73701 Zip Code Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in 73701 Zip Code is lower than Oklahoma average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in 73701 Zip Code is about the same as Oklahoma average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #529
| 73701 Zip Code | 0.04 |
| 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
| 73701 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, #308
| 73701 Zip Code | 358.29 |
| 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 5,108 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of 73701 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: | 3 | Cold: | 3 | Dense Fog: | 10 | Drought: | 29 |
| Dust Storm: | 1 | Flood: | 244 | Hail: | 2,801 | Heat: | 13 | Heavy Snow: | 32 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 15 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 21 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,767 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 4 | Winter Storm: | 25 | Winter Weather: | 19 |
| Other: | 121 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near 73701 Zip Code.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near 73701 Zip Code.
No historical earthquake events found in or near 73701 Zip Code.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 133 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near 73701 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 3.3 | 1956-04-08 | 3 | 36°23'N / 97°54'W | 36°24'N / 97°46'W | 7.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Garfield |
| 4.2 | 2009-04-25 | 2 | 36°25'N / 97°52'W | 36°27'N / 97°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Garfield |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the expo center in the northwest side of Enid. The southwest corner of the roof of the expo center was removed, and numerous trailers, trees and signs were damaged. The tornado moved north-northeast from the expo center into a neighborhood causing destroying or causing significant damage to a number of trailers, and significant damage to a metal building and trees along with some roof damage to other homes. The tornado then moved into a neighborhood on the west side of the city of North Enid damaging home roofs. The last observed damage was as the tornado crossed Phillips Avenue just east of Highway 81. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed ahead of a dry line, and then ahead of a cold front by late afternoon. Very large hail up to baseball size was reported at several locations. Later in the evening, the low-level jet developed, increasing wind shear and making the environment more conducive for tornadoes. Low-level rotation became more common with the thunderstorms, with a couple of storms over north central Oklahoma producing tornadoes. Damage was reported in the northern Enid and Hillsdale areas, but no significant injuries were reported. The storms moved northeast into Kansas after midnight. | |||||||||||
| 4.2 | 1991-04-26 | 3 | 36°24'N / 97°46'W | 36°26'N / 97°40'W | 6.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Garfield |
| 5.8 | 1966-06-05 | 2 | 36°28'N / 97°53'W | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Garfield | |||
| 6.2 | 2009-04-25 | 2 | 36°31'N / 97°47'W | 36°31'N / 97°47'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Garfield |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado occurred mainly over open farmland, except for one house about 2.5 miles southeast of Kremlin that suffered significant damage, including the removal of the roof. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms developed ahead of a dry line, and then ahead of a cold front by late afternoon. Very large hail up to baseball size was reported at several locations. Later in the evening, the low-level jet developed, increasing wind shear and making the environment more conducive for tornadoes. Low-level rotation became more common with the thunderstorms, with a couple of storms over north central Oklahoma producing tornadoes. Damage was reported in the northern Enid and Hillsdale areas, but no significant injuries were reported. The storms moved northeast into Kansas after midnight. | |||||||||||
| 6.2 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 36°19'N / 97°49'W | 36°26'N / 97°35'W | 15.30 Miles | 733 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Garfield |
| 8.0 | 1960-07-29 | 2 | 36°21'N / 97°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Garfield | |||
| 9.5 | 1961-05-07 | 2 | 36°33'N / 97°52'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Garfield | |||
| 10.7 | 1991-04-12 | 3 | 36°31'N / 97°55'W | 36°35'N / 97°54'W | 6.80 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Garfield |
| 11.0 | 1956-04-02 | 2 | 36°33'N / 97°53'W | 36°36'N / 97°51'W | 3.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Garfield |
| 11.2 | 1958-11-17 | 3 | 36°21'N / 97°43'W | 36°32'N / 97°28'W | 18.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garfield |
| 12.5 | 1991-04-12 | 3 | 36°35'N / 97°54'W | 36°36'N / 97°52'W | 2.20 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 12.9 | 1991-04-12 | 2 | 36°24'N / 98°02'W | 36°27'N / 98°01'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Garfield |
| 13.6 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 36°26'N / 97°35'W | 36°29'N / 97°31'W | 5.10 Miles | 733 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garfield |
| 13.7 | 1999-04-21 | 2 | 36°28'N / 98°05'W | 36°31'N / 97°58'W | 8.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Garfield |
| Brief Description: Severe thunderstorms affected parts of western and central Oklahoma from late afternoon of the 21st through the early morning of the 22nd. An F2 tornado that struck the town of Carrier in Garfield County received the most attention, however 2 other tornadoes did form, and there were many reports of damaging straight-line winds and large, destructive hail. A team of National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed the damage in and near Carrier and rated the tornado an F2. The tornado developed at 1745 CST approximately 4 miles west-southwest of Carrier. The tornado moved along a path from west-southwest to east-northeast from its starting point to Carrier. The path width was approximately 150 yards wide early in the tornado's life. At a point 2 miles southwest of Carrier F2 damage was observed. A home had its roof ripped off and two walls collapsed. As the tornado began to approach Carrier it widened to approximately 500 yards. Four homes in Carrier lost all of their roofs with all four walls standing. One older abandoned cinder block building collapsed. A school and church on the north side of Carrier suffered only minor roof or window damage. As the storm moved out of Carrier it turned to the northeast and narrowed to 200 yards. At about 2 miles northeast of Carrier one home had significant damage to its roof while another suffered minor roof damage. The tornado was rated F1 at this point.The tornado dissipated at 1805 CST about 4 miles northeast of Carrier. The combination of the tornado and straight-line winds in believed to have been responsible for the majority of damage. After the tornado dissipated, straight-line winds continued to cause some damage for several miles. Significant tree damage was noted 4 miles east northeast of Carrier which was one and a half miles south of the tornado damage path. In total 8 homes and businesses were destroyed; 14 buildings sustained major damage, while 19 others sustained minor damage. Damage is estimated at 1.5 million dollars. Another tornado, an F0, was reported by Garfield County Emergency Management causing minor damage to roofs of 2 homes west-northwest of Vance Air Force Base. The 3rd and last tornado of the day, an F1, touched down about 1 mile northeast of Billings in Noble County and destroyed a barn and 2 outbuildings. In addition trees were blown down and several house windows were blown out; numerous farm animals were killed, and 2 semis were blown over on Interstate 35 near mile marker 207. The driver of one of the trucks was injured by broken glass. In addition to tornadoes, large and destructive hail fell in many areas including Hennessey in Kingfisher County where an unusually large amount of golf ball to baseball-size hail fell several times on the 21st causing extensive damage to vehicles, homes, and wheat crop. At least 900,000 dollars is expected to be paid out by just one insurance company which received nearly 750 claims. Among the list of hail damage reports: a pick-up truck was struck by golf ball-size hail 6 miles west of Lacey in Kingfisher County, and numerous vehicles had their windows broken by tennis ball-size hail 16 miles west of Hennessey, also in Kingfisher County. Damaging straight-line winds were observed by the Chief of the Kremlin Fire Department in Garfield County who experienced a brief period of 70 to 80 mph winds from the northwest near the intersection of Highway 81 and Great Lakes Road 8 miles south of Kremlin. He also witnessed an old barn being blown over. Power lines were also downed on the north side of Enid in Garfield County. A wind gust of 90 mph was also observed at the Stillwater Regional Airport in Payne County, where many signs were blown down. | |||||||||||
| 14.5 | 1960-04-16 | 2 | 36°17'N / 97°59'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garfield | |||
| 15.4 | 1956-04-08 | 3 | 36°15'N / 97°40'W | 36°17'N / 97°32'W | 7.70 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garfield |
| 15.4 | 1979-05-02 | 4 | 36°23'N / 98°07'W | 36°21'N / 98°00'W | 6.90 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Garfield |
| 16.7 | 1991-04-26 | 4 | 36°26'N / 97°33'W | 36°27'N / 97°26'W | 6.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Garfield |
| 16.8 | 1963-10-20 | 2 | 36°10'N / 97°43'W | 36°14'N / 97°39'W | 5.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 17.9 | 1979-05-02 | 3 | 36°11'N / 97°44'W | 36°12'N / 97°35'W | 8.40 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Garfield |
| 17.9 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 36°29'N / 97°31'W | 36°31'N / 97°27'W | 4.30 Miles | 733 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Garfield |
| 18.9 | 1956-04-02 | 2 | 36°36'N / 97°51'W | 36°48'N / 97°45'W | 14.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 19.6 | 1991-04-12 | 3 | 36°39'N / 97°49'W | 36°46'N / 97°40'W | 9.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
| 19.7 | 1950-05-07 | 2 | 36°07'N / 97°50'W | 36°10'N / 97°47'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 20.0 | 2008-05-24 | 2 | 36°13'N / 97°40'W | 36°10'N / 97°30'W | 10.00 Miles | 1600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Garfield |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Per spotter reports and damage survey, this tornado was a large multi-vortex tornado initially moving southeast, doing damage at inconsistent points along the entire width. However, the tornado did at times form a very wide single vortex which did consistent damage across the entire width. At two points in the path, there were several snapped/downed power poles with a width of 0.5-0.6 miles. However, at one of those points two outbuildings were destroyed and significant tree damage occurred, yet the house on the property sustained no visible damage. Significant damage occurred across the entire width starting at Highway 74 going east possibly signaling a change from multiple vorticies to a single vortex. At Highway 74 and Bison Rd., a single wide mobile home that was anchored down was thrown onto Highway 74. The tornado tracked east along Bison Rd, destroying outbuildings and a false roof at one property. A horse trailer at the property was thrown about 300 yards. Significant tree damage and snapped power poles occurred along Bison Rd. Monetary damages were not available. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An outflow boundary from overnight thunderstorms was located over parts of northern Oklahoma, roughly from southern Alfalfa county to northern Lincoln county. Convergence along this boundary and afternoon heating allowed thunderstorms to develop during the mid afternoon near and north of the outflow boundary. The most intense thunderstorms developed along the boundary, with less intense thunderstorms just to the north. The supercell thunderstorms that developed along the boundary moved very slowly east. Numerous tornadoes, at least eight in all, were reported with the thunderstorms. Some damage was reported with the tornadoes, although most remained unpopulated areas. The supercells moved east, with other thunderstorms back-building to the west. Large hail eventually became the main threat through the evening hours. Monetary damages were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 20.2 | 1965-03-16 | 4 | 36°36'N / 98°06'W | 36°40'N / 98°00'W | 7.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 20.9 | 1977-05-20 | 2 | 36°09'N / 97°38'W | 36°10'N / 97°36'W | 1.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Logan |
| 21.7 | 1959-05-17 | 2 | 36°43'N / 97°49'W | 36°46'N / 97°45'W | 4.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant |
| 21.8 | 1991-04-12 | 2 | 36°14'N / 98°11'W | 36°20'N / 98°06'W | 9.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Major |
| 21.8 | 1965-03-16 | 4 | 36°40'N / 98°00'W | 36°49'N / 97°39'W | 21.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant |
| 21.8 | 1991-03-26 | 2 | 36°29'N / 98°14'W | 36°36'N / 98°05'W | 9.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 21.9 | 1998-05-24 | 3 | 36°39'N / 97°33'W | 36°44'N / 97°36'W | 5.30 Miles | 1300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Grant |
| Brief Description: A large complex of severe thunderstorms moved from southern Kansas into northern and central Oklahoma during the evening of May 24th and the early morning of May 25th, resulting in 16 tornadoes, most of which occurred in Grant County. The strongest tornado, an F3, occurred near Lamont in Grant County. There were also reports of hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter, straight line wind damage, and flooding. The first tornado, an F0, touched down in an open field 1 mile south of Amorita in Alfalfa County at 1745 CST lasting for less than one minute with no reports of damage. The second tornado, also an F0, was reported 5 minutes later by media chasers to have touched down in an open field 3 miles east northeast of Amorita. Touchdown was very brief with no damage reported. The third tornado was also observed by media chasers, this time in northeast Alfalfa County 8 miles east of Amorita. The tornado, an F1, damaged one house and knocked down power lines as it moved southeast and weakened while crossing into western Grant County for a total damage path lengh of 5 miles. There were no reports of damage with this segment of the tornado in Grant County and thus was rated an F0. An unusual aspect of this tornado was that it was reported to be rotating anticyclonically. The fourth and fifth tornadoes were also rated F0, the fourth reported by media chasers to have touched down in an open field 4 west northwest of Wakita with no damage, and the fifth observed by Wakita Fire Department to be on the ground for 2.5 miles from 2 miles southwest of Wakita to 2 miles south of Wakita. No damage was reported. An off-duty National Weather Service meteorologist observed the sixth tornado, an F0, in an open field 9 miles west of Medford. The seventh tornado, also an F0, produced no damage as it rotated anticyclonically 3 miles southeast of Wakita. The eighth and ninth tornadoes, both F0, occurred simultaneously 6 miles west of Medford. The eighth tornado touched down just north of Highway 11 while the ninth tornado touched down just south of Highway 11. One house and a business were damaged by the tenth tornado which occurred in Grant County from 2 miles southwest of Medford to 2 miles south of Medford. The eleventh tornado, an F0, was observed by an off duty National Weather Service meteorologist to be knocking down trees and power lines in a 5 mile long damage path in southern Grant County. The twelvth tornado, an F1, snapped trees in half and damaged a private airstrip 4 miles east northeast of Pond Creek while the thirteenth tornado, also an F1, damaged several homes and knocked down trees and power lines 1 mile north of Salt Fork. The fourteenth tornado, an F0, was reported by spotters to have touched down briefly in an open field causing no damage. The most destructive tornado occurred near the city of Lamont where damage estimates reached 2 million dollars. National Weather Service meteorologists conducted a survey of the area and found a damage path 5 1/4 miles long and 3/4 of a mile wide with F3 damage occurring 2 miles west of Lamont where a well-built brick home had all of its exterior walls destroyed. In addition, 6 single-family homes were destroyed 1.5 miles south of Lamont, while in the city of Lamont 3 single-family dwellings sustained major damage. Nine single-family homes sufferred minor damage. Nearly a dozen vehicles were destroyed, including automobiles, pickup trucks, farm trucks, and farm tractors. Several barns were destroyed including one barn where 30 sheep were also killed. More than 70 utility poles were ripped down in a 3 mile stretch. The Lamont tornado, as it is referred, was unusual in its direction of movement. Several eye witnesses reported a southeast to northwest movement. WSR-88D data also showed the mesocyclone associated with the tornado moving from south to north in a looping manner when the tornado was reported. The last tornado, the sixteenth of this episode, touched down briefly in an open field 5 miles northwest of Tonkawa at 2130 CST. Tonkawa Emergency Management reported no damage. Thus, this tornado was rated an F0. In addition to these tornadoes, a large macroburst containing damaging straight-line winds occurred from 13 miles west of Medford (Grant County) to 4 miles west northwest of Pond Creek. Satellite dishes owned by Classic Cable Company, which were rated at 110 mph, were flattened by the winds. Straight-line wind damage was also reported in Alva where one man sustained minor injuries when he was blown into the bed of a pickup truck. Also in Alva at least 3 mobile homes suffered major damage; several carports were destroyed; awning and minor roof damage occurred to many homes; and trees and power lines were blown down. One indirect fatality occurred in Alva when a man slipped and suffered a heart attack while seeking shelter in a storm cellar. Other reports of straight-line wind damage include major roof damage to an old schoolhouse gymnasium in the city of Jefferson in Grant County. Two large cedar trees were also uprooted in Jefferson. A tree limb was blown through a picture window 14 miles north northeast of Camp Houston in Woods County. Windows were also blown out of a shed, and numerous trees were downed. Four to six inch tree limbs were blown down 9 miles west of Cherokee in Alfalfa County. In Thomas in Custer County one utility pole was snapped and large limbs were blown down. Power lines were knocked down in Edmond in Oklahoma County. Severe winds also damaged the roof of the Fred Humphrey Pavillion in Shawnee in Pottawatomie County. The largest hail reported measured 3.5 inches in diameter and occurred in Medford in Grant County. Three reported events of at least tennis ball size hail occurred in Goltry (Alfalfa County) in less than 2 hours: tennis ball size hail at 2140 CST and 2230 CST, and baseball size hail at 2305 CST. Between 30 and 100 percent of the wheat crop was destroyed due to large hail from about 2 miles west of Jet to near Goltry. Another area south of Cherokee, near the junction of US 64 and SH 8 also sustained major wheat crop damage. In addition numerous vehicles had their windows broken. Tennis ball size hail also damaged the wheat crop and numerous vehicles in Okarche in Canadian County while in Watonga in Blaine County golf ball size hail damaged RV vehicles and street lights. Quarter size hail damaged several vehicles 6 miles north of Piedmont in Canadian County. Lightning struck a house in Piedmont causing a house to catch on fire. The last of the severe thunderstorms moved through northern Oklahoma during the early morning of May 25th, resulting in flooding near Cherokee and the National Wildlife Refuge in Alfalfa County, where 5.5 inches of rain fell. Several streets and the city park were also flooded in Blackwell in Kay County during the evening of May 24th. | |||||||||||
| 22.0 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 36°07'N / 97°39'W | 36°10'N / 97°35'W | 5.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10K | 0 | Logan |
| Brief Description: Tornado H4 (Logan 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. | |||||||||||
| 22.0 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 36°10'N / 97°35'W | 36°11'N / 97°31'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Garfield |
| Brief Description: Tornado H4 (Garfield 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. | |||||||||||
| 22.2 | 1970-06-11 | 2 | 36°07'N / 97°54'W | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Kingfisher | |||
| 22.8 | 2008-05-24 | 2 | 36°08'N / 98°02'W | 36°09'N / 97°58'W | 3.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Kingfisher |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado developed and crossed Highway 132, doing minor damage to grain silos. The tornado continue NE towards an abandoned farm. The roof of the house was removed and windows were broken. A large tree was uprooted at the farm and most of the trees had snapped trunks. After hitting the farm, the tornado crossed county road EW060 and snapped power poles. The tornado continued northeast, doing damage to tree limbs and flattening wheat near county road NS281. Monetary damages were not available. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An outflow boundary from overnight thunderstorms was located over parts of northern Oklahoma, roughly from southern Alfalfa county to northern Lincoln county. Convergence along this boundary and afternoon heating allowed thunderstorms to develop during the mid afternoon near and north of the outflow boundary. The most intense thunderstorms developed along the boundary, with less intense thunderstorms just to the north. The supercell thunderstorms that developed along the boundary moved very slowly east. Numerous tornadoes, at least eight in all, were reported with the thunderstorms. Some damage was reported with the tornadoes, although most remained unpopulated areas. The supercells moved east, with other thunderstorms back-building to the west. Large hail eventually became the main threat through the evening hours. Monetary damages were estimated. | |||||||||||
| 23.1 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 36°06'N / 97°53'W | 36°06'N / 97°53'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 30K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| Brief Description: Tornado H3. 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. | |||||||||||
| 23.3 | 1982-05-27 | 2 | 36°06'N / 97°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Kingfisher | |
| 23.4 | 1970-04-26 | 3 | 36°15'N / 98°09'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Major | |
| 24.1 | 1968-04-03 | 2 | 36°31'N / 97°26'W | 36°32'N / 97°19'W | 6.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Noble |
| 24.4 | 1956-04-02 | 2 | 36°39'N / 97°27'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Kay | |||
| 24.5 | 1979-05-02 | 4 | 36°27'N / 98°21'W | 36°23'N / 98°07'W | 13.70 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 15 | 2.5M | 0 | Major |
| 25.4 | 1983-05-17 | 2 | 36°37'N / 98°11'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa | |
| 25.6 | 1964-05-06 | 2 | 36°45'N / 98°01'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Grant | |||
| 27.0 | 1991-03-26 | 3 | 36°42'N / 98°00'W | 36°56'N / 97°30'W | 35.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
| 27.3 | 1955-04-22 | 2 | 36°26'N / 97°18'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Noble | |||
| 27.6 | 1973-04-30 | 2 | 36°48'N / 98°02'W | 36°49'N / 97°51'W | 10.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 27.8 | 1955-05-25 | 3 | 36°42'N / 97°37'W | 36°51'N / 97°28'W | 13.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Grant |
| 28.1 | 1958-11-17 | 3 | 36°32'N / 97°28'W | 36°48'N / 97°18'W | 20.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Kay |
| 28.3 | 1959-05-04 | 2 | 36°32'N / 98°17'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Alfalfa | |||
| 29.2 | 1968-06-30 | 2 | 36°02'N / 97°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Logan | |
| 29.2 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 36°31'N / 97°27'W | 36°36'N / 97°08'W | 18.40 Miles | 733 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Noble |
| 29.3 | 1961-05-07 | 2 | 36°27'N / 98°21'W | 36°30'N / 98°17'W | 4.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Major |
| 29.5 | 1976-03-11 | 2 | 36°29'N / 98°21'W | 36°42'N / 98°13'W | 16.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 29.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 29.8 | 1990-03-13 | 3 | 36°44'N / 97°59'W | 36°58'N / 97°49'W | 19.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant |
| 29.9 | 1973-04-30 | 2 | 36°48'N / 98°06'W | 36°48'N / 98°02'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 31.1 | 2010-05-10 | 3 | 36°48'N / 98°01'W | 36°57'N / 97°27'W | 33.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0K | Grant |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This is the Grant County portion of tornado #A2. This tornado developed as a multiple-vortex tornado along State Highway 11 southwest of Wakita. The tornado initially moved east and southeast continuing to affect State Highway 11 before beginning an east-northeast movement across Grant County. The tornado was a large and occasionally multiple-vortex tornado as it moved northwest and north of Medford and was embedded within a larger scale circulation that was strong enough to produce damage along a wide area around the tornado path. The tornado caused significant structural damage about 5 miles northwest of Medford and 5 miles east of Renfrow, and many areas of tree and power pole damage. This tornado moved into Kay 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. | |||||||||||
| 31.4 | 1973-11-19 | 2 | 36°37'N / 97°25'W | 36°44'N / 97°13'W | 13.70 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Kay |
| 31.7 | 1968-04-03 | 2 | 36°17'N / 97°16'W | 36°20'N / 97°13'W | 4.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Noble |
| 32.1 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 36°11'N / 97°17'W | 36°19'N / 97°14'W | 9.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 10 | 3.0M | 0 | Noble |
| Brief Description: Tornado B20 (Noble County portion). On January 10, 2001 tornadoes B20 and B21 were combined and will be identified as B21. Tornado B21 no longer exists. Please see summary at end of May 3rd storm reports 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. | |||||||||||
| 32.3 | 1959-05-17 | 2 | 36°53'N / 97°55'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grant | |
| 32.5 | 1965-05-06 | 2 | 36°04'N / 98°10'W | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Kingfisher | |||
| 32.5 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 36°41'N / 97°18'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kay | |
| 33.0 | 1999-05-03 | 2 | 36°07'N / 97°20'W | 36°11'N / 97°17'W | 6.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 3 | 100K | 0 | Payne |
| Brief Description: Tornado B20 (Payne County portion). On January 10,2001 tornadoes B20 and B21 were combined and will be identified as B20. Tornado B21 no longer exists. See summary at end of May 3rd storm reports for more information. M45VE 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 | 1965-03-16 | 4 | 36°49'N / 97°39'W | 36°55'N / 97°28'W | 12.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant |
| 33.2 | 1965-05-13 | 2 | 36°54'N / 97°54'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant | |||
| 33.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 33.8 | 1965-05-25 | 2 | 36°24'N / 98°24'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Major | |||
| 34.5 | 1968-04-03 | 2 | 36°39'N / 97°20'W | 36°43'N / 97°11'W | 9.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 34.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 34.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 34.6 | 1955-05-25 | 2 | 36°42'N / 97°18'W | 36°44'N / 97°16'W | 2.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kay |
| 34.6 | 1956-04-08 | 2 | 36°16'N / 98°30'W | 36°14'N / 98°15'W | 14.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Major |
| 34.8 | 1971-06-02 | 2 | 36°51'N / 97°27'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay | |||
| 35.2 | 1991-04-26 | 4 | 36°27'N / 97°26'W | 36°34'N / 96°54'W | 33.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Noble |
| 35.5 | 1966-06-05 | 2 | 36°50'N / 97°24'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Kay | |
| 36.1 | 1954-04-29 | 2 | 35°56'N / 98°06'W | 36°00'N / 98°06'W | 4.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 36.6 | 1960-05-27 | 2 | 35°54'N / 97°52'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Kingfisher | |||
| 36.9 | 1955-06-17 | 2 | 36°30'N / 98°27'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Alfalfa | |
| 37.3 | 1995-05-17 | 2 | 36°28'N / 98°34'W | 36°32'N / 98°21'W | 12.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 37.5 | 1967-06-10 | 3 | 35°51'N / 98°11'W | 36°01'N / 97°58'W | 16.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Kingfisher |
| 37.9 | 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 |
| 37.9 | 1990-03-13 | 3 | 36°57'N / 97°50'W | 37°00'N / 97°43'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant |
| 37.9 | 1985-09-22 | 2 | 36°44'N / 98°23'W | 36°44'N / 98°20'W | 4.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 38.1 | 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 |
| 38.1 | 1962-05-20 | 2 | 36°45'N / 98°21'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa | |
| 38.8 | 1979-05-02 | 2 | 36°21'N / 98°39'W | 36°16'N / 98°18'W | 20.30 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Major |
| 39.8 | 1959-05-04 | 2 | 36°48'N / 97°19'W | 36°52'N / 97°15'W | 5.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 40.3 | 1953-05-10 | 2 | 36°59'N / 97°37'W | 37°00'N / 97°36'W | 1.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant |
| 40.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 40.6 | 1979-05-02 | 2 | 36°05'N / 98°23'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Logan | |
| 41.3 | 1978-05-11 | 2 | 36°54'N / 97°23'W | 36°55'N / 97°19'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 41.4 | 2002-04-18 | 2 | 36°35'N / 98°31'W | 36°47'N / 98°25'W | 15.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| Brief Description: This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that developed in Major County and moved through Woods County. The tornado tracked for another 15 miles in Alfalfa County before dissipating 2 miles southwest of Ingersoll. As the tornado entered Alfalfa County, damage was sustained to outbuildings, trees and power lines, along State Highway 45 to the west of Carmen. Large trees were uprooted or snapped, and a windmill was destroyed along EW 25 Road to the east of NS 253 Road, or about 4.5 miles southwest of Lambert. Along the west side of NS 255 Road, between EW 23 Road and EW 22 Road (about 2.5 miles west of Lambert), a barn roof was removed as was the west section of the barn. Numerous power poles were snapped along EW 22 Road in a « mile area to the east of NS 255 Road. Several high-tension power poles were damaged or destroyed west of NS 256 Road and south of EW 21 Road. Significant tree damage and a couple of destroyed outbuildings were observed at the northeast corner of EW 20 and NS 256 Roads, about 5.5 miles southwest of Cherokee. The tornado continued north-northeast with the last damage observed along EW 17 Road just east of NS 257 Road, 2 miles southwest of Ingersoll, or about 4 miles west-northwest of Cherokee. In total, the tornado persisted for 62 minutes and traveled 34 miles. Numerous severe thunderstorms were observed over western Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Four tornadoes were confirmed, and there were several reports of very large hail, even one report of softball size hail (4.5 inches in diameter). The tornadoes were at night with the largest tornado, believed to be up to one mile wide, causing a maximum of F2 damage over a 34 mile path across northwest Oklahoma. Another tornado resulted in F3 damage. | |||||||||||
| 41.7 | 1955-05-25 | 5 | 36°43'N / 97°17'W | 37°00'N / 97°15'W | 19.60 Miles | 500 Yards | 20 | 280 | 25.0M | 0 | Kay |
| 41.7 | 1998-10-04 | 2 | 36°36'N / 98°31'W | 36°37'N / 98°30'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 55K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 42.0 | 1964-04-22 | 2 | 36°36'N / 97°08'W | 36°45'N / 97°04'W | 10.90 Miles | 733 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kay |
| 42.1 | 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 |
| 42.2 | 1991-03-26 | 3 | 36°56'N / 97°30'W | 37°00'N / 97°22'W | 9.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Kay |
| 42.9 | 1963-08-09 | 2 | 36°11'N / 97°05'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Payne | |||
| 42.9 | 1965-03-16 | 4 | 36°55'N / 97°28'W | 37°00'N / 97°19'W | 10.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kay |
| 43.2 | 1962-05-28 | 2 | 36°48'N / 98°25'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Alfalfa | |||
| 43.3 | 1990-05-15 | 3 | 36°07'N / 97°09'W | 36°10'N / 97°03'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Payne |
| 43.8 | 1959-03-31 | 2 | 36°18'N / 97°02'W | 36°20'N / 97°00'W | 2.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Noble |
| 43.9 | 2010-05-10 | 3 | 36°57'N / 97°27'W | 37°00'N / 97°20'W | 7.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0K | Kay |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This is the Kay County portion of tornado #A2. The tornado crossed into Kay County from Grant County and continued to produce significant damage. One home was destroyed and another significantly damaged between the Grant County line and U.S. Highway 177. After the tornado crossed US-177, an anchored mobile home was destroyed and blown to the east, and a tri-level home was destroyed with the top floor blown about 50 yards northeast into some trees, and the ground floor pivoted and was displaced to the northwest exposing the basement where one minor injury occurred. The tornado continued to produce significant tree damage as it moved east-northeast, and blew semi trucks over along Interstate 35 at the Kansas state line. This tornado crossed into Sumner County Kansas. See documentation from the NWS Wichita KS for additional information. 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. | |||||||||||
| 44.0 | 1973-06-04 | 2 | 36°42'N / 97°04'W | 36°40'N / 97°04'W | 2.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 44.2 | 1968-05-22 | 2 | 36°55'N / 97°22'W | 36°54'N / 97°10'W | 11.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 44.4 | 1968-04-16 | 2 | 35°52'N / 97°24'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Logan | |
| 44.4 | 1956-07-02 | 2 | 35°58'N / 98°21'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Blaine | |||
| 45.0 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 45.3 | 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 |
| 45.8 | 1978-04-17 | 2 | 36°46'N / 97°12'W | 36°51'N / 97°02'W | 10.70 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 45.8 | 2000-05-25 | 2 | 36°34'N / 98°37'W | 36°40'N / 98°33'W | 8.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Woods |
| Brief Description: This tornado was confirmed by a damage survey from the National Weather Service and is believed to have formed about 1/4 mile southwest of the intersection of State Highway 45 and NS246 Road in Woods County, or about 7 miles south-southwest of Dacoma, where significant tree damage was evident. Dozens of large, mature trees were stripped of most limbs, and many others were pushed over mostly in a northwestward direction, but not lofted. Then at the intersection of State Highway 45 and NS246 Road the property of the Green Valley Church sustained massive damage, most significant of which occurred to the community center, a 40 foot by 20 foot wooden structure that was completely destroyed. All exterior walls, 4 total, and the 2 interior walls were made of wood and entirely displaced from the foundation with debris located near the west edge of the foundation extending northwestward about 100 feet. On the same lot, just west and north of the community center, 3 to 4 large mature trees were either pushed over to the west and northwest or largely stripped of their limbs. The roof of the parsonage located approximately 50 feet north of the community center and just north of 2 pushed-over trees, also was heavily damaged. A 15 foot section of the gable-style roof was blown off the back side of the house and lofted eastward about 50 feet. Two large mature trees located northeast of the house were pushed over in a north-northwestward direction. Lesser damage on the property occurred to the garage, located immediately northeast of the community center, where several windows were broken and numerous roof shingles were missing. Several large bales of hay also rolled westward approximately 125 feet and were embedded in structure and tree debris. Damage to the Green Valley Community Center 6 miles SSW of Dacoma is the basis for the F2 rating. As the accompanying photo (below listing of tornado at 2225 CST) shows, this building was completely destroyed with most of the debris found to the northwest of the foundation. As the tornado tracked northeastward, a 1 mile long path of tree damage was evident on both sides of EW29 Road. Most trees had numerous limbs blown off or were damaged, while fewer trees were blown over, with the majority of trees north of the road blown over to the north and trees south of the road blown over to the east. Minor structural damage was also observed about 1/4 mile south of EW29 Road. Along NS249 Road an uninhabited house sustained significant damage to the east portion thought to be a garage, which was pushed over to the north. Numerous shingles were missing from the remainder of the house roof. A flag pole on the west side of the lot was bent to the northwest, while dozens of large mature trees north and northeast of the house were heavily damaged, with most of the them missing numerous limbs, while others were pushed over. This tree damage continued northward to EW27 Road. On the southeast side of Dacoma, an old barn was blown over, while another barn of tin construction had part of its roof blown off, with debris scattered northward a short distance. The tornado dissipated 1 mile east-northeast of Dacoma where 3-4 inch diameter tree limbs were downed. Severe thunderstorms first developed across portions of western and northern Oklahoma during the evening of the 25th, resulting in 4 confirmed tornadoes, one rated F2, and other areas of straight-line wind damage and large hail. Then during the early morning hours of the 26th, a line of severe thunderstorms formed across southwest Oklahoma and raced eastward into southeast Oklahoma, resulting in widespread damage from winds estimated between 80 and 100 mph at times. | |||||||||||
| 45.8 | 1969-04-16 | 2 | 36°36'N / 98°30'W | 36°47'N / 98°36'W | 13.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 45.9 | 1975-06-13 | 3 | 36°07'N / 97°07'W | 36°05'N / 97°02'W | 5.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Payne |
| 46.3 | 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 |
| 46.3 | 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 |
| 46.5 | 2002-04-17 | 2 | 36°29'N / 98°45'W | 36°36'N / 98°29'W | 15.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 35K | 0 | Woods |
| Brief Description: This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that moved out of Major County at 0032 CST. The tornado curved to the right as it crossed the Cimarron River and moved northeastward for 15 miles before entering Alfalfa County at 0005 CST on April 18th. In Woods County, about 2 miles southwest of the intersection of State Highway 45 and the Woods County line, the roof of a trailer house was completely removed, and an exterior wall on the northeast side of the house was badly damaged and partially removed from the structure. The owner of the house received minor abrasions to his arm. Across the road from the house, a barn was unroofed, and most of the walls were destroyed. Otherwise, only tree damage was observed across Woods County. Numerous severe thunderstorms were observed over western Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Four tornadoes were confirmed, and there were several reports of very large hail, even one report of softball size hail (4.5 inches in diameter). The tornadoes were at night with the largest tornado, believed to be up to one mile wide, causing a maximum of F2 damage over a 34 mile path across northwest Oklahoma. Another tornado resulted in F3 damage. | |||||||||||
| 46.7 | 1978-04-17 | 2 | 36°44'N / 97°08'W | 36°47'N / 96°59'W | 9.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kay |
| 46.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 47.4 | 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 |
| 47.8 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 36°48'N / 98°32'W | 36°54'N / 98°25'W | 9.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Alfalfa |
| 47.8 | 1967-04-12 | 2 | 36°40'N / 96°59'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Osage | |
| 48.1 | 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 |
| 48.1 | 2004-05-29 | 2 | 35°56'N / 98°28'W | 35°55'N / 98°19'W | 9.10 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Blaine |
| Brief Description: The second tornado of this storm began 3 miles NE of American Horse Lake, or 9 miles WNW of Geary. This tornado also was obscured by rain for much of its life cycle, but was documented at close range by the Doppler on Wheels (DOW). The center of the tornadic circulation initially moved ESE, approaching American Horse Road around 1824 (all times CST), 6-7 miles WNW of Geary, then turned to the ENE. Damage occurred over a wide swath to the right of the center of circulation, and was the combined result of the tornado and damaging winds from the very strong mesocyclone within which it was embedded. A peak instantaneous wind gust was measured by the DOW at 81 m/s (157 knots, or 181 mph) at a height of 6.5 meters AGL in the mesocyclone circulation just north of Geary at 1836. Four miles NW of Geary, several smaller-scale vortices developed around the initial circulation center - one of which became the dominant circulation and formed about a half a mile south of the original center at 1832. Due to continuity of the parent mesocyclone circulation and the continuous damage path, these circulation centers are considered to be sub-vortices within the same tornado, and not separate tornadoes. The newly-formed circulation center moved slightly south of due east, and crossed US270/281 at 1837 CST, 2 miles NNW of Geary. The tornado crossed into Canadian County at 1838 CST, 11.8 WNW of Calumet. The tornado caused widespread tree damage with trees downed or uprooted across the area. Several barns were also damaged or destroyed in Blaine county. A house sustained some roof damage and power lines were downed in the area. A stock trailer was found rolled and farm machinery damaged. An old church one mile north of Geary also lost its roof. 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. | |||||||||||
| 48.2 | 1990-03-13 | 3 | 37°00'N / 97°43'W | 37°14'N / 97°36'W | 18.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sumner |
| 48.3 | 1973-06-04 | 2 | 36°40'N / 97°04'W | 36°40'N / 96°53'W | 10.10 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Osage |
| 48.7 | 1955-05-25 | 5 | 37°00'N / 97°15'W | 37°03'N / 97°24'W | 8.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sumner |
| 48.8 | 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 |
| 49.6 | 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 |
| 49.8 | 1956-04-02 | 3 | 36°41'N / 98°40'W | 36°48'N / 98°32'W | 10.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Woods |
| 49.8 | 1967-06-10 | 4 | 35°50'N / 98°18'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Blaine | |||
* 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.