ANOTHER ROUND OF TORNADOES BATTERS PLAINS STATES

May 9, 2003 — Thanks to early warnings from NOAA National Weather Service forecast offices, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., and the media, citizens were ready when a relentless pattern of severe weather spawned yet another round of devastating tornadoes affecting eight states from the Central Plains to the Ohio Valley. So far, no deaths have been reported as a result of 48 tornadoes that struck Thursday afternoon. That brings the NOAA Storm Prediction Center’s preliminary total for the week to more than 250 tornadoes. (Click NOAA image for larger view of damage to a home one-and-a-half miles southwest of Bartlett, Kan., taken May 5, 2003. Please credit “NOAA.”)

The latest round began as a low pressure system over central Kansas dragged a cold front and dry line into the moist, unstable air of central Oklahoma resulting in explosive severe thunderstorm development. One particularly strong supercell spawned a powerful tornado that struck Moore, Okla., (Cleveland County) and tracked 19 miles northeast through south Oklahoma City, Tinker AFB, southeast Midwest City and into Choctaw. The track was similar to a deadly F5 tornado that was part of the May 3, 1999, outbreak that killed 44 people, injured almost 700 and destroyed or damaged more than 3,000 homes and businesses.

Initial damage estimates from Thursday’s storm indicate approximately 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed and more than 100 people sustained injuries. No deaths were reported even though the tornado touched down at 5:10 p.m. CDT at the height of rush hour traffic. The NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman issued a tornado warning for the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area, including Cleveland and McClain Counties at 4:49 p.m. CDT giving Moore residents a 21-minute warning lead time and 30 minutes advance notice for those in south Oklahoma City.

Prior to the tornado warning, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch (1:35 p.m. CDT), including central Kansas and central Oklahoma. That was followed by an unprecedented live weather briefing on the developing situation (2:30 p.m. CDT), which was broadcast through 10 NOAA Weather Radio stations operated by the NWS Forecast Office in Norman. The forecast office also issued a regional weather discussion at 4:00 p.m. CDT noting the risk for severe storms in the Metropolitan area between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. CDT. After touchdown, the office continued to provide live NOAA Weather Radio coverage as long as the tornado remained on the ground.

Prior to the development in Kansas, sirens sounded in Denver as five tornadoes were spotted along the Front Range around noon local time. The NOAA Weather Service office in Boulder issued warnings for tornadoes in Adams and Morgan counties and northeast Denver. The Adams County tornadoes sighted southeast of Brighton, north of Watkins, Mead and Strasburg were all weak tornadoes that caused minimal damage, according to Weather Service forecaster Kyle Fredin in Boulder. A stronger tornado about three miles from Gary in southeast Morgan County caused damage to trees and fences in the area.

Strong storms developed in mid-afternoon along the Kansas-Colorado-Nebraska state line junctions. A storm spotter reported a tornado on the ground near Jamestown in Cloud County at about 3:32 p.m. CDT. Another, which destroyed a fence and small outbuilding, was reported in west of Lillis in Marshall County at about 5:00 p.m. CDT.

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management reported seven confirmed tornadoes in the state, with reports received from 15 counties.

The most damaging Kansas tornado occurred in Douglas County and hit the southwest edge of Lawrence at 7:34 p.m. CDT, causing major damage to homes and an apartment complex before lifting back into the clouds about within about a mile of the University of Kansas campus. Despite damage to 40 homes and six apartment buildings, there were no reports of serious injuries.

Another supercell spawned a tornado in Osage County that stayed on the ground for about 35 miles, striking mostly rural areas while missing some small communities. Reported by witnesses to have reached about a mile in width, even this tornado left no reported injuries. The storm and tornado moved into Linn County, Kan., and crossed the state line into Missouri.

As it moved through Linn County, the storm drew energy from the cell in Douglas County, possibly saving the Kansas City metropolitan area from a repeat of last Sunday’s damage.

“We really dodged a bullet,” said Lynn Maximuk, meteorologist in charge of the NOAA Kansas City Weather Forecast Office in Pleasant Hill, Mo., as he explained the loss of energy caused the Douglas County cell to weaken before it could move into the Kansas City area at full strength. “That most likely saved Kansas City from another direct hit from a tornado,” he said.

High straight-line winds were suspected in the derailment of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train near Matfield Green in Chase County at about 5:55 p.m. local time. Railroad officials said 28 cars of the 118-car train were knocked off the track as the train was slowing after being advised of a tornado warning in the area. Officials reported a leak of sulfur dioxide from one derailed car, which prompted evacuation of nearby residents and temporary closure of Kansas-177, about 50 miles northwest of Wichita. A hazmat team from the Emporia Fire Department, about 27 miles to the northwest, was dispatched to help with the spill.

NOAA Weather Forecast Offices issued 551 warnings Thursday through early Friday morning, including 131 tornado warnings. From Sunday through Thursday, 3,447 warnings were issued (826 tornado warnings), the most in any five day consecutive period going back to 1986 (period of NWS verification database). The 921 warnings (218 tornado warnings) issued on Tuesday was the largest one day total.

A strong low pressure center is forecast to move from western Oklahoma northeastward into northern Missouri by Saturday evening, then into northern Lower Michigan by Sunday morning before lifting into Canada. The surface low, combined with a strong mid- and upper-level trough and strong jet stream winds pulling out of the plains, will lead to additional severe weather across much of the central part of the country through Sunday morning. As the low center tracks northeastward, so will the severe weather threat areas.

Saturday through Sunday morning, the greatest potential for severe weather will stretch from eastern Missouri through much of Illinois, Indiana and western Ohio into southern Lower Michigan. Although the greatest severe weather potential will be damaging straight-line winds, tornadoes will continue to be a possibility Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon will be a quieter day across the country, with only a slight risk of severe weather across the mid-Atlantic states into southern New England.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites
Fujita Tornado Damage Scale with Damage Photos

NOAA National Weather Service Central Region — Links to Photos, Graphics and Radar Images of Tornado Outbreak

NOAA Storm Prediction Center Roundup

NOAA Weather Radio: The Voice of the National Weather Service

NOAA Floods Page

NOAA Tornadoes Page

NOAA Storm Watch

NOAA National Weather Service

Media Contacts:
Patrick Slattery, NOAA Weather Service Central Region, (816) 891-8914; Ron Trumbla, NOAA Weather Service Southern Region, (817) 978-1111, ext. 140 or Keli Tarp, NOAA Storm Prediction Center, (405) 366-0451