1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak
Clockwise from top: Satellite image of supercells developing across central Oklahoma late on May 3; a tornado near Anadarko, Oklahoma; tracks of all the tornadoes spawned by the outbreak in Oklahoma; radar reflectivity image of the F5 tornado that impacted Bridge Creek and Moore | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 2–8, 1999 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 152 |
| Maximum rating | F5 tornado |
| Duration | 6 days, 1 hour and 35 minutes |
| Highest winds | Tornadic – 321 mph (517 km/h) (Southwest Oklahoma City, OK F5 tornado on May 3) |
| Highest gusts | Non-tornadic – 115 mph (185 km/h) (Claxton, TN non-tornadic on May 7) |
| Largest hail | 4.5 in (11 cm) in diameter (multiple locations on May 3) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 50 fatalities (+7 non-tornadic) |
| Injuries | 895 |
| Damage | $1.5 billion (1999 USD) |
| Areas affected | Midwestern, Southern United States, Great Plains |
Part of the Tornado outbreaks of 1999 | |
The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak was a large, historic, and devastating tornado outbreak that took place across much of the Central United States, with most tornadoes occurring from May 2–5, 1999; scattered activity occurred afterwards until May 8 in parts of the Eastern United States, as well as southern Canada. During this week-long event, 152 tornadoes touched down in these areas. The most dramatic events unfolded during the afternoon of May 3 through the early morning hours of May 4 when more than half of these storms occurred. Oklahoma experienced its largest tornado outbreak on record from this event, with 70 confirmed. The most notable of these was the F5 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado which devastated Oklahoma City and suburban communities. The tornado killed 36 people and injured 583 others; losses amounted to $1 billion, making it the first billion-dollar tornado in history. Overall, 50 people lost their lives during the outbreak and damage amounted to $1.4 billion.
On May 2, a strong area of low pressure moved out of the Rocky Mountains and into the High Plains, producing scattered severe weather and ten tornadoes in Nebraska. The following day, atmospheric conditions across Oklahoma became significantly more favorable for an outbreak of severe weather. Wind profiles across the region strongly favored tornadic activity, with the Storm Prediction Center stating, "it became more obvious something major was looming" by the afternoon hours. Numerous supercell thunderstorms developed across the state as well as bordering areas in Kansas and Texas. Over the following 48 hours, May 3–4, 116 tornadoes touched down across the Central United States. Following the extensive outbreak, activity became increasingly scattered from May 5 to 8, with 26 tornadoes touching down across the Eastern United States and Quebec.
In 2023, tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis published the outbreak intensity score (OIS) as a way to rank outbreaks. The outbreak received 145 OIS points, ranking it as a historic tornado outbreak.