May 24 tornado outbreak information, National Weather Service, Norman
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT…UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
320 PM CDT MON MAY 31 2011
… MAY 24, 2011 OKLAHOMA TORNADO OUTBREAK …
…UPDATED INTENSITY RATINGS FOR STORMS 3…4…5 AND 7…
NOTE: NWS CONTINUES TO ANALYZE SURVEY RESULTS. THE BINGER-EL
RENO-PIEMONT-GUTHRIE TORNADO IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED AND COULD
BE RATED HIGHER.
…EVENT OVERVIEW…
STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES MOVED ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AND
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS OF
MAY 24TH. STORMS INITIALLY FORMED ACROSS SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND
QUICKLY BECAME SEVERE AS THEY MOVED NORTHEAST. SEVERAL OF THESE
STORMS PRODUCED TORNADOES ALONG WITH VERY LARGE HAIL. ANOTHER
CONCENTRATED AREA OF SEVERE STORMS MOVED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BETWEEN 7 AND 10 PM.
STORM 1… CANTON LAKE
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: EF-3
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): UNKNOWN
INJURIES/FATALITIES: 2/0
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 6 NW CANTON 315 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 5 NNW LONGDALE 343 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 9 MILES
WIDTH: 1/2 MILE
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
STORM 2… BINGER-EL RENO-PIEDMONT-GUTHRIE
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: AT LEAST EF-4
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): UNKNOWN
INJURIES/FATALITIES: UNKNOWN/9
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 8 WNW BINGER 3:30 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 4 NE GUTHRIE 5:35 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 75 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH: UNKNOWN
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
STORM 3… CHICKASHA-BLANCHARD-NEWCASTLE-MOORE
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: EF-4
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 190
INJURIES/FATALITIES: UNKNOWN/1
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 2 SOUTH OF CHICKASHA 5:09 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 5 S WILL ROGERS AP 6:00 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 30 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH: UNKNOWN
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
STORM 4… WASHINGTON-GOLDSBY
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: EF-4
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 190
INJURIES/FATALITIES: UNKNOWN/NONE
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 4 SW BRADLEY 5:26 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 1 NW GOLDSBY 6:05 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 27 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH: UNKNOWN
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
STORM 5… PAYNE COUNTY
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 130
INJURIES/FATALITIES: UNKNOWN/NONE
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 9 SW STILLWATER 5:50 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 3 SE STILLWATER 6:05 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 10 MILES
DAMAGE WIDTH: UNKNOWN
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
STORM 6… STELLA
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: UNKNOWN
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): UNKNOWN
INJURIES/FATALITIES: 1/NONE
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 2 E STELLA 628 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 5 S MCLOUD 634 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 4 MILES
WIDTH: UNKNOWN
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
STORM 7… JOHNSTON COUNTY
PRELIMINARY DATA…
EVENT DATE: MAY 24, 2011
EVENT TYPE: TORNADO
EF RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS (MPH): 95
INJURIES/FATALITIES: NONE/NONE
EVENT START LOCATION AND TIME: 1 NW RAVIA 730 PM CDT
EVENT END LOCATION AND TIME: 2 N TISHOMINGO 745 PM CDT
DAMAGE PATH LENGTH (IN MILES): 6 MILES
WIDTH: UNKNOWN
NOTE:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED.
Short-term forecast, National Weather Service, Norman
REGIONAL WEATHER DISCUSSION…
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS
PANHANDLE THIS EVENING WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST
AROUND 30 MPH. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BRUSH PORTIONS OF WESTERN
OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS… MAINLY BETWEEN QUANAH TEXAS AND
CHEYENNE OKLAHOMA… LATE THIS EVENING AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
Tuesday forecast map, National Weather Service, Norman
Thunderstorm outlook, National Weather Service, Norman
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS AGAIN ON MONDAY ACROSS PARTS
OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA. A STRONG CAP WILL BE IN PLACE BUT CONVERGENCE
ALONG THE DRYLINE AND HEATING MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE CAP.
SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE…PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL DIMINISH MONDAY
EVENING. HOWEVER…STORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT AS A FRONT
BEGINS TO SAG INTO THE AREA.
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO
SAG ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA BEFORE STALLING. ISOLATED SEVERE
STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY.
Monday afternoon, Monday evening forecast map, National Weather Service, Norman
Hazardous weather outlook, National Weather Service
Short-term forecast, National Weather Service, Norman
REGIONAL WEATHER DISCUSSION…
AROUND 345 PM…RADAR INDICATED A DRYLINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR
WICHITA FALLS TO WEST OF LAWTON AND SOUTH OF HOBART. MODERATE
TO EXTREME INSTABILITY HAS DEVELOPED WITH STRONG HEATING EAST
OF THE DRYLINE THIS AFTERNOON. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM
OR TWO MAY FORM THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS AS HEATING
CONTINUES. ANY STORM THAT FORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
VERY LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS.
Hazardous weather outlook, National Weather Service, Norman
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
1130 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN…WESTERN…
CENTRAL…AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE…THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT
ACROSS PARTS OF OKLAHOMA.
LOCATION…
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM
CHEROKEE TO EL RENO TO LAWTON AND HENRIETTA…TEXAS.
TIMING…
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE BETWEEN 5 PM AND 10
PM. HOWEVER… A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE INTO EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING.
IMPACTS…
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS…
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD BE READY FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS FROM LATE
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.
DISCUSSION…
A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES QUICKLY
ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. MEANWHILE…HOT AND DRY AIR WILL PUSH
INTO PARTS OF SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS BEHIND A
DRYLINE. BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON…A FEW STORMS MAY FORM ALONG AND
NEAR THE DRYLINE OR FRONTAL BOUNDARY. A STRONG CAPPING INVERSION
MAY PREVENT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALTOGETHER…BUT IF STORMS DO
FORM…SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LIKELY.
BY LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE
WEATHER AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MAINLY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA AND AREAS NORTH AND EAST.
PROBABILITY TABLE…
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SATURDAY MAY 28.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA…30 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR…60 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS BEHIND THE DRYLINE COULD INCREASE THE
WILDFIRE POTENTIAL IN PARTS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. HOWEVER…
CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME EXTREME.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE SATURDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL APPROACH NORTHERN OKLAHOMA LATE MONDAY
INTO TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE BOTH DAYS MAINLY
ACROSS NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
Tornado information relayed from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey’s Gary McManus
Gary McManus, Oklahoma Climatological Survey:
The most up-to-date information on the tornadoes themselves can be tracked by our friends across the hall at the NWS Norman office. Some of their latest
tidbits:
* At least 7 tornadoes occurred, mainly over the central third of Oklahoma.
Damage surveys are ongoing for many of these tornadoes.
* Three tornadoes were rated at least EF-4, one tornado was rated EF-3, one
tornado was rated EF-2, and two tornadoes have not been rated.
* In addition to the damaging tornadoes, hail sizes reached at least 3″ in
diameter.
Remember, the surveys of tornado damage are still occurring. Those ratings can still go up.
These tornadoes push the state total up to around 75 for the year thus far.
These numbers are preliminary. They are subject to go up as the tornadoes that have already occurred are examined. Even more remarkable is the number of significant (EF2 and above) and violent (EF4 and above) tornadoes. Three EF3 and three EF4 tornadoes have been counted thus far and add another eight EF2 twisters.
Here’s a rundown on Oklahoma tornadoes since 1999 (2011 numbers still
preliminary):
Year Total deaths Significant Violent
2011 ~75 12 ~14 ~3
2010 102 3 20 2
2009 34 8 8 1
2008 77 6 11 1
2007 50 2 6 0
2006 27 0 2 0
2005 27 0 0 0
2004 62 0 3 0
2003 78 0 9 1
2002 18 0 2 0
2001 61 1 8 0
2000 44 0 5 0
1999 145 42 25 3
Map of chance of severe thunderstorms today, National Weather Service, Norman
