Anniversary of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak | WeatherBug
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Anniversary of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak

November 3, 2020
By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, James West

On May 3, 1999, an outbreak of tornadoes disrupted lives in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Forty-five people were killed and nearly 800 more were injured. It was the largest tornado outbreak ever in Oklahoma.

J.R. Hehnly, a team member of previous WeatherBug Storm chases, remembers that day very well. "Pretty much every supercell that formed produced at least one tornado."

One tornado in particular stands out in this event. That tornado was on the ground for nearly an hour and a half, cutting a path of destruction nearly 40 miles long through central Oklahoma. The tornado reached F5 intensity, the highest rating on the then-used Fujita scale. Winds with this tornado are estimated to have exceeded 300 miles per hour at times.

The tornado developed near Chickasaw, Okla., and traveled northeast. It moved through Bridge Creek, Newcastle and Moore, eventually crossing Interstate 40 into the southern part of Oklahoma City.

The storm demolished entire neighborhoods along its path. The death toll in this storm was quite low considering the populated area through which it traveled. This was thanks in large part to early warnings issued by the National Weather Service and disseminated through media outlets.

"That day also affected me after the storm. My house was only a few blocks from the damage path, electricity was off for days. Many of my friends lost their homes," Hehnly recalls.

Damage from the May 3, 1999 tornado in Oklahoma City alone topped $970 million, making it the costliest tornado in U.S. history at the time.

Story images courtesy of J.R. Hehnly and NOAA.