del City, and Midwest City suffered tremendous damage. Thirty-six direct fatalities and 583 direct injuries were recorded. There were many other significant tornadoes as well, including F4 tornadoes in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, and F3 tornadoes in Caddo, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, and Lincoln Counties. Due to the magnitude of the tornado outbreak, and for easier reference, each tornado has received its own identification. There were 8 tornadic producing thunderstorms, called supercells, and most of them spawned numerous tornadoes, one after another. Occasionally, these thunderstorms spawned tornadoes at the same time. The first tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm A, while the last tornado producing thunderstorm of the day was labeled storm I. Tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm have the same letter and were then numbered chronologically. For example, the 3rd tornado produced by storm B was labeled B3. Storm A produced 14 tornadoes over a period of about 7 hours and was eventually responsible for the F5 tornado that struck Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City and Moore. The 1st tornado of the outbreak, A1, touched down on US 62, 2 miles north of Interstate 44 in Comanche County at 1641 CST. No damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, A2, formed approximately 3 miles west of Elgin in Comanche County. Several witnesses confirmed this tornado, however no damage was observed (F0). The 3rd tornado, A3, touched down in a rural area 3 miles east of Apache in Caddo County. As the tornado moved northward to near Anadarko, one house was destroyed near the town of Stecker, with its roof ripped off and several walls knocked down (F3). Three person inside the house were injured. Several witnesses reported the 4th tornado, A4, 3 miles northwest of Cyril in Caddo County just west of SH 8. No damage was reported (F0). The 5th tornado, A5, formed 2 miles south of Anadarko in Caddo County. Two witnesses reported the tornado to be brief, and no damage was observed (F0). The 6th tornado, A6, developed about 3 miles north-northeast of Cement near the Caddo/Grady County border, and quickly intensified to a strong tornado with associated damage rated at the high end of the F3 scale. The tornado tracked northeast for 9 miles before dissipating 2.5 miles west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. Two homes had just a few interior walls standing (F3), one located near US 62 on the northwest side of Chickasha, and several wooden high tension power lines were downed. Several persons were injured south of Verden near the Caddo/Grady County border. The 7th tornado, A7, has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and rotated around A6 for a short period of time, 5 miles west of Chickasha in Grady County. Damage from this satellite tornado was not discovered and was therefore rated F0. The 8th tornado, A8, developed 2.5 miles northwest of downtown Chickasha just north of US 62, and tracked northeast, striking the Chickasha Municipal Airport, resulting in high-end F2 damage to two hangar buildings and destroying several aircraft. An aircraft wing, believed to have originated from this airport was eventually carried airborne approximately 45 miles and dropped in southwest Oklahoma City. Approximately 20 mobile homes near the airport were either damaged or destroyed with several persons injured. The tornado then crossed US 81 about 2 miles north of its intersection with US 62 destroying a large building, then dissipated 4 miles north-northeast of downtown Chickasha. The 9th tornado, A9, was a violent and long-tracked tornado, and eventually produced F5 damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma City, and Moore. This tornado developed in Grady County about two miles south-southwest of Amber, and quickly intensified as it crossed State Highway 92. F4 damage was first discovered about 4 miles east-northeast of Amber and extended for 6 1/2 miles, as the tornado continued to move northeast. Two areas of F5 damage were observed. The first was in the Willow Lake Addition, a rural subdivision of mobile homes and some concrete slab homes, in Bridge Creek in far eastern Grady County. Two homes were completely swept from their concrete slabs, and about one dozen automobiles were carried about 1/4 of a mile. All mobile homes in this area in the direct path of the tornado were obliterated, resulting in a high concentration of fatalities. Asphalt pavement about 1-inch thick was also peeled from a section of rural road EW125. The second area of F5 damage was observed about 1 mile west of the Grady/McClain County line and consisted of a cleanly swept slab home with foundation anchor bolts and another vehicle lofted 1/4 of a mile. The maximum width of damage in Bridge Creek was estimated to be 1 mile. Approximately 200 mobile homes/houses were destroyed, and hundreds of other structures were damaged. The Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was also destroyed. Twelve persons died in Bridge Creek, nine in mobile homes, and all fatalities and the majority of injuries were concentrated in the Willow Lake Addition, Southern Hills Addition, and Bridge Creek Estates, consisting mostly of mobile homes. Compared to sections of Oklahoma and Cleveland Counties, other counties in the path of this tornado which are more densely populated, eastern Grady County including the Bridge Creek area, is rural and sparsely populated. The tornado maintained a nearly straight path to the northeast paralleling Interstate 44, as it entered McClain County, except when it made a slight jog to the right and moved directly over the 16th Street overpass in Newcastle where a woman was killed when she was blown out from under the overpass. The tornado continued into northern sections of rural Newcastle and crossed the interstate again just north of the US 62 Newcastle interchange. While this tornado was moving through the northern portion of Newcastle, a satellite tornado (A10) touched down in a field in rural north Newcastle, and caused no damage (F0). Two areas of F4 damage were observed in McClain County, all associated with tornado A9. The first area overlapped the Grady/McClain County line and extended to about 3 miles northwest of Newcastle, ending just west of the 16th St. overpass on Interstate 44, while the other area was observed 2 miles northwest of Newcastle. Thirty-eight homes and 2 businesses were destroyed in McClain County, and 40 homes were damaged. Damage then diminished to F2 intensity as the tornado crossed the South Canadian River into northern Cleveland County. The tornado entered Cleveland County between Portland and May and between SW 164th and SW 179th in south Oklahoma City. Damage was rated F2 in this area with a path width averaging 1/2 of a mile. The first major housing development to be struck in Cleveland County was Country Place Estates located just west of Pennsylvania Ave. where about 50 homes were damaged, with 1 dozen of these homes receiving F4 damage. One slab home was cleanly swept from its foundation, and several vehicles were picked up from the subdivision and tossed across Pennsylvania Ave, a distance of approximately 1/4 of a mile. One vehicle was found under a bridge just east of the intersection of Pennsylvania and SW 134th. This particular area of damage has been rated high F4/low F5. Oklahoma City Police indicated that part of an airplane wing, believed to have originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport in Grady County, landed in this area. The tornado then tracked through Eastlake Estates, a densely populated housing development, located north of SW 134th and between Pennsylvania and Western, where 3 fatalities occurred. Entire rows of homes were virtually flattened to piles of rubble. Four adjacent homes on one street were virtually cleaned off their foundations leaving only concrete slabs, which earned an F5 rating. Three other homes in this housing division also received F5 damage, with the remaining destruction rated high F4. Three persons also died in the 600-unit Emerald Springs Apartments on Western Ave. located across the street from Eastlake Estates. One 2-story apartment building on the north end of the apartment complex was virtually flattened, and received an F5 rating. Westmoore High School, located just north of Eastlake Estates, was also heavily damaged. Although a well-attended awards ceremony was being held at the school during the tornado, no one was injured, however dozens of vehicles in the school parking lot were either damaged or destroyed. F4 damage continued northeast into another residential area east of Western Ave. and south of 119th St. The tornado then entered the western city limits of Moore (Cleveland County) along Santa Fe and near NW 12th, and produced damage between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile wide. Maximum damage, rated high F4/low F5, extended northeast to near Janeway with several large groups of homes flattened. Four persons died in this residential area. F4 damage continued to South Shields just north of the junction with Interstate 35. A woman was also killed when she was blown out from under the Shields overpass of Interstate 35. The tornado appeared to weaken just slightly after crossing interstate 35, however it remained a formidable storm with widespread high F3/low F4 damage observed in Highland Park, a residential area, south of the First Baptist Church on 27th St. in Moore. Escaping with relatively minor damage, and being located near the halfway point of the tornado path, the First Baptist Church in Moore eventually served as the primary coordination center for most tornado relief efforts. The tornado then continued northeast and entered the southern portion of a sparsely populated industrial district. F4 damage continued through this area, to near SE 89th St., the Cleveland/Oklahoma County border. Moving into Oklahoma County, the tornado curved northward, through the remaining industrial district north of Interstate 240 where 2 businesses were destroyed, with the damage rated F4. Two persons were also killed at a trucking company near the intersection of S. Bryant Ave. and Interstate 240. A freight car, with an approximate weight of 18 tons, was picked up intermittently and blown 3/4 of a mile across an open field, with the body of the freight car being deposited southeast of the intersection of S. Sunnylane Rd. and SE 59th. Gouge marks were observed in the field every 50 to 100 yards, suggesting the freight car had been airborne for at least a short distance. While tornado A9 was moving through southeast Oklahoma City, another tornado (A11) touched down briefly about 1/2 mile south of Interstate 240 (Oklahoma County), near the intersection of SE 80th and Sooner Rd. Damage from tornado A11, rated F0, included fences being blown down and minor roof damage inflicted to a couple of houses. Tornado A9 then entered residential neighborhoods between SE 59th and SE 44th where 1 woman was killed in her house. Crossing SE 44th into Del City (Oklahoma County) the tornado moved through the highly populated Del Aire housing addition killing 6 persons and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, many with F3/F4 damage. The tornado then crossed Sooner Rd., damaged an entry gate and several costly structures at Tinker Air Force Base, then crossed 29th St. into Midwest City (Oklahoma County), destroying 1 building in the Boeing Complex and damaging 2 others. Widespread F3/F4 damage continued as the tornado moved across Interstate 40 affecting a large business district. Approximately 800 vehicles were damaged at Hudiburg Auto Group, located just south of Interstate 40. Hundreds of the vehicles were moved from their original location, and dozens of vehicles were picked up and tossed northward across Interstate 40 into several motels, a distance of approximately 2 tenths of a mile. Numerous motels and other businesses including Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Inn Suites, Clarion Inn, Cracker Barrel, and portions of Rose State College, were destroyed. Some of the damage through this area was rated high F4, however low F5 was considered. The tornado then continued into another residential area located between SE 15th and Reno Ave. where 3 fatalities occurred. High F4 damage was inflicted to 4 homes in this area. Two of these homes were located between SE 12th and SE 11th, near Buena Vista, and the other 2 homes were located on Will Rogers Rd. just south of SE 15th. Damage then diminished rapidly to F0/F1 as the tornado crossed Reno Ave. before dissipating 3 blocks north of Reno Ave. between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd. The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total. Five hundred eighty-three injuries were estimated based on numbers provided from the Department of Health, which were then adjusted to account for persons assumed to be unaccounted for. Injuries which resulted from removing debris, conducting search and rescue efforts, and taking shelter from the tornado, were not considered in the injury total. An estimated 1800 homes were destroyed, and 2500 homes were damaged, resulting in approximately 1 billion dollars in damage. The 12th tornado, A12, formed about 3 miles southwest of Choctaw in Oklahoma County and produced F2 damage to two homes and lesser damage to many others in the southwest part of Choctaw. The tornado moved into the center of town where a car was thrown over the canopy at a drive-in-restaurant. The business strip located on the north side of NE 23rd was especially affected with several businesses destroyed, including Pizza Hut, Sonic, and Tri-City Youth and Family Shelter. Damage was mainly F1as it moved northeast, except for F2 damage at a nursing home where one woman was injured. The tornado continued to weaken in rural areas and dissipated near the intersection of NE 50th and Triple XXX Road. In total, damage estimates are near 3.2 million dollars, with 8 businesses destroyed, 130 businesses damaged, 14 homes destroyed, and 23 homes damaged. The 13th tornado, A13, formed about 4 miles east-southeast of Jones in Oklahoma County near the intersection of NE 63rd and Triple XXX Rd., and was captured on video. Only minor damage (F0), was observed as the tornado tracked northward along Triple XXX Rd. for 2 miles before dissipating near Britton. The 14th and final tornado (A14) produced by storm A, formed about 3 miles east-northeast of Jones in Oklahoma County just west of Triple XXX Rd and between Hefner and 122nd, then tracked northward for 4 miles before dissipating near Interstate 44. A ground survey concluded F1 damage occurred to several homes south of the intersection of Memorial and Triple XXX Rd. Storm B was responsible for producing 20 tornadoes in 5 hours. One of these tornadoes, rated F4, caused 1 fatality, and produced a damage path 39 miles long and 1 mile wide. The first tornado, B1, formed about 3 miles south of Roosevelt in Kiowa County near Tom Steed Lake. Touchdown was brief with no damage reported (F0). The 2nd tornado, B2, formed in southwest Caddo County about 12 miles west-northwest of Apache. The tornado was captured on video and remained on the ground for approximately 4 minutes before dissipating. No damage was reported (F0). The 3rd tornado, B3, formed about 8 miles south of Fort Cobb and remained on the ground for 21 minutes covering a distance of 7 miles. Damage, mainly F1, consisted of a destroyed barn 7 miles south of Fort Cobb, a stock trailer which was thrown about 100 yards and a destroyed house garage 6 miles south-southeast of Fort Cobb, and sporadic areas of downed trees and power lines. The 4th tornado, B4, was short-lived and developed about 5 miles west of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). The 5th tornado, B5, was also short-lived and formed about 4 miles north-northwest of Anadarko in Caddo County. No significant damage was observed (F0). A storm chaser observed the 6th tornado, B6, about 4 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. Touchdown was brief with no significant damage (F0). The 7th tornado, B7, was also reported by a storm chaser, and formed about 9 miles east-southeast of Gracemont in Caddo County. The tornado was brief and produced no significant damage (F0). The 8th and 9th tornadoes, B8 and B9, formed nearly simultaneously. Tornado B8 developed about 8 miles west-southwest of Minco in Grady County and was approximately 300 yards wide. The tornado tracked northeast for 2 miles before dissipating. Tornado B9 formed 5 miles south of Cogar in Caddo County and tracked northward for 5 miles. Tornadoes B8 and B9 moved over rural areas with only extensive tree damage observed, and thus were both rated F1. The 10th tornado, B10, was captured on video and formed about 5 miles west of Minco and tracked northeast for 4 miles before dissipating. Maximum damage, rated F1, consisted of small house moved slightly off its foundation with most of its roof blown off. Trees and road signs were also damaged near the end of the tornado track. The 11th tornado, B11, formed about 5 miles southwest of Minco in Grady County and was observed by off-duty Storm Prediction Center forecasters. The roof was ripped off a house, which would normally warrant an F2 rating, however the structure was considered somewhat unstable, so an F1 rating was assigned. The 12th tornado, B12, formed about 2.5 miles west-northwest of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was observed and thus was rated F0. The 13th tornado, B13, formed about 2 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 14th tornado, B14, formed about 4 miles north-northeast of Union City in Canadian County and was also captured on video. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 15th tornado, B15, was also captured on video as it formed about 3 miles east-southeast of El Reno in Canadian County. No significant damage was reported (F0). The 16th tornado, B16, developed about 6 miles west-northwest of Yukon (Canadian County) and tracked northward for 6 miles before dissipating near Piedmont, also in Canadian County. Two witnesses caught this tornado on video. The majority of damage consisted of mangled and downed trees and downed power poles, however 2 mobile homes sustained heavy damage (F1); a barn was destroyed, and 1 cow was killed. The 17th tornado, B17, developed about 1.5 miles west of Piedmont in Canadian County and tracked northward for 8 miles in a zigzag pattern, ending in far south Kingfisher County. Again the majority of damage consisted of downed trees and power poles, however F2 damage was observed about 4 miles northwest of Piedmont where a garage, attached to the house, was destroyed, and a barn and mobile home were completely demolished with debris from the mobile home, mostly corrugated metal, scattered along a 2-mile stretch of road. F1 damage, consisting of large downed trees and leaning power poles, was observed in southern Kingfisher County. The 18th tornado, B18, developed about 4 miles north-northeast of Piedmont in northeast Canadian County and tracked northward for 10 miles before dissipating about 4 miles northwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County. F1 damage was observed in northeast Canadian County, where large trees were uprooted, and numerous power poles were felled or were leaning. F1 damage was also observed 2 miles west of Cashion in Kingfisher County where telephone/utility poles were downed for approximately 100 feet, and an oil storage tank was knocked off its mount. The 19th tornado, B19, formed about 12 miles south-southwest of Crescent in Logan County and was confirmed by an aerial survey. Damage, rated high F0/low F1, was observed for a distance of 1 mile and consisted mostly of downed power poles and strewn about bales of hay. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where 2 tornadoes, B20 and G5, produced by different thunderstorms, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult and in some areas nearly impossible due to overlapping damage paths. The 1st tornado, B20, formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. The 2nd tornado, G5, formed about 2 1/2 miles south of Crescent and tracked northeast for 13 miles before dissipating 4 miles southwest of Mulhall. Damage paths were nearly parallel in Logan County with damage from the 2nd tornado displaced 1/2 mile or less to the north of damage from the 1st tornado. Damage from B20 was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed. The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 persons were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed. Lesser damage continued to about 1/2 mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top. In Noble County, major structural damage was observed in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged. The 2nd tornado, G5, occurred about 1 hour and 20 minutes after tornado B20, and also produced widespread damage. Twenty-five homes were destroyed near Crescent, and 30 homes were damaged (F3). Damage here is believed to have been produced by both tornadoes, and near the end of this tornado track, along portions of EW68 Rd. and EW69 Rd., another house received significant roof damage. Storm C spawned just 2 tornadoes. Both produced minimal damage in Canadian and Kingfisher Counties. The first tornado, C1, formed about 1.5 miles east of Okarche near the Canadian/Kingfisher County border and stayed on the ground for approximately 4 miles moving north-northeast. One barn was destroyed, while another was damaged. The structural integrity of the known destroyed barn warranted only an F0 rating. Tornado C2 touched down within the town of Okarche, which is on the Canadian/Kingfisher County border, and was photographed by Okarche residents. No damage was reported (F0). Storm D produced 4 tornadoes in the Norman National Weather Service warning area, however several tornadoes also formed from this thunderstorm in the Tulsa National Weather Service warning area. The 1st tornado, D1, formed 1mile north of the community of Etowah (15 miles south-southeast of Norman) in eastern Cleveland County and moved to the north-northeast damaging primarily trees (F0). The tornado then moved into Pottawatomie County and struck the community of Pink where the Pink Baptist Church, located on the south side of State Highway 9, 1.5 miles to the east of the Cleveland/Pottawatomie County line, was significantly damaged. The roof was taken off a new portion of the church, while the roof collapsed on the south side of the older portion of the church over the sanctuary leading to significant water damage. The church was primarily of a cinder block construction with a brick exterior. An F1 rating was applied at the church. A detached large, metal "gymnasium" building to the south of the church was also damaged with the southwest corner of the building caved in and support beams bent. The tornado continued to the northeast before dissipating just inside the city limits of Bethel Acres near Stevens Road, between Waco Road and Hardesty Road. With the exception of the church buildings, damage was limited to trees and power lines. The 2nd tornado, D2, formed in rural Pottawatomie County near Independence Road and Drummond Road or about 6 miles west-northwest of Downtown Shawnee. A few trees were damaged as the tornado moved northeast into the Clarks Heights addition along US-270, just south of Interstate 40. At 45th Street, a portion of a roof was blown off; a nursery was damaged; awnings were destroyed, and trees were downed. As the tornado crossed US-270, the air conditioner was taken off the roof of the El Charro restaurant. Continuing northeast into the West Gate neighborhood, fifteen homes suffered significant damage. Three homes were completely unroofed, warranting an F2 rating, and a number of others were partially unroofed. Other homes suffered shingle damage; a number of large trees were downed, and a garage was collapsed. Signs were also downed along the interstate adjacent to this neighborhood. The next area of significant damage was along the 38800 block of Garrett's Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed, with the frame of the home blown 50 to 75 yards to the northwest. The disintegration of the mobile home indicated a high F1 or borderline F2 intensity in this area. A few hundred yards to the northeast, the warehouse of Shawnee Light Systems was damaged; one large metal storage building was unroofed, and other buildings were damaged. The tornado crossed Acme Road and struck a number of double-wide mobile homes along Valley View Drive, where one fatality and one serious injury occurred in the same home. The mobile homes most heavily damaged in this area were destroyed, but not disintegrated. To the north, a barn was destroyed, and trees were damaged as the tornado crossed Wolverine Road. The tornado then curved to the north-northwest crossing Acme Road damaging more trees before dissipating. The 3rd tornado, D3, touched down about a mile southeast of where D2 dissipated, or along Wolverine Road and 1/2 mile east of Acme Road just outside the Shawnee city limits in Pottawatomie County, where it destroyed an outbuilding and damaged trees. The tornado then moved northeast continuing to damage large trees before striking the Country Meadow housing addition in far north Shawnee. A number of homes in this neighborhood were damaged, two partially unroofed. The homes in this neighborhood appeared to be well-constructed and were approximately two to five years old. Damage here was consistent with high-end F1 damage. The tornado continued northeast downing power lines as it moved into Lincoln County 3 miles south-southwest of Meeker. At a point two miles south-southwest of Meeker, a double-wide mobile home was destroyed; a fifth wheel was tossed, and a large apple tree and a very large black jack oak tree were destroyed. The tornado then moved northeast into the eastern sections of Meeker. Along US Highway 62 a couple of buildings suffered shingle and roof damage; a business sign was destroyed; a shed was destroyed and carried north over the adjacent house, and trees were downed. Scattered tree damage continued to a point four miles northeast of Meeker. Damage in Lincoln County was also rated F1. The final tornado (D4) produced by storm D formed 3 miles north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County. From this point extending north-northeast toward Davenport, only sporadic tree damage was observed. The tornado then inflicted scattered and mostly minor damage to houses and businesses in southeast portions of Davenport consistent with a high F0/low F1 rating, however a house just south of Davenport did lose more than half its roof. The tornado then continued northeastward toward Stroud remaining nearly parallel with Interstate 44 and State Route 66. In Stroud, the three largest employers of Stroud were heavily damaged. On the west side of Stroud along State Highway 66, the tornado hit the Sygma food distribution warehouse. The southeast section of the warehouse, a large free-span structure, suffered significant damage. Three semi-trucks at the warehouse were overturned. Some of the girders and siding from the warehouse were thrown to the northwest across State Highway 66. Farther east along State Highway 66 the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which then caused significant water damage within the hospital. The pattern of the trees that were felled adjacent to the hospital suggested a multiple-vortex structure to the tornado at this point. Damage is estimated to be F2 along State Highway 66. As the tornado continued to move northeast along the turnpike, a McDonald's received minor damage, while an adjacent gas station had all its windows blown out. Semi-trucks parked in the gas station parking lot were also destroyed. On the north side of the turnpike on Old Stroud Road, a group of seven mobile homes was completely destroyed, three of which were lived in, however none were occupied when the tornado struck. The degree of destruction of these mobile homes indicated an F2 rating in this area. To the north, a large house being built (although most of the exterior of the house was completed) suffered roof and siding damage, especially on the east side. Much of the newly-laid interior wood flooring was destroyed by water. A number of homes in a neighborhood on the south side of the turnpike were damaged. At least two houses lost roofs with more minor roof and siding damage to others. Some of the worst damage, rated F3, occurred near the Tanger Outlet Mall, which was hit next by the tornado. Almost all of the stores suffered at least roof damage, however a section of 7 storefronts was destroyed. This section included four stores: Dress Barn, Corning, Mikasa, and a housewares store. At the eastern most section of the building, the exterior walls of the Levi's store collapsed inward. This store was a couple of hundred yards away from the other destroyed section. Local officials from Stroud had evacuated the mall before the tornado struck (approximately 2139 CST), and thus there were no fatalities or injuries in this area. Just south of the outlet mall, a Best Western motel lost part of its roof, and a Wendy's restaurant suffered a partially collapsed roof and broken windows. North of the outlet mall, a number of homes were damaged or destroyed in the Midway mobile home park. As the tornado moved northeast out of Stroud, a number of high-tension electrical towers were downed, and a few trees were downed before the tornado moved into Creek County (Tulsa National Weather Service warning area) about one mile north of the turnpike, dissipating south of Stroud Lake. Storm E produced 7 tornadoes, including an F4 tornado, that caused extensive damage to Dover in Kingfisher County. The 1st tornado, E1, was very brief and caused no damage (F0), as it formed about 3 miles west of Geary in Blaine County. The 2nd tornado, E2, formed in extreme northwest Canadian County and tracked northeast for 11 miles, clipping the southeast corner of Blaine County, before entering southwest Kingfisher County, eventually dissipating 7 miles south-southeast of Omega. Structural damage was confined mainly to outbuildings and roofs of a mobile home and house, however extensive tree damage with some large uprooted trees occurred along much of the tornado path, warranting an F1 rating in each county. The 3rd tornado, E3, formed 7 miles south-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and tracked northeast for 12 miles before dissipating 7 miles northwest of Kingfisher. Extensive tree damage and damage to 1 farmstead occurred during the first 2.5 miles of its path. The tornado then reached its maximum width of about 1/4 of a mile, 5 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher where a large, well-built brick home was severely damaged. Although anchored to the foundation, half the walls were collapsed or missing, and the roof was gone, warranting an F3 rating. Along the remainder of the path, a handful of other homes had minor damage, and 7 mobile homes and numerous outbuildings were destroyed or severely damaged. There was also damage to trees, telephone poles, and farm equipment. The 4th tornado, E4, was short-lived and small, and has been referred to as a satellite tornado, and formed about 6 miles west of Kingfisher while tornado E3 was most intense. This tornado rotated around E3 for a short period of time before dissipating. No damage was observed (F0). Another satellite tornado, E5, formed 6 miles west-northwest of Kingfisher and also rotated briefly around E3. Its life-span was short, and there was no damage (F0). The 6th tornado, E6, produced a damage path 15 miles long and 1/2 mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey. F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings. While tornado E6 continued moving northeast of Dover, another tornado, E7, formed about 3 miles northeast of Dover. This tornado formed near tornado E6 and tracked north-northeast for 4 miles over open county. F1 damage to trees, telephone poles, farm equipment, and outbuildings was observed. To avoid confusion with F-scale ratings, no storm F was assigned. The fifth tornadic supercell, storm G, produced 6 tornadoes, 2 which produced F3 damage. The 1st tornado, G1, formed near the southwest edge of El Reno in Canadian County just southwest of Interstate 40 and County Club Rd. Minor damage, rated F0, was confined to trees, ballfield equipment at Redlands Community College, and a few roofs. The 2nd tornado, G2, formed about 1 mile northeast of El Reno in Canadian County and tracked north for 22 miles, varying in width from 100 to 500 yards, before dissipating 8 miles south-southwest of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 3 other homes received F1 damage. The remainder of damage was confined to telephone poles, trees, and outbuildings. About 2.5 miles into the path of the tornado, F2 damage occurred, and the top of a 500 ft. transmission tower was blown off. Near the end of the tornado path, F3 damage occurred about 9 miles southeast of Kingfisher, where a 3000 pound oil storage tank was moved for 1/2 of a mile. While the tank rolled for some distance, it was clear the tank was airborne. Trees in this area were also partially debarked. The 3rd tornado, G3, formed 2 miles southwest of Cashion in Kingfisher County and produced only minor damage, F0, as it tracked northeast for 3 miles to near the Kingfisher/Logan County border. The 4th tornado, G4, was very short-lived and formed about 8 miles east of Kingfisher in Kingfisher County. The tornado was less than 50 yards wide and damaged outbuildings and trees (F0) as it moved northeast across Highway 33. A description of the 5th tornado, G5, was listed above with tornado B20. Tornado G5 tracked over nearly the same portion of Logan County as tornado B20. At times, damage caused by tornado B20 was indistinguishable from damage caused by tornado G5. The 6th and final tornado (G6) produced by storm G, formed about 3 miles south-southwest of Mulhall in Logan County, just south of the damage track produced by another tornado (B20) that moved through Mulhall earlier in the evening. Although somewhat difficult to determine, due to possible damage from tornado B20, the most extensive damage (F2) from this tornado is believed to have consisted of major structural damage to a brick house near the intersection of Highway 77 and EW 68, where the majority of the roof was ripped off, and one exterior wall was partially knocked down. Additional damage occurred to a railroad crossing, trees, and power poles. Storm H spawned 4 tornadoes. The first tornado, H1, formed 2 miles east-southeast of Omega in Kingfisher County and was reported by a storm chaser. No significant damage is believed to have occurred (F0). The 2nd tornado, H2, formed about 3 miles northwest of Dover in Kingfisher County and was determined from storm chaser accounts and a damage survey. Damage, rated F0, consisted of snapped and uprooted trees. The 3rd tornado, H3, formed about 1 mile east-southeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County and moved to the east-southeast for 1 mile. Major damage, rated high-end F2, was inflicted to one farm house and an old abandoned house near the beginning of the tornado track, and a handful of outbuildings were completely destroyed. Additionally, heavy farm equipment was moved several hundred yards, and trees sustained major damage. The 4th and final tornado, H4, formed 3 miles southwest of Marshall in Logan County and tracked over mostly rural land, affecting 2 residences before dissipating in southeast Garfield County. An old, abandoned house near Marshall in northwest Logan County was completely destroyed (F2). Damage at another residence in southeast Garfield County included 3 destroyed grain bins, 1 which was tossed about a 1/2 mile. A pole barn was also destroyed with the remnants strewn about a 150 yard wide area, and an addition to a house was ripped off. Massive trees some with trunk diameters the size of a small car where also ripped completely out of the ground and tossed up to 200 yards. This tree damage occurred over an area covering several miles and overlapped the Logan/Garfield County border. The final tornado producing thunderstorm, storm I, produced just one tornado. This tornado, I1, formed 6 miles south of Ringwood in Major County and unroofed an office building of a feed lot, while also damaging an irrigation system. Damage caused by this tornado was rated F1. There were also numerous reports of large hail and damaging straight-line winds during the tornado outbreak. Hail to the size of softballs (4.5 inches) smashed hundreds of vehicles and damaged many buildings 5 miles north of Altus in Jackson County. At least 400 individual claims were received by local insurance offices with total damage near $800,000, and in Weatherford in Custer County, hail to the size of baseballs (2.75 inches) dented vehicles and broke many windows. Straight-line winds blew the roof off an apartment complex in the 100 block of McCormick in the Western Hills area of Weatherford in Custer County, ripped the roof off a barn 3 miles north of Altus in Jackson County, and blew out windows of a trailer 1 mile east of Blair in Jackson County. Straight-line winds also caused widespread tree damage 10 miles northeast of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, blew down power poles 5 miles east of Perry in Noble County, and knocked down large tree limbs 5 miles east-southeast of Elmer in Jackson County. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.