March 29, 2007 Oklahoma City Tornado Rated As EF2

The following summary was taken from a public information statement issued by the Norman forecast office at 310 pm CST on Friday, March 30, 2007.

Meteorologists conducted a ground survey of the tornado damage in western Oklahoma City that occurred during afternoon of Thursday, March 29, 2007. Here are the preliminary results of the survey.

The tornado appeared to develop around 405 pm CDT near the intersection of NW 39th Street and Sara Road in Oklahoma City, and moved northeast. In this area several homes suffered roof and garage door damage.

The tornado continued north along and just west of the Kilpatrick Turnpike. The path did not appear to be continuous, with gaps noted in the swath of damage.

Significant damage was noted along NW 63rd Street, where a home was heavily damaged, several travel trailers and a boat were rolled and damaged, and vehicles were pushed by the wind.

Significant damage was also noted along Wilshire Blvd., just west of the Kilpatrick Turnpike. In this area a travel trailer was destroyed, with additional damage to a home and several outbuildings. In addition, several hardwood trees were snapped, indicative of EF2 damage.

The tornado appeared to have been at its widest toward the end of its path along Morgan Road just north of NW 122nd Street, and it was at this point along the path where the intensity appeared to have been at its highest. Several homes sustained significant roof and siding damage and several wooden power poles were snapped. A metal building was severely damaged. Just to the east of this location, three large electrical transmission towers were damaged.

Spotty light damage continued a little further north before the tornado appeared to have dissipated, likely between 420 pm and 425 pm CDT. Total path length is estimated to be approximately 6 miles.

The damage to the electrical transmission towers, wooden power poles, metal buildings and homes, in addition to the snapped trees at the NW 63rd Street location, is consistent with EF2 damage on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, likely toward the higher end of the scale. Wind speeds associated with EF2 damage may range from 111 to 135 mph.

Special thanks to Kevin Manross with the National Severe Storms Laboratory, and to Justin Adams and Brian Stanaland with Oklahoma City Emergency Management for their assistance with today's survey.

The following two radar images are from the FAA Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TWDR). The date/time for these images was at 412 pm CDT on 3/29/2007, when the tornadic circulation was near the Kilpatrick Turnpike in northwest OKC. Select the images to view a higher resolution image.

Resource: Products Issued before and during the March 29, 2007 OKC Tornado Event
Resource: Preliminary Damage Path Map for March 29, 2007 OKC Tornado
Resource: Tornadoes in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Area Since 1890