1999 Great Plains tornado outbreak

Tornado outbreak in May 1999 May 2025 February 2025 infobox 1/2 300 Tornado1999AnimLrg.gif 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado radar KTLX 1999-05-03.jpg A tornado near Anadarko, Oklahoma, on May 3, 1999.jpg 1999-05-03 bigoutbreak.png Clockwise from top: Satellite image of supercells developing across central Oklahoma late on May 3; a tornado near Anadarko, Oklahoma; tracks of all the tornadoes spawned by the outbreak in Oklahoma; radar reflectivity image of the F5 tornado that impacted Bridge Creek and Moore May 2–5, 1999 141 F5 2 days, 8 hours and 1 minute Tornadic – 321 mph km/h on(Southwest Oklahoma City, OK F5 tornado on May 3)23 June 2024 Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM) statement concerning preliminary peak wind speed determinations based on Doppler On Wheels (DOW) data obtained in the Greenfield, Iowa tornado of 21 May 2024 section more detail http://www.farmfacility.org/pdf/best-greenfield-windspeed-note-2024-0623bp2.pdf Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets facilityhttp://cswr.org/dow/DOW.htm Doppler On Wheels 3 May 1999 13 June 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070205124033/http://www.cswr.org/dow/dow.htm 5 February 2007 Non-tornadic – 115 mph km/h on (Claxton, TN non-tornadic on May 7)National Climatic Data Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013 June 9, 2013 Tennessee Event Report: Thunderstorm Wind http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5694432 4.5 in cm on in diameter (multiple locations on May 3)National Climatic Data Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013 June 9, 2013 Storm Events Database: May 2–8, 1999 Hail 4.00 in and Larger http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?hailfilter=4.00&sort=DT&statefips=-999%2CALL&county=ALL&zone=ALL&eventType=%28C%29+Hail&beginDate_yyyy=1999&beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=02&endDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=08 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063156/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?hailfilter=4.00&sort=DT&statefips=-999,ALL&county=ALL&zone=ALL&eventType=(C)+Hail&beginDate_yyyy=1999&beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=02&endDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=08 March 4, 2016 dead 50 fatalities (+7 non-tornadic) 895 $1.5 billion (1999 USD)National Climatic Data Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013 June 9, 2013 Storm Events Database: May 2–7, 1999 Tornadoes http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=02&beginDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=07&endDate_yyyy=1999&eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051634/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=02&beginDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=07&endDate_yyyy=1999&eventType=(C)+Tornado&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999,ALL 2016-03-04 dead Midwestern, Southern United States, Great Plains Tornado outbreaks of 1999 From May 2–5, 1999, a large, historic, and devastating tornado outbreak took place across much of the Central United States, causing catastrophic impacts. During this three-day event, 141 tornadoes touched down in these areas. The most dramatic events unfolded during the afternoon of May 3 through the early morning hours of May 4 when more than half of these storms occurred. Oklahoma experienced its largest tornado outbreak on record from this event, with 70 confirmed, in what is referred to as the May 3 outbreak, or more officially by the National Weather Service (NWS) and NOAA as the Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3–4, 1999, or the Oklahoma/Kansas tornado outbreak.May 3, 1999 Oklahoma/Kansas Tornado Outbreak https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/about/history/may3rd/ 2026-08-01 www.nssl.noaa.gov The most notable of these was the F5 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado which devastated Oklahoma City and suburban communities. The tornado killed 36 people and injured 583 others; losses amounted to $1 billion, making it the first billion-dollar tornado in history.National Weather Service Office in Norman, Oklahoma National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration June 22, 2011 June 4, 2013 The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3–4, 1999 http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=events-19990503 Overall, 50 people lost their lives during the outbreak and damage amounted to $1.4 billion.National Climatic Data Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013 June 6, 2013 Storm Events Database: May 2–7, 1999 Tornadoes http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=02&beginDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=07&endDate_yyyy=1999&eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051634/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=02&beginDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=07&endDate_yyyy=1999&eventType=(C)+Tornado&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999,ALL March 4, 2016 On May 2, a strong area of low pressure moved out of the Rocky Mountains and into the High Plains, producing scattered severe weather and ten tornadoes in Nebraska. The following day, atmospheric conditions across Oklahoma became significantly more favorable for an outbreak of severe weather. Wind profiles across the region strongly favored tornadic activity, with the Storm Prediction Center stating, "it became more obvious something major was looming" by the afternoon. Numerous supercell thunderstorms developed across the state as well as bordering areas in Kansas and Texas. Over the following 48 hours, May 3–4, 116 tornadoes touched down across the Central United States.National Weather Service Office in Norman, Oklahoma National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 3, 2010 June 4, 2013 Meteorological Summary of the Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3–4, 1999 http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=events-19990503-summary In 2023, tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis published the outbreak intensity score (OIS) as a way to rank outbreaks.Grazulis Thomas P. Thomas P. Grazulis Significant Tornadoes 1974–2022 2023 The Tornado Project St. Johnsbury, Vermont 978-1-879362-01-7 637 The outbreak received 145 OIS points, ranking it as a historic tornado outbreak. Meteorological synopsis left|thumb|250px|A map of the meteorological setup of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. The map displays surface and upper level atmospheric features associated with the outbreak. On the morning of May 3, in its Day 1 Convective Outlook for the United States, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) – based in Norman, approximately 10 mi km 0 south of the tornado's eventual damage path – issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorms from southern Nebraska to central Texas. SPC analysis had detected the presence of a dry line that stretched from western Kansas into western Texas that was approaching a warm, humid air-mass over the Central Plains; the condition ahead of the dry line and a connecting trough positioned over northeastern Colorado appeared to favor the development of thunderstorms later that day that would contain large hail, damaging straight-line winds, and isolated tornadoes.Severe Weather Outlook at 6:30 a.m. CDT on May 3, 1999 http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/edwards/3mf5b.gif Storm Prediction Center May 3, 1999 October 20, 2015 September 24, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924132626/http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/edwards/3mf5b.gif live Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado Searching for Clues Nancy Mathis Touchstone 61–64, 67–68 2007 978-0-7432-8053-2 https://archive.org/details/stormwarningstor00math/page/61 SPC forecasters initially underestimated the atmospheric conditions that would support tornadic development that afternoon and evening. Around 4:00 a.m. CDT that morning, Doppler radar and wind profile data indicated a 90 kn mph+km/h on streak of elevated jet stream winds along the California−Nevada border, though weather balloon soundings sent up the previous evening by National Weather Service (NWS) offices in the western U.S. and numerical computer model data failed to detect the fast-moving air current as it moved ashore from the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the dry line was diffused, with surface winds behind and ahead of the boundary moving into the region from a southerly direction. SPC meteorologists began to recalculate model data during the morning to account for the stronger wind profiles caused by the jet streak; the data acknowledged that thunderstorms would occur within the Central Plains, but disagreed on the exact area of greatest severe weather risk. By 7:00 a.m. CDT, CAPE (convective available potential energy) values began exceeding 4,000 J/kg, an extreme value well above the climatological threshold favoring the development of severe thunderstorms.Meteorological Summary of the Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3–6, 1999 http://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503-summary National Weather Service Forecast Office, Norman, Oklahoma May 3, 2010 October 1, 2010 February 11, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170211075628/http://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503-summary live Despite conflicting model data on the specified area where thunderstorms would develop, the newly available information that denoted a more favorable severe thunderstorm setup in that part of the state prompted the SPC to upgrade the forecasted threat of severe weather to a moderate risk for south-central Kansas, much of the western two-thirds of Oklahoma, and the northwestern and north-central portions of Texas at 11:15 a.m. CDT that morning, which now indicated that the atmospheric conditions present would "provide sufficient shear for a few strong or violent tornadic supercells given the abundant low level moisture and the high instability." The increasing threat of a severe weather/tornado outbreak for late that afternoon into the evening was reemphasized by NWS Norman forecasters in a Thunderstorm Outlook issued by the office at 12:30 p.m. CDT.Severe Weather Outlook for 11:15 a.m. CDT http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/edwards/3mf5c.gif Storm Prediction Center May 3, 1999 October 1, 2010 May 28, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100528064621/http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/edwards/3mf5c.gif live thumb|Depicts radar imagery (reflectivity) taken by the National Weather Service NEXRAD radar, KTLX, in Central Oklahoma during the May 1999 tornado outbreak. This imagery is from May 3. (Click for high-quality.)|left By the early afternoon, forecasters at both the SPC and NWS Norman forecast office (both of which shared an office complex near Max Westheimer Airport at the time), realized that a major event was likely to take place based solely on observational data from radar and weather satellite imagery and balloon soundings, as the computer models remained uncooperative in helping meteorologists determine where the greatest threat of severe storms would occur.Remembering May 3, 1999 http://www.norman.noaa.gov/2009/04/remembering-may-3-1999/ James Murnan National Weather Service Forecast Office, Norman, Oklahoma National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration April 20, 2009 October 1, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101012205923/http://www.norman.noaa.gov/2009/04/remembering-may-3-1999/ October 12, 2010 dead Conditions became highly conducive for tornadic development by 1:00 p.m. CDT as wind shear intensified over the region (as confirmed by an unscheduled balloon sounding flight conducted by the NWS Norman office), creating a highly unstable atmosphere. The sounding balloon recorded winds blowing southwesterly at 20 and 50 mph km/h on respectively at the surface and at the 12000 ft m on level, southerly winds of 40 mph km/h on and westerly winds of 20 mph km/h on at 20000 ft m; it also indicated that a capping inversion over the region was weakening in southwestern Oklahoma and north Texas. With the warm air above the surface cooling down, this allowed warm air at the surface the chance to rise and potentially create thunderstorms. Although cirrus clouds − a bank of which had developed in west Texas and overspread portions of Oklahoma later in the morning − were present through much of the day, an area of clearing skies over western north Texas and southwestern Oklahoma early that afternoon allowed for the sun to heat up the moisture-laden region, creating significant atmospheric instability. At 3:49 p.m. CDT, the SPC − having gathered enough data to surmise that there was a credible threat of a significant severe weather outbreak occurring within the next few hours − amended its Day 1 Convective Outlook to place the western nine-tenths of the main body of Oklahoma, central and south-central Kansas and the northern two-thirds of Texas under a high severe weather risk, denoting a higher than normal probability of strong (F2+) tornadoes within the risk area.Severe Weather Outlook for 3:49 p.m. CDT http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/edwards/3mf5d.gif Storm Prediction Center May 3, 1999 October 1, 2010 About 40 minutes after the revised outlook's issuance, at 4:30 p.m. CDT, the SPC issued a tornado watch for western and central Oklahoma, effective from 4:45 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. CDT that evening, for the threat of tornadoes, hail up to 3 in cm in in diameter, wind gusts to 80 mph km/h on and intense lightning. As that happened, the first thunderstorm cell of the unfolding event had already formed over southwestern Oklahoma.SPC Watch Archive: Tornado Watches – May 3, 1999 http://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/cases/990503/watches.html Storm Prediction Center May 3, 1999 October 20, 2015 Confirmed tornadoes List of tornadoes in the 1999 Great Plains tornado outbreak 141 68 39 17 10 4 1 Bridge Creek–Moore, Oklahoma 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado Bridge Creek–Moore, Oklahoma May 3, 1999 Moore F5 tornado.jpg 300 The tornado near peak intensity in Bridge Creek. May 3, 1999, 6:23 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 1 hour, 25 minutes May 3, 1999, 7:48 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00) atl 321 mph km/h on 3(as measured by mobile Doppler radar)Lyza Anthony W. Flournoy Matthew D. Alford A. Addison Comparison of Tornado Damage Characteristics to Low-Altitude WSR-88D Radar Observations and Implications for Tornado Intensity Estimation Monthly Weather Review 19 March 2024 -1 aop 10.1175/MWR-D-23-0242.1 https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/aop/MWR-D-23-0242.1/MWR-D-23-0242.1.xml 19 March 2024 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and University of Oklahoma via the American Meteorological Society F5 1999 36 (+5 indirect)May 2024 583 $1 billion (1999 USD) At approximately 3:30 p.m. CDT, a severe thunderstorm began forming in Tillman County in southwestern Oklahoma; a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for this storm by the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Norman at 4:15 p.m. CDT. The storm quickly developed supercell characteristics and began exhibiting potentially tornadic rotation, resulting in the National Weather Service issuing the first tornado warning of the event for Comanche, Caddo, and Grady counties approximately 35 minutes later at 4:50 p.m. CDT. The first tornado from this supercell touched down 7 mi km east-northeast of Medicine Park at 4:51 p.m. CDT; it produced four additional tornadoes as it tracked northeast into Caddo County, the strongest of which (rated as an F3) touched down 2 mi km west-southwest of Laverty and dissipated 2.5 mi km west-northwest of downtown Chickasha. This large tornado had exhibited a companion satellite tornado for a few minutes. Wurman Joshua Joshua Wurman K. Kosiba Finescale Radar Observations of Tornado and Mesocyclone Structures Weather Forecast. 28 5 1157–74 2013 10.1175/WAF-D-12-00127.1 2013WtFor..28.1157W free The storm produced the most significant tornado of the outbreak, which touched down just southwest of the Grady County community of Amber at 6:23 p.m. CDT and headed northeast, parallel to Interstate 44, just after another tornado had passed over the airport in Chickasha. The storm continued moving northeast, destroying the community of Bridge Creek and crossing I-44 just north of Newcastle. The tornado then crossed the Canadian River, passing into far southern Oklahoma City. As it passed over Bridge Creek, around 6:54 p.m., a Doppler On Wheels mobile Doppler weather radar detected wind speeds of 302 mph km/h on – later revised to 321 mph km/h on – inside the tornado at an elevation of 105 ft m on.Center for Severe Weather Research 2010 October 1, 2010 Doppler On Wheels http://cswr.org/dow/DOW.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070205124033/http://www.cswr.org/dow/dow.htm February 5, 2007 These winds, however, occurred above the ground, and winds at the surface may not have been quite this intense. The tornado continued on into Moore, then passed over the intersection of Shields Boulevard and Interstate 35 and back into Oklahoma City, crossing Interstate 240 near Bryant Avenue. The storm then turned more northerly, striking parts of Del City and Tinker Air Force Base near Sooner Road as an F4. The storm damaged and/or destroyed several businesses, homes and churches in Midwest City. Some damage in this area was rated as high-end F4, although F5 was considered. The tornado diminished over Midwest City and finally lifted near the intersection of Reno Avenue and Woodcrest Drive. Thirty-six people died in this tornado,http://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503-storma The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3-4, 1999 - Storm A Information ((US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service)) www.weather.gov 2017-02-28 2017-02-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20170211155104/http://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503-storma dead and over 8,000 homes were badly damaged or destroyed. The tornado caused $1 billion in damage, making it the second-costliest tornado in U.S. history,However, adjustment for growth in wealth shows the May 27, 1896 Saint Louis–East Saint Louis tornado to be the costliest on record. See Brooks Harold E. Doswell III Charles A. 2001 Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999 Weather and Forecasting 16 1 168–176 10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2 https://zenodo.org/record/1234647 1520-0434 2001WtFor..16..168B free and the most costly in history from 1999 to 2011, at which point it was surpassed by the 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado and again by the 2011 Joplin tornado. It was also the deadliest tornado to hit the U.S. since the April 10, 1979 F4 tornado that hit Wichita Falls, Texas, which killed 42 people.Brooks Harold E. Doswell III Charles A. 2002 Deaths in the 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado from a Historical Perspective Weather and Forecasting 17 3 354–361 10.1175/1520-0434(2002)017<0354:DITMOC>2.0.CO;2 https://zenodo.org/record/1234651 1520-0434 2002WtFor..17..354B 173001 free Wellington–Haysville–South Wichita, Kansas 1999 Haysville–Wichita tornado Wellington–Haysville–South Wichita, Kansas 1999 Haysville tornado.webp The tornado captured as it was impacting Haysville, Kansas 300 May 3, 1999, 8:13 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 42 minutes May 3, 1999, 8:55 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00) atl 207–260 mph km/h on 3 F4 1999 6 150 $145 million (1999 USD) This violent tornado first touched down north of Wellington, Kansas around 8:13 p.m. CDT, downing several power poles in the area, and tracked north-northeast.Info on the May 3rd 1999 Haysville tornado http://www.weather.gov/ict/haysville National Weather Service 23 September 2015 Along its path, two mobile homes, three sheds, and a pole barn were destroyed while nine other buildings sustained damage. Four people were injured in Sumner County, Kansas, three of which occurred when a mobile home was destroyed. About 20 minutes after touching down, the tornado crossed into Sedgwick County about 1 mi km on west of Peck. At 8:35 p.m. CDT, the now violent tornado struck a mobile home park in Haysville, destroying much of the subdivision and killing three people. Continuing into the city's central business district, the tornado caused further damage and killed a fourth person. Throughout Haysville, 186 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Continuing into South Wichita, the tornado leveled the Lakeshore and Pacesetter mobile home parks, killing two residents. The tornado maintained a general northeast track before dissipating in the College Hill District of Northeast Wichita. In total, the tornado killed six people in total and injured more than 145 others along its 24 mi km-long path. Approximately $145 million in damages were caused by the tornado, most of which came from Haysville. It was the second of two deadly twisters Haysville was severely impacted by in the 1990s, with the previous being the 1991 Andover tornado. Throughout Sedgwick County, 1,109 buildings were destroyed and 7,371 buildings were damaged, 2,456 severely. Dover–Henessey, Oklahoma 1999 Dover–Hennessey tornado Dover–Henessey, Oklahoma 1999 Dover twister.jpg The tornado near Dover 300 28 minutes May 3, 1999, 9:10 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) May 3, 1999, 9:38 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) F4 207–260 mph km/h on 1999 1 11 $2.5 million (1999 USD) This violent high-end F4 tornado struck the town of Dover, Oklahoma, causing US$2.5M (1999 USD) in damages, Storm Events Database - Event Details National Centers for Environmental Information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/5705860 www.ncei.noaa.gov with the northern part of town taking a direct hit, damaging and destroying about one-third of the homes and buildings in town.Tornado Archive Data Explorer - Tornado Archive https://tornadoarchive.com/explorer/2.3.1/#interval=1999-05-03T12:00Z;1999-05-04T12:00Z&map=-97.8910;35.9931;12.18&env_src=null&env_type=null&domain=North%20America 2026-05-28 tornadoarchive.com enNSSL SWAT Case Study - 03 May 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado Outbreak https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/tools/decision/cases/990503/StormCHIE.html 2026-05-28 www.nssl.noaa.gov After the supercell that eventually produced the tornado, designated E, began signs of rotation and intensification near Geary, Oklahoma, at 9:10 p.m. Central Daylight Time, the tornado touched down a mile west of Route 81, 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, Oklahoma near the town of Geary, Oklahoma. It started to slowly grow in width, not damaging any major structures. In this phase, the tornado caused F1 damage mainly restricted to outbuildings, trees, and telephone poles. It then began to rapidly grow in size, and shifted Northeast towards the city of Dover. Approaching the Cimarron river, the tornado began to rapidly grow to its maximum width of 880 yards (0.50 mi; 0.80 km) and shifted towards the town's direction promptly. Upon crossing the river and reaching maximum width, it began to strengthen. Officials including sheriffs and wardens traversed the streets to warn all residents of the town of Dover to take shelter, before the storm's eventful arrival.THE KILLER TORNADO OUTBREAK OF 3 MAY 1999 https://content.mesonet.org/publications/people/dmorris/ravello.cwk.pdf ravello.cwk.pdf Ten to twenty minutes after the warnings, the tornado had arrived, ripping through the northwest part of town. Initially, the tornado dealt damages up to F3, however eventually F4 Damage was observed, with 34 mobile homes, houses, and various structures were either damaged or blatantly destroyed, including a steel-reinforced concrete home reduced to its foundation, with all of its walls swept away.PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 510 PM CST TUE MAY 4 1999 https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/misc/990503/990503_pns.text cimss.ssec.wisc.edu Trees were found with heavy loss of branches and stripped of all of their bark. During its passing over Dover, one resident chose to not take immediate action after the warnings, and was killed after the tornado collapsed their large frame home. After its rampage over Dover, it continued northeast of the town, mainly over open fields. It began to weaken significantly, with damage at this point observed to be F1, though it somewhat maintained its width. At 9:30 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) A second tornado formed alongside with the dying F4 headed towards Hennessey, though was highly weak and short-lived. Maximum observed destruction from this minor vortex was F1. Then, the tornado rapidly weakened, and eventually dissipated 8 minutes later, 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey, Oklahoma. In total, the tornado covered 15 miles, had a maximum width of 0.5 miles (0.8 km), and lasted 28 minutes. Around eleven were injured and one was killed. The tornado had caused around $2.5M (1999 USD) in damages, with one-third of the town devastated by the storm. Cimarron City–Mulhall–Perry, Oklahoma 1999 Mulhall tornado Cimarron City–Mulhall–Perry, Oklahoma 1999 Mullhall Tornado.png 300 The tornado near Mulhall, Oklahoma. May 3, 1999, 9:25 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 1 hour, 20 minutes May 3, 1999, 10:45 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) atl 257 mph km/h on 3(as measured by mobile Doppler radar) F4 1999 2 26 $100 million (1999 USD) Late in the evening on May 3 at 9:25 p.m. CDT, this destructive tornado touched down 3 mi km southwest of Cimarron City in Logan County, Oklahoma, eventually hitting the town of Mulhall, located north of Guthrie.US Department of Commerce NOAA The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3-4, 1999 https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503 2023-04-15 www.weather.gov EN-US This wedge tornado, which tracked a 39 mi km on path, was very wide and at times exceeded 1 mi km in in width. According to storm chasing meteorologist Roger Edwards, it may have been as violent or more than the F5 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado (however, it was officially rated as an F4).http://www.stormeyes.org/tornado/3may99/ Central Oklahoma Tornado Intercept: 3 May 1999 (Roger Edwards) www.stormeyes.org A Doppler On Wheels (DOW) mobile radar observed this tornado as it crossed Mulhall. The DOW documented the largest-ever-observed core flow circulation with a distance of on 1600 m between peak velocities on either side of the tornado, and a roughly on 7 km width of peak wind gusts exceeding on 43 m/s mph, making the Mulhall tornado the largest tornado ever measured quantitatively.Wurman Joshua C. Alexander P. Robinson Y. Richardson Low-Level Winds in Tornadoes and Potential Catastrophic Tornado Impacts in Urban Areas Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 88 1 31–46 American Meteorological Society January 2007 10.1175/BAMS-88-1-31 2007BAMS...88...31W free The DOW measured a complex multi-vortex structure,Wurman Joshua Joshua Wurman The Multiple-Vortex Structure of a Tornado Weather Forecast. 17 3 473–505 June 2002 10.1175/1520-0434(2002)017<0473:TMVSOA>2.0.CO;2 1520-0434 2002WtFor..17..473W free with several vortices containing winds of up to on 257 mph km/h rotating around the tornado. The 3D structure of the tornado has been analyzed in a 2005 article in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences by Wen-Chau Lee and Joshua Wurman.Lee Wen-Chau J. Wurman Diagnosed Three-Dimensional Axisymmetric Structure of the Mulhall Tornado on 3 May 1999 J. Atmos. Sci. 62 7 2373–93 July 2005 10.1175/JAS3489.1 2005JAtS...62.2373L https://zenodo.org/record/1234581 free The tornado severely damaged or destroyed approximately 60–70% of the 130 homes in Mulhall, destroying the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School and toppling the city's water tower. After the tornado dissipated at approximately 10:45 p.m. CDT in southeastern Noble County, 3 mi km northeast of Perry, many of the same areas of Logan County struck by the Mulhall tornado were hit again by an F3 tornado. However, this one was produced by a separate supercell that touched down 2.5 mi km south of Crescent at 10:56 p.m. CDT. Damage caused by this tornado was indistinguishable from damage caused by the earlier F4 tornado. 25 homes were destroyed and 30 others were damaged near Crescent, with much of the damage believed to have been caused by both tornadoes. Stroud, Oklahoma Stroud, Oklahoma Stroud radar image 1999.gif 300 A radar image of the supercell as the tornado struck Stroud. May 3, 1999, 10:10 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 40 minutes May 3, 1999, 10:50 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) atl 158–206 mph km/h on F3 1999 0 7 At 10:10 p.m. CDT, this intense and damaging tornado touched down 3 mi km north-northeast of Sparks in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, with only sporadic tree damage occurring as it tracked north-northeast toward Davenport. Scattered damage of high-end F0 to low-end F1 intensity occurred to some homes and businesses on the southeast side of Davenport, though a house located just south of town lost more than half of its roof. As the tornado continued to track northeast, parallel with Interstate 44 and State Highway 66, Stroud took a direct hit as the storm intensified to F2 strength; the trucking terminal of the Sygma food distribution warehouse on the west side of town was destroyed with some girders and siding from the warehouse thrown northwest across State Highway 66, and the Stroud Municipal Hospital suffered significant roof damage, which resulted in significant water damage within the building. The most severe damage, consistent with an F3 tornado, occurred at the Tanger Outlet Mall at 10:39 p.m. CDT with almost all of the stores suffering roof damage at minimum, though sections of seven storefronts were destroyed and the exterior walls of the Levi's store were collapsed inward. The mall was evacuated in advance of the tornado, resulting in no injuries or loss of life in the building. The tornado finally dissipated 1 mi km south of Stroud Lake at 10:50 p.m. CDT. While there were no fatalities overall in Stroud, the economic impact of the tornado has been compared to the loss of Tinker Air Force Base, General Motors, and a major regional hospital for the Stroud region as compared to Oklahoma City at that time. Approximately 800 jobs were lost in a community of approximately 3,400 people due to the damage of the Sygma distribution warehouse and Tanger Outlet Mall, neither of which were rebuilt.http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Tanger-Factory-Outlet-Centers-Inc-Company-History.html History of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. – FundingUniverse www.fundinguniverse.com Stroud's recovery was later complicated by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, although the town has since recovered as a result of higher oil and gas prices. Local leading industries include Service King, an oilfield manufacturing facility, and Mint Turbines, a helicopter engine reconditioning facility. Stroud is also now a downloading facility location for oil produced in the northern United States into the Cushing pipeline network. Other tornadoes The May 3 tornado event was part of a three-day event that included tornadoes in the states of Kansas, Texas and Tennessee. Other fatalities during the event included one person killed in Texas on May 4 by an F3 tornado that tracked 71.5 mi km from near Winfield, Texas, to southwest of Mineral Springs, Arkansas, and three people killed in Tennessee on May 5 and 6 by an F4 tornado that struck the town of Linden.http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/?n=stormsurvey05051999 Linden F4 Tornado of May 5, 1999 Srh.noaa.gov 2012-08-15 Non-tornadic events Flash flooding killed one person in Camden County, Missouri, on May 4.National Climatic Data Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013 June 9, 2013 Missouri Event Report: Flash Flood http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5697903 On May 6, lightning struck and killed a man in Cobbtown, Georgia.National Climatic Data Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2013 June 9, 2013 Georgia Event Report: Lightning http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5698596 Aftermath Disaster assistance Structural damage in OklahomaRisk Management Solutions 2009 October 2, 2010 The 1999 Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak: 10-Year Retrospective http://www.rms.com/Publications/1999_Oklahoma_Tornado_Outbreak.pdf June 1, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110601123752/http://www.rms.com/Publications/1999_Oklahoma_Tornado_Outbreak.pdf dead Oklahoma andCleveland counties Othercounties Homes destroyed1,780534 Homes damaged6,550878 Businesses destroyed8579 Businesses damaged4254 Public buildings destroyed47 Apartments destroyed473568 On May 3–4, the day after the initial outbreak event, President Bill Clinton signed a federal disaster declaration for eleven Oklahoma counties. In a press statement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), then-director James Lee Witt stated that "The President is deeply concerned about the tragic loss of life and destruction caused by these devastating storms."Federal Emergency Management Agency May 4, 1999 October 2, 2010 President Declares Major Disaster for Oklahoma http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9737 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607180426/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9737 June 7, 2010 The American Red Cross opened ten shelters overnight, housing 1,600 people immediately following the disaster, decreasing to 500 people by May 5. On May 5, several emergency response and damage assessment teams from FEMA were deployed to the region. The United States Department of Defense deployed the 249th Engineering Battalion and placed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on standby for assistance. Medical and mortuary teams were also sent by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Federal Emergency Management Agency May 5, 1999 October 2, 2010 Oklahoma/Kansas Tornado Disaster Update http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9689 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607180145/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9689 June 7, 2010 By May 6, donation centers and phone banks were being established to create funds for victims of the tornadoes.Federal Emergency Management Agency May 6, 1999 October 2, 2010 Plains States Tornado Update http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9688 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607181739/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9688 June 7, 2010 Within the first few days of the disaster declaration, relief funds were sent to families requesting aid. Roughly $180,000 had been approved by FEMA for disaster housing assistance by May 9.Federal Emergency Management Agency May 9, 1999 October 2, 2010 First Checks Approved for Oklahoma Storm Victims http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9726 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607181042/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9726 June 7, 2010 Debris removal began on May 12 as seven cleanup teams were sent to the region with more teams expected to join over the following days.Federal Emergency Management Agency May 12, 1999 October 2, 2010 Debris Removal Underway in Oklahoma City, Mulhall, and Choctaw; Stroud Set for Thursday http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9731 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607181800/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9731 June 7, 2010 That day, FEMA also granted seven Oklahoma counties (Canadian, Craig, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, Noble and Oklahoma) eligibility for federal financial assistance.Federal Emergency Management Agency May 12, 1999 October 2, 2010 Seven Oklahoma Counties Get Expanded Disaster Assistance http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9730 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607180302/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9730 June 7, 2010 Roughly $1.6 million in disaster funds had been approved for housing and business loans by May 13,Federal Emergency Management Agency May 13, 1999 October 2, 2010 Oklahoma Tornado Disaster Update http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9732 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607180114/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9732 June 7, 2010 increasing to more than $5.9 million over the following five days.Federal Emergency Management Agency May 18, 1999 October 2, 2010 Oklahoma Disaster Recovery News Summary http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9717 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100607181810/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9717 June 7, 2010 Applications for federal aid continued through June, with state aid approvals reaching $54 million on June 3. According to FEMA, more than 9,500 Oklahoma residents applied for federal aid during the allocated period in the wake of the tornadoes, including 3,800 in Oklahoma County and 3,757 in Cleveland County. Disaster recovery aid for the tornadoes totaled to roughly $67.8 million by July 2.Federal Emergency Management Agency July 7, 1999 October 3, 2010 Almost 9,500 Oklahomans Register For Disaster Recovery Aid More Than $67.8 Million In Grants And Loans Approved http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9694 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100608004335/http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9694 June 8, 2010 Concerns with using overpasses as storm shelters Outbreak death toll State Fatalities County County total Kansas 6Sedgwick6Oklahoma40Cleveland11Grady12Kingfisher1Logan1McClain1Payne1Pottawatomie1Oklahoma12 Tennessee 3Perry3 Texas 1Titus1 Total 50 All deaths were tornado-related From a meteorological and safety standpoint, the tornado called into question the use of highway overpasses as shelters from tornadoes. Prior to the events on May 3, 1999, videos of people taking shelter in overpasses during tornadoes in the past (such as an infamous video from the April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak taken by a news crew from Wichita NBC affiliate KSNW) created public misunderstanding and complacency that overpasses provided adequate shelter from tornadoes. Although meteorologists had questioned the safety of these structures for nearly 20 years, there had been no evidence supporting incidents involving loss of life.Daniel J. Miller Charles A. Doswell III Harold E. Brooks Gregory J. Stumpf Erik Rasmussen National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma 1999 October 3, 2010 Highway Overpasses as Tornado Shelters 1 http://www.weather.gov/oun/safety-overpass-slide01 https://web.archive.org/web/20101113220800/http://www.weather.gov/oun/safety-overpass-slide01 13 November 2010 live Three overpasses were directly struck by tornadoes during the May 3 outbreak, resulting in fatalities at each location. Two occurred as a result of the Bridge Creek–Moore F5, while the third occurred in rural Payne County, which was struck by an F2 tornado.Daniel J. Miller Charles A. Doswell III Harold E. Brooks Gregory J. Stumpf Erik Rasmussen National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma 1999 October 3, 2010 Highway Overpasses as Tornado Shelters: Events on May 3, 1999 5 http://www.weather.gov/oun/safety-overpass-slide05 February 11, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170211081117/http://www.weather.gov/oun/safety-overpass-slide05 dead According to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, seeking shelter in an overpass "is to become a stationary target for flying debris"; the wind channeling effect that occurs within these structures along with an increase in wind speeds above ground level, changing of wind direction when the tornado vortex passes, and the fact most overpasses do not have girders for people to take shelter between also provide little to no protection.Daniel J. Miller Charles A. Doswell III Harold E. Brooks Gregory J. Stumpf Erik Rasmussen National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma 1999 October 3, 2010 Highway Overpasses as Tornado Shelters: Highway Overpasses Are Inadequate Tornado Sheltering Areas 6 http://www.weather.gov/oun/safety-overpass-slide06 See also Climate of Oklahoma City List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks Tornado outbreak of April 28–30, 1960 Ultimate Tornado (documentary) 2013 Moore tornado – Crossed some of the same areas as the 1999 F5 References External links May 3, 1999 Oklahoma Tornado Special Report - The Oklahoman Great Plains Outbreak of 1999 Tornado History Project The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3-4, 1999 (National Weather Service, Norman, Oklahoma) The 3 May 1999 Oklahoma Tornadoes (David Schultz, CIMMS) Google Maps' location of Stroud, Oklahoma, with the bulldozed lot of the former Tanger Outlet Mall in the upper left of the screen, just north of Interstate 44 May 3 Oklahoma Tornado Special video section from KOCO-TV Moore, Oklahoma Tornado Photos, May 1999 Aerial Photos of Moore Oklahoma taken three days after the May 3, 1999, tornado Anastassia M. Makarieva Gorshkov Victor G. Nefiodov Andrei V. Condensational theory of stationary tornadoes Physics Letters A 375 24 2259–2261 2012 1208.2580 10.1016/j.physleta.2011.04.023 2011PhLA..375.2259M 100544331 Category:F5, EF5 and IF5 tornadoes 05-02 Oklahoma Category:Tornadoes in Kansas Category:Tornadoes in Oklahoma Category:Tornadoes in Texas Category:Tornadoes in Tennessee Category:Tornado outbreaks in the United States 05-02 Tornado 05-02 Tornado Tornado, 05-02 Tornado, Oklahoma, 03