1999 Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak (Blog Update #16)

During this week long event, 154 tornadoes touched down and more than half of them took place on May 3rd and 4th. The most significant touched down southwest of Chickasha, Oklahoma. The tornado grew to an F5 before it dissipated near Midwest City.

Depicts radar imagery taken by the National Weather Service NEXRAD radar, KTLX, in Central Oklahoma during the May 1999 tornado outbreak. This imagery is from May 3. Courtesy: Travis Smith

This tornado moved through the southern and eastern parts of Oklahoma City and the suburbs of Bridge Creek, Moore, Del City, Tinker Air Force Base and Midwest City. That tornado alone killed 36 people, destroyed 8,000 homes and cause $1.5 billion in damage.

Overall the storms killed 50 people total.

Courtesy: NWS Norman

The main reason for this tornado outbreak was an upper level trough that formed and moved through the area on May 3rd. Clear skies located along and west of the dry line set up an event that was deadly and one of the worst tornado outbreaks in history.