Excerpts from the December 1999
Storm Data Publication for Oklahoma

Severe thunderstorms formed first across portions western Oklahoma during the late afternoon of the 2nd and moved into the central Oklahoma during the evening. As these storms reached central Oklahoma, straight-line winds caused minor tree damage 5 miles northwest of Edmond in northwest Oklahoma County.

At 1836 CST, a tornado (labeled A1 on the map above) formed 5 miles southwest of Seward in Logan County, near Western and Simmons Road where a shed was damaged. The tornado, rated F1, then tracked north-northeast for 4 miles before dissipating 1 mile southwest of Seward. Tree damage was observed at a home along Sante Fe Avenue, and a sign was damaged at Sante Fe and EW86 Road.

The tornado continued north-northeast inflicting tree damage as it crossed EW85 Road between Santa Fe and Kelley, and then dissipated between EW85 and EW84 Roads. Near the end of the tornado's path, a one-mile width of straight-line wind damage was observed. This damage consisted of scattered, light tree damage, was observed southwest of Seward along EW85 Road and between Sante Fe and Kelley Roads. Straight-line winds near the intersection of Sante Fe and Seward Road, or about 1.5 miles west of Seward also damaged small trees.

Another tornado (A2) then formed in Logan County about 6 miles southwest of downtown Guthrie along Kelley Avenue and about 1.2 miles south of Prairie Grove Road, where outbuildings received light damage. Very light damage was noted on Prairie Grove Road between Kelley and Broadway, and three power poles were downed along Industrial Road.

The tornado crossed State Highway 33 where power poles were again downed. As it crossed State Highway 33, the tornado moved into the Cimarron National Golf Course and tracked down the 16th fairway. There was widespread tree damage along the eastern-most four holes of the golf course, and light damage to an outbuilding on the fringe of the tornado's path.

The tornado then moved into a neighborhood adjacent to the golf course where a number of homes were damaged. One house, located on Canyon Road, suffered significant damage (rated F2) with most of the roof removed and some light damage to the walls. There was a minor injury reported at this home where a woman was cut by flying glass as she ran to take shelter. Two adjacent houses suffered roof damage. The framing to one home under construction was knocked off-center, and another house under construction received roof damage. The homes in this area were well built and of typical construction for newer homes.

As the tornado traveled north-northeast, an old farmhouse on College Avenue received some minor roof and wall damage before the tornado crossed the Cimarron River. On the north side of the river, a mobile home roof was peeled off, and a permanent home received some minor damage along EW76 Road just to the east of NS311 Road. From this point northeast, damage was confined to trees in this rural area of Logan County. The tornado is believed to have crossed US Highway 77 once, and then dissipated in the Cimarron River Valley, traveling a distance of 12 miles.

The third and final tornado (A3) of the day formed near EW55 Road and west of NS323 Road, or about 5 miles south-southeast of Perry in Noble County Oklahoma along North Stillwater Creek, producing tree damage.

The tornado passed just west of the intersection of EW54 Road and NS323 Road, where a residential windmill and a hay barn were destroyed. Several 1500-pound cylindrical hay bales were blown 100 feet. The width of damage was estimated at 50 to 75 yards at this point. Sheet metal from the hay barn originally at this location was found 1/2 to 3/4 mile to the northeast along the west side of NS323 Road. Across the street (east) from the sheet metal remains of the hay barn, a metal frame/sheet metal exterior hay barn was pushed over to the north and the roof removed.

One half mile north on EW53 Road, two wood utility poles were down. Sheet metal debris and grass caught in the barbwire fence indicated winds from the south-southwest. A total of 19 metal utility poles were blown over to the north along EW51 Road.

The tornado crossed U.S. Highway 64 three miles east of downtown Perry, or at the intersection of NS324 Road. Damage width was estimated at 100 yards. A pole barn building used for auto repair was destroyed. Construction of this building consisted of 6x6 wooden uprights embedded in cement with a sheet metal exterior. Most of the building was carried away with a small amount of debris deposited on the north side of the slab. The owner stated that some of the 6x6 uprights were rotted near the footings.

Across NS324 Road to the east of the auto repair building, a sheet metal hay barn lost its roof, and several smaller outbuildings were destroyed. Across Highway 64 to the northwest, a home suffered minor tree damage; a satellite dish was blown over and bent, and there was major damage to an outbuilding, which was pushed over from the southwest.

The tornado continued north crossing EW49 Road removing the roof from a hay barn and causing extensive tree damage. This F0 to low end F1 damage occurred in a 300-yard wide path at this point. One mile north on EW48 Road, a pole barn lost its roof and three walls, and extensive tree damage was noted.

Two miles north, just south of EW46 Road, widespread, major tree damage was observed in a grove of trees along Black Bear Creek, and also on EW46 Road, where a hay barn filled with hay was destroyed. The tornado weakened rapidly after this point as it moved northeast, with the damage path ending somewhere just west of Red Rock Road (NS327 Road) and north of EW45 Road.

December tornadoes are rare. These were the first in Oklahoma since 1982, and the first in central part of the state since 1972. On December 23 and 24, 1982, four tornadoes touched down in portions of southeast and northeast Oklahoma, including the city of Tulsa, injuring a total of 18 people. On December 29, 1972, a tornado moved through parts of McClain and Cleveland Counties, near the cities of Purcell and Lexington, and damaged some farmhouses and outbuildings.

A total of twenty-two December tornadoes have been documented for the state of Oklahoma since 1950. Before 1950, two other December tornadoes occurred on December 17, 1887, and December 3, 1908. Since 1950, Oklahoma has averaged 54 tornadoes per year, with an average of less than 1 tornado per year occurring during December.

A total of 145 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma during 1999, while 94 occurred in the NWS Norman County Warning Area in Oklahoma and north Texas.