This violent tornado touched down about 8 miles southeast of Boise City in the Oklahoma Panhandle during the afternoon hours on this date in 1977. The tornado moved toward the northeast until it brushed the west edge of Keyes. From Keyes the tornado continued toward the northeast, moved out of Cimarron County into Baca County, Colorado, and dissipated 24 miles southeast of Walsh.

The large tornado carved a path 38 miles long and up to a quarter of a mile wide. Witnesses described seeing two large tornadoes side by side at one point. Damage in Keyes was limited to corrals and a grain elevator. The main damage along the rural portion of the path was to a farm 4 mile southwest of Keyes where some outbuildings were destroyed. Hail up to the size of baseballs fell in a swath that was parallel to and west of the tornado track.

A large, massive tornado touched down 1/2 mile north of the intersection of Oklahoma State Highways 3 and 4 in Canadian County and moved east-northeast into Oklahoma County, dissipating 9 miles west and 1 mile north of Edmond. It passed 1 mile southeast of the community of Piedmont where the heaviest damage was inflicted. At this location a housing addition was severely damaged with 15 houses completely destroyed or heavily damaged. Ten rural homes were also heavily damaged just to the east-northeast of the housing addition. Several large missiles including automobiles, oil storage tanks, and stock feeders were picked up by the tornado and carried up to a half mile.

The damage path was at least a mile across throughout the tornado's life cycle. Hailstones up to 2.5 inches in diameter were also reported with the storm. The same parent supercell thunderstorm which produced this giant tornado, had also previously generated 4 tornadoes in and near El Reno and Richland in Canadian County.

This violent tornado formed 2 miles north of Thalia in Foard County. The tornado touched down 1.5 miles southeast of the first tornado, which was still on the ground at 3:20 pm. The tornadoes traveled as a pair for 5 miles, with the second tornado continuing into Wilbarger County at about the time the first tornado ended near the Pease River.

The Wilbarger County tornado moved along and just north of Highway 70 in the Lockett area, causing heavy farm and home damage. The tornado became a killer as it crossed Highway 70 about 1 mile north of Lockett. Mrs. Cecilia Neason of Thalia died when her car was thrown about 200 yards off of the road into a pasture. Automobiles were also to play a major role in many of the tornado deaths later in the afternoon.

After striking the Lockett area, the tornado continued its northeastward movement toward Vernon. Photographs from Vernon show that the approaching tornado was very wide, appearing as a giant, boiling cloud on the ground. Tornado spotters had difficulty indentifying the storm at first because of its massive size. However, tornado sirens were blown several minutes prior to the storm, an action that alerted many residents to the approaching danger. Fortunately the tornado just missed the business district, but dealt a crippling blow to southern and eastern Vernon after entering the town at about 3:45 pm.

In southern Vernon, a multi-block residential area was destroyed, with some of the worst damage on Gordon and Atlanta Streets. At least three people were killed in their homes within this area. The tornado then moved into east Vernon where the Sands Motel, Canton cafe, a truck stop, Mechants Motor Freight, and Cardinal Equipment Building Company were all demolished. The Wilbarger Exhibit Building and the Texas Highway Department Warehouse were also destroyed.

Seven people were killed when the tornado swept a number of cars and trucks off Highway 287. The cars were nothing more than compacted masses of twisted metal after being blown off the road. After killing 10 people in Vernon and 1 in Lockett, the tornado crossed the Pease River killing a number of cows on the north bank.

After striking Vernon, Texas, the tornado moved northeast and crossed the Red River to the southwest of Davidson, Oklahoma and several miles west of the confluence point of the Pease and Red Rivers at 3:45 pm. The tornado moved east-northeast of Davidson and dissipated around 4:00 pm. At least 3 homes were destroyed with 5 more sustaining major damage. Many cattle were killed or injured. One man was injured when his car was thrown into a ditch. The tornado was on the ground in Oklahoma for a distance of 8 miles.

In its wake, the tornado left $27,000,000 in damage, with other damage coming from large hail and strong straight-line winds in the Vernon area. The tornado was on the ground for 26 miles in Texas and 11 miles in Oklahoma, with its parent thunderstorm producing three additional tornadoes in Oklahoma.

The tornado began of the southwest flank of its supercell thunderstorm about 3 miles east-northeast of Holliday. Witnesses say the several distinct, small vortices were visible during the formative stage of the tornado as it moved along the Fort Worth and Denver railroad into Wichita County. Two oil storage tanks were blown away and several homes were unroofed near Farm Road 2650 as the tornado approached Wichita Falls. Six cross-country steel transmission towers were destroyed just east of Farm Road 2650.

About the time the tornado entered town, it changed appearance, becoming one large black cloud of condensation and debris. The tornado was about a half-mile wide when it struck Memorial Stadium, snapping light standards and causing heavy damage to the field house. McNeil Junior High school was next in the path of the tornado and the school was severely damaged. The western portion of the school building was crushed by the intense winds.

The tornado then moved east-northeast into the Western hills neighborhood, south of Southwest Parkway. Several apartment complexes and many homes were destroyed, with several of the first deaths occurring in this area. The tornado expanded in size as it crossed Southwest parkway, throwing automobiles about and leveling a number of businesses, including a bank and a fire station.

The twister was almost a mile wide when it entered the Faith Village neighborhood on the north side of the east-west oriented Southwest Parkway. Most of the homes in Faith Village were demolished. Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. The inner hallways would have been the only relatively safe shelter in the building.

Surprisingly, very few fatalities occurred in Faith Village. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. Most of the destroyed homes had some of these interior walls still standing after the tornado.

After moving out of Faith Village, the tornado flattened several businesses, including a restaurant, on Kemp Boulevard. Three people were killed in the restaurant. A number of people were also killed or injured in the parking lot of Sikes Senter (sic) Mall, also on Kemp Boulevard. Some of these people attempted to run to their cars from the mall.

Inside the mall, portions of the JCPenney store collapsed while other stores sustained light to moderate damage. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the appoximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. The mall was on the north side of the tornado path and appeared to escape the most violent winds. Near the center of the tornado and about a half mile south of the mall, a church was demolished with one person killed inside the building.

The tornado then crossed a short span of open fields before moving into the Colonial Park area. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings.

The tornado then swept through the Southmoor area, destroying homes and a shopping center. After crossing Highway 281, the twister then struck the Sun Valley neighborhood and destroyed additional homes, apartments, and businesses on the south side of Highway 287. A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along Highway 287. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm.

The tornado leveled a mobile home park on the north side of Highway 287, but residents had evacuated that area and no fatalities occurred in the park. The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of Highway 79.

The tornado was 1.5 miles wide as it passed through 8 miles of residential area in Wichita Falls. The intense damage averaged between one quarter and one half of a mile in width. Forty-two people were killed outright by the storm and 3 others died as a result of heart attacks.

Further statistics reveal that 25 of the deaths were auto-related. Sixteen of these 25 were people who entered their cars trying to evade the tornado. Eleven of the 16 people left homes that were not even damaged. Eight persons were killed outside, 4 were killed in homes or apartments, and 4 others died in public buildings. Seventeen hundred injuries were reported in Wichita Falls.

Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400,000,000 (in 1979 dollars). Three thousand and ninety-five homes were destroyed and 600 were damaged. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. In addition, 93 mobile homes were devastated. It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls.

The most damaging single tornado in history (as of 1979) continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. About $15,000,000 of damage occurred as the tornado destroyed homes immediately south of Highway 79, from Wichita Falls into the Dean and Petrolia areas.

The tornado exited Texas about 4 miles east of Byers, and crossed the Red River into Oklahoma at 6:30 pm. Over 200 trees on both sides of the river were uprooted. After crossing the river, the tornado made a gradual turn to the east-northeast and passed just to the southwest of Waurika. It then dissipated to the north-northeast of Waurika at 7:00 pm.

Heavy rain and large hail up to 3 inches in diameter were reported with the storm. The path of the tornado in Oklahoma covered 11 miles. The hardest hit area in Oklahoma was to the southwest of Waurika along Noble Wray Road. Civil Defense officials reported that approximately 20 homes were destroyed or damaged in that area. A new brick home was completely demolished. A pickup truck was lifted off the ground and smashed into a nearby car. Several mobile homes were destroyed. One frame was twisted badly and carried one quarter of a mile to the southwest of its original location.

The path length of the tornado was 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. Minor wind damage and hail to 2 inches in diameter occurred north of the tornado track in Wichita Falls, in conjunction with the supercell thunderstorm. Also, tornado survivors said that some golf ball size hail fell prior to and immediately after the tornado.

There is no doubt that hundreds of lives were saved by the news media and siren warnings. Amateur radio storm spotters turned in the first report of the storm, which allowed 5 to 10 minutes of valuable warning time. This followed an earlier warning at 5:08 pm, due to the Rocky Point tornado. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity.

This violent tornado was the 11th that occurred during an outbreak of 22 tornadoes in central and eastern Oklahoma during the late mroning and afternoon of May 11, 1992. The tornado formed 3 miles northwest of Kiowa and moved along a 10-mile path and ended 4 miles southeast of Savannah in Pittsburg County.

The tornado completely destroyed 2 houses and 2 barns. Four houses sustained major damage and several others had minor damage. Two concrete highline transmission poles were pulled from their footings. A 500 gallon propane tank that was 3/4 full was thrown 1/2 mile. Three occupants of a mobile home were seriously injured by this tornado.

This tornado touched down in East Tulsa near 6th Street and 135th East Avenue at 550 PM CST. The tornado moved northeast for about a mile before entering Rogers County at 553 PM CST. There, a truck stop near Interstate 44 and 161st East Avenue took a direct hit from the tornado. Numerous tractor-trailers and cars were destroyed in the vicinity of the truck stop. Six people were killed at or near the truck stop.

The tornado then continued northeast into Catoosa where several residential neighborhoods and the Colonial Port Mobile Home Park received heavy damage. The seventh and final fatality associated with this tornado occurred at the mobile home park. The tornado dissipated at 603 PM CST 1 mile west of State Highway 66 north of Catoosa.

This violent, long-lived tornado was the most infamous of nearly 60 tornadoes that struck central Oklahoma during an unprecedented outbreak on this Monday afternoon and evening of May 3, 1999. The tornado was the 9th of 14 tornadoes produced by a supercell thunderstorm during the tornado outbreak. It formed around 526 PM CST about 2 miles south-southwest of Amber, and grew rapidly to monstrous proportions as it headed NE, paralleling I-44. It moved across Bridge Creek and rural parts of northwest Newcastle, causing continuous F4 and sporadic F5 damage. The tornado was estimated to be a mile in diameter in this area.

It weakened to F2/F3 intensity and narrowed to less than 1/4 mile in width as it crossed I-44 and the South Canadian River northeast of Newcastle and entered far south Oklahoma City SW of 149th and May Ave. around 612 PM CST. But it regained F4/F5 intensity and widened again to 1/2 to occasionally 3/4 mile as it moved northeast across south Oklahoma City, entering Moore just west and north of 12th and Santa Fe.

Still moving northeast and still producing F4 and occasional F5 damage, it crossed I-35 at the Shields Blvd. junction and moved into northeast Moore, at which point it weakened slightly to F3/sporadic F4 intensity and began a gradual turn to the left. This turn took the tornado more to the north-northeast as it crossed I-240 between Bryant Ave. and Sunnylane Rd. It crossed southeastern Oklahoma City and entered Del City as an F4 tornado, width 1/3 to 1/2 mile, along SE 44th between Sunnylane and Sooner Rds, and continued north-northeast to the northwestern part of Tinker Air force Base, near SE 29th and Sooner Rd.

Continuing to turn slowly, it moved almost due north but maintained F4 intensity as it crossed I-40 just east of Sooner Rd. and continued north to between SE 15th and Reno Ave. The tornado then weakened rapidly to F0/F1 intensity as it crossed Reno Ave., and at 648 PM CST dissipated about 3 blocks north of Reno between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd.

Totals from this tornado include 36 direct fatalities (12 in Bridge Creek, 1 in Newcastle, 9 in southern/southeastern Oklahoma City, 5 in Moore, 6 in Del City, and 3 in Midwest City), 5 indirect fatalities during or shortly after the tornado, 583 direct injuries, numerous indirect injuries (too many to count), 1800 homes destroyed, and 2500 homes damaged. The tornado was also the 100th tornado to strike the Oklahoma City area since 1890.

This killer tornado was the 6th of seven tornadoes produced by a supercell thunderstorm in northwestern Canadian and Kingfisher counties during the May 3 1999 tornado outbreak. The tornado produced a damage path 15 miles long and ½ mile wide as it tracked through Kingfisher County. The city of Dover took a direct hit. About one-third of Dover's structures were destroyed. The tornado formed 4 miles south-southwest of Dover, and traveled north-northeast crossing route 81 on the north side of Dover, dissipating about 7 miles east-southeast of Hennessey.

F4 damage was observed on the west side of Dover where a steel-reinforced concrete building only had a few walls remaining; large vehicles were rendered apart; mobile homes' frames were wrapped around tree trunks; and trees lost all their branches and most of their bark. One woman was killed inside a large frame home that collapsed. Approximately 34 mobile homes and houses were either damaged or destroyed in Dover. Outside of Dover, damage was rated primarily F1 and was confined to trees, telephone poles, farm quipment, and outbuildings.

This violent tornado, which killed two people, was the last of 20 tornadoes produced by one cyclic supercell thunderstorm which moved over Caddo, Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne and Noble counties during the May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak. The tornado formed about 7 miles southwest of Crescent and tracked northeast for 39 miles before dissipating east of Perry in Noble County. A very unusual event took place in Logan County where this tornado, and a second tornado produced by a another supercell thunderstorm about 80 minutes later, affected much of the same area between Crescent and Mulhall in Logan County. Assessment of damage from the individual tornadoes was difficult, and in some areas nearly impossible, due to overlapping damage paths.

Damage from the tornado was first observed about 2 miles west of the intersection of SH33 and SH74 near Twin Lakes Rd., where 2 homes and other businesses were damaged. The width of damage is believed to have increased to nearly 1 mile as it tracked east of Crescent where numerous homes suffered major damage. Damage to 1 brick residence 3 miles east-southeast of Crescent was rated F4. All walls were knocked down, and part of the foundation was removed.

The tornado then tracked through the small community of Abell (6 miles southwest of Mulhall), where 1 woman was killed in her home, and 6 people were injured, and then finally through Mulhall. Approximately 60%-70% of Mulhall's 130 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, Mulhall's primary water source, a water tower, and the Mulhall/Orlando Elementary School were destroyed.

Lesser damage continued to about ½ mile west of the Logan/Payne County border where tombstones and fences were blown over. Along Interstate 35 in northwest Payne County, a semi-truck trailer was overturned, and 2 cars were flipped. The driver of one of the cars was killed when his vehicle, parked under the Interstate 35 overpass at mile-marker 176.5, was picked up and dropped on its top.

In Noble County, the tornado produced major structural damage in the Boonsboro Addition, a mobile home park located along State Highway 86, 6 miles south of Perry. Approximately 20 mobile homes were destroyed, and dozens of others were damaged. Damage continued northward to a location 3 miles east of Perry, where 3 homes suffered major damage on US 64 and 1 critical injury was reported. In total, approximately 25 homes were destroyed in Noble County, and 50 homes were damaged.

The tornado formed rapidly at 410 PM CST near Santa Fe Avenue and NW 5th Street in Moore, and quickly strengthened to F3 intensity as it moved east-northeast through Moore - paralleling the path of the May 3, 1999 F5 tornado, but tracking 1/4 mile or less farther south. The most intense damage in Moore (F3) occurred just W of I-35 and north of 12th Street, where several businesses were leveled. The tornado then moved northeast and weakened to F2 intensity as it crossed into Oklahoma County just west of Bryant Avenue. In this area, the damage track coincided exactly with that of the May 3, 1999 tornado.

This tornado then turned more to the east-northeast, crossing I-240 near Sooner Road and causing F3 and sporadic F4 damage along I-240 from near Sunnylane Road east to Air Depot Boulevard. The tornado struck the General Motors assembly plant near I-240 and Air Depot Blvd, inflicting F4 damage, then crossed the southeastern part of Tinker AFB. Continuing northeast, the tornado inflicted F3 and sporadic F4 damage mostly to residential and rural areas in far southeast OKC and south and east sides of Choctaw, before turning more to the E and ending at 438 PM CST just SW of Reno Avenue and Indian Meridian Road.

This tornado developed at 420 PM CST in northeastern Craig County and continued into Ottawa County. The tornado moved rapidly eastward toward the town of Picher where it destroyed about 200 homes, killed six people, and injured another 150 people at about 540 pm. Damage in and around Picher was rated EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado began moving more southeasterly near Picher and struck the north side of Quapaw. While this tornado was beginning to weaken east of Quapaw, the supercell produced another tornado a few miles east-northeast of Quapaw that merged with this tornado just east of I-44. After the merger of the two tornadoes, a single tornadic circulation reintensified and became about a mile wide for several miles before moving into Newton County, MO.

The EF4 tornado crossed into Missouri just north of Iris Road, and tracked east southeast all the way across Newton County to just north of Fairview. Several people were killed in automobiles, including a firefighter who was storm spotting, as the tornado briefly reached EF- intensity near the intersection of Highway 43 and Iris Road. One vehicle at this location was thrown 5/8s of a mile. The tornado then extended to a mile wide and EF3 intensity as it tracked across the intersection of Highway 86 and BB. Many of the 14 fatalities and 200 injuries occurred from just west of Highway 43 to Highway 86. The communities of Granby and Newtonia were also directly impacted from this tornado. The tornado tornado weakened to EF2 intensity as it tracked across much of Barry County, but it remained deadly as it directly impacted the community of Purdy. One man was killed as he was taking shelter in a mobile home. Numerous structures, trees, and power poles were destroyed.