1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado
| F5 tornado | |
|---|---|
The tornado near peak intensity
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| Formed | May 3, 1999, 6:23 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | May 3, 1999, 7:48 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Max rating1 | F5 tornado |
| Highest winds |
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| Damage | $1 billion (1999 USD) $1.4 billion (2017 USD) |
| Casualties | 36 fatalities (+5 indirect), 583 injuries |
| Areas affected | Grady, McClain, Cleveland and Oklahoma counties in Oklahoma; with the worst impacts occurring in the towns/cities of Bridge Creek, Moore, Oklahoma City, Del City, and Midwest City |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale Part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
The 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado (locally referred to as the May 3 tornado) was a very powerful F5 tornado in which the highest wind speeds ever measured globally, 301 miles per hour (484 km/h), were recorded by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar. The tornado devastated southern portions of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, along with surrounding suburbs and towns during the early evening of May 3, 1999. Throughout its 85-minute existence, the tornado covered 38 miles (61 km), destroying thousands of homes, killing 36 people (plus an additional five indirectly), and leaving US$1 billion in damage, ranking it as the fifth-costliest on record, not accounting for inflation.
The tornado first touched down at 6:23 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) in Grady County, roughly two miles (3.2 km) south-southwest of Amber. It quickly intensified into a violent F4, and gradually reached F5 status after traveling 6.5 miles (10.5 km), at which time it struck the town of Bridge Creek. Once it moved through the unincorporated community, it fluctuated in strength, ranging from F2 to F5 status before it crossed into Cleveland County. Not long after entering the county, it reached F5 intensity for a third time shortly before entering the city of Moore. By 7:30 p.m. CDT, the tornado crossed into Oklahoma County and battered southeastern Oklahoma City, Del City, and Midwest City, before dissipating around 7:48 p.m. CDT just outside Midwest City. In terms of structural losses, a total of 8,132 homes, 1,041 apartments, 260 businesses, 11 public buildings, and seven churches were damaged or destroyed.
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