The April 13, 2012 Norman, Oklahoma Tornado

The following summary was taken from a public information statement issued by the NWS Norman forecast office at 11:35 am CDT on Thursday, April 19, 2012.

Storm Information for the Norman, Oklahoma Tornado

Beginning Time: ~3:59 pm CDT, April 13, 2012
Ending Time: ~4:12 pm CDT, April 13, 2012
Beginning Location: 3.7 Miles SW Norman (McClain County)
Ending Location: 1.8 Miles NE Norman (Cleveland County)
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 20
EF-Scale Rating: EF-1 (Max Wind Speed 90-107 mph)

The tornado developed just west of the Canadian River, north of the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and SE 35th street at 3:59 pm CDT, and moved east-northeast toward the city of Norman.

The tornado entered the southwest side of Norman at 4:01 pm CDT, and crossed Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) north of west Lindsey Street at 4:04 pm CDT. EF-1 damage was done to on either side of the interstate highway as the tornado began moving more toward the northeast.

Additional EF-1 damage was reported north of Main Street, between Lahoma Avenue and Peters Avenue. The tornado finally lifted near the intersection NE 12th Avenue and Robinson Street at 4:12 pm CDT.

Other damage that was located south of the tornado track was more likely due to strong winds associated with the rear flank downdraft. Most of this damage was confined to trees and power poles/lines.

Damage Path

Images and Maps

Reflectivity Image for the Norman, OK at 4:09 pm CDT on April 13, 2012 from the Twin Lakes, OK (KTLX) Radar		Storm Relative Velocity Image for the Norman, OK at 4:09 pm CDT on April 13, 2012 from the Twin Lakes, OK (KTLX) Radar
View: Looking west at the April 13, 2012 Norman, Oklahoma Tornado from the observatory deck of the National Weather Center. Photo provided courtesy of Alex Fierro.		Preliminary Path of the April 13, 2012 Norman, Oklahoma Tornado
Tornado moving into Norman, OK. Photo Provided by Sterling Butler		View: Looking southwest at the April 13, 2012 Norman, Oklahoma Tornado from near Max Westheimer Airport. Photo provided courtesy of Bob Fritchie.

The following video was recorded on April 13, 2012 during the passing of the Norman tornado by a security camera located on the east side of the City of Norman, OK Police Department.