ABUS34 KOKC 041651
PNSOKC

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1150 AM CST TUE MAY 4 1999

...PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ON THE MAY 3 TORNADO OUTBREAK IN CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA...

METEOROLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS FROM THE FOUR NATIONAL OCEANIC AND
ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION...NOAA...UNITS IN NORMAN WILL BE SURVEYING
APPROXIMATELY EIGHT DAMAGE TRACKS FROM LAST NIGHT/S TORNADOES IN
CENTRAL AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA TODAY.  SOME VERY
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF TORNADOES AND THEIR
INTENSITY WILL BE AVAILABLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

MOST OF THE SURVEY ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ALONG AN APPROXIMATELY
60 MILE LONG TRACK FROM WEST OF CHICKASHA...THROUGH MOORE AND
MIDWEST CITY INTO EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA COUNTY.  ANOTHER VERY LONG
TRACK TO BE SURVEYED LIES FROM WEST OF ANADARKO TO JUST WEST OF
UNION CITY...BETWEEN YUKON AND EL RENO...THROUGH PIEDMONT...TO
MULHALL.  OTHER AREAS ARE IN KINGFISHER COUNTY...AND FROM NEAR
SHAWNEE TO AROUND STROUD.

COMPARING YESTERDAY/S STORM TO PREVIOUS EVENTS...

THE MOST DEADLY TORNADO EVENT IN OKLAHOMA CITY BEFORE YESTERDAY WAS
ON JUNE 12 IN 1942 WHEN 35 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 70 HOMES DAMAGED.

WHILE AN INTENSITY HAS YET TO BE ASSIGNED TO YESTERDAY/S
TORNADOES...THE STRONGEST IN PREVIOUS OKLAHOMA CITY EVENTS IS
F4...WHICH PRODUCES WINDS IN THE 207 TO 260 MPH RANGE.  SEVEN F4
TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE METRO AREA...MOST RECENTLY ON APRIL 30
IN 1978.

THE MOST DEADLY TORNADOES ON REACORD IN OKLAHOMA INCLUDE...

WOODWARD...116 FATALITIES ON 4/9/47
SNYDER...97 FATALITIES ON 5/10/05
PEGGS...71 FATALITIES ON 5/2/20
ANTLERS...69 FATALITIES ON 4/12/45
PRYOR...52 FATALITIES ON 4/27/42
OKLAHOMA CITY...35 FATALITIES ON 6/12/42
NORMAN...33 FATALITIES ON 4/25/1893
BETHANY...23 FATALITIES ON 11/19/30
MCALESTER...21 FATALITIES ON 5/8/1882
BLACKWELL...20 FATALITIES ON 5/25/55

THE MOST RECENT TORNADOES IN OKLAHOMA CITY WERE ON OCTOBER 4 IN 1998
WHICH ALSO STRUCK THE CITY OF MOORE...AND ON JUNE 13 IN 1998 WHEN
A TORNADO PASSED ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF THE METRO AREA AND STRUCK
FRONTIER CITY.  BOTH OF THESE TORNADOES WERE RATED F2 IN INTENSITY.

THOSE TWO TORNADOES WERE THE FIRST TO STRIKE PARTS OF OKLAHOMA CITY
SINCE OCTOBER OF 1992...THE LONGEST STRETCH WITHOUT A TORNADO.
THE SECOND LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN TORNADOES IN OKLAHOMA CITY 
WAS FROM JUNE 1981 TO MAY 1986.

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