1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak
A tornado near Anadarko, Oklahoma, on May 3
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| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 2–8, 1999 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 72 |
| Max rating1 | F5 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 7 days |
| Highest winds |
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| Largest hail | 4.5 in (11 cm) in diameter (multiple locations on May 3) |
| Damage | $1.4 billion |
| Casualties | 50 fatalities (+7 non-tornadic), 895 injuries |
| Areas affected | Central and Eastern United States |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak was a significant tornado outbreak which produced the highest wind speeds ever recorded on Earth, 301 ± 20 mph (484 ± 32 km/h). It took place across much of the Central and parts of the Eastern United States. During this week-long event, 154 tornadoes touched down (including one in Canada), more than half of them on May 3 and 4 when activity reached its peak over Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, and Arkansas.
The most significant tornado first touched down southwest of Chickasha, Oklahoma, and became an F5 before dissipating near Midwest City. The tornado tore through southern and eastern parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs of Bridge Creek, Moore, Del City, Tinker Air Force Base and Midwest City, killing 36 people, destroying more than 8,000 homes, and causing $1.5 billion in damage. With a total of 72 tornadoes, it was the most prolific tornado outbreak in Oklahoma history, although not the deadliest.
The outbreak was caused by a vigorous upper-level trough that moved into the Central and Southern Plains states on the morning of May 3. That morning, low stratus clouds overspread much of Oklahoma, with clear skies along and west of a dry line located from Gage to Childress, Texas. Air temperatures at 7:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time ranged in the mid to upper 60s °F (upper 10s to near 20 °C) across the region, while dew point values ranged in the low to mid 60s °F (mid to upper 10s °C). The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma, a division of the National Weather Service, initially issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorms early that morning stretching from the Kansas-Nebraska border to parts of southern Texas, with an intended threat of large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
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