Mid-May 2010 tornado outbreak

Late-May 2010 Tornado Oubtreak
Date of tornado outbreak: May 18, 2010-May 21, 2010
Duration1:
Maximum rated tornado2: EF2 tornado
Tornadoes caused: 25
Damages:
Fatalities:
Areas affected: Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio

1Time from first tornado to last tornado
2Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita Scale

The Mid-May 2010 Tornado Outbreak was a tornado outbreak that took place from May 18, 2010 to May 21, 2010. It affected a large area from Wyoming to Ohio. May 19 was the worst of the tornado outbreak, when multiple tornadoes were reported across Oklahoma along a dry line. A high risk was also issued for Oklahoma that day.

Contents

Meteorological synopsis

On May 18, a low pressure area was situated in and Ohio, while a cold front was draped across into Texas.[1] A moderate risk was issued by the SPC for areas in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.[2] Tornado activity increased during the evening hours. Multiple tornadoes were reported in the Texas Panhandle. VORTEX2 was able to get valuable information from the storm systems and tornadoes in the area. However, not many tornadoes hit urban areas and many remained in open country.[3] The next day, the SPC issued its fifth high risk. The high risk was located in Oklahoma.[4] Dry line activity increased on that day, and many meteorologists predicted a tornado outbreak for Oklahoma, the second in 9 days.[4] 2 supercells formed in west Oklahoma and tracked across the state. There were many tornado reports from these supercells, especially in Kingfisher County.[5] KWTV, a CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City, VORTEX2, meteorologists, and several storm chasers were tracking these storms. After passing Oklahoma City during the early evening hours, several other supercells formed near the Tulsa area and merged with the main systems, forming a bow echo.[6] One tornado that formed from the bow echo came from a tail-end charlie, a supercell that is at the end of a bow echo. The tornado was reported from a storm chaser and was a multiple vortex tornado.[6] Although the storms in Oklahoma produced many tornadoes that day, there weren't as many as predicted. On May 20, the low was centered over parts of Missouri. A cold front was on the left side of the low and a warm front was on the right side.[7] Dr. Greg Forbes of the Weather Channel gave a Tor:con index (the percentage of a tornado within 50 miles of a point) of 5/10 across much of the Southeastern United States.[6] A few tornadoes were reported that day.[8]

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed
Total		 Confirmed
EF0		 Confirmed
EF1		 Confirmed
EF2		 Confirmed
EF3		 Confirmed
EF4		 Confirmed
EF5
26 16 5 4 0 0 0

May 18 event

Note: includes a few tornadoes in the early hours of May 19 related to the same supercells.

List of reported tornadoes - Tuesday, May 18, 2010
EF#
Location
County
Coord.
Time (UTC)
Path length
Comments/Damage
Texas
EF0 W of Port Isabel Cameron 1341 unknown Brief waterspout moved onshore with no damage.
EF0 SSE of Hartley Hartley 2232 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 SE of Hartley Hartley 2241 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 W of Dumas Moore 2255 0.5 miles (800 m) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 S of Dumas Moore 2328 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 E of Dumas Moore 2342 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF2 W of Pringle Hutchinson 0044 6 miles (9.7 km) A farm was heavily damaged with a farmhouse losing its roof and a storage bin and fuel tank thrown. A few power poles irrigation pivots were also damaged.
EF0 NE of Ware Dallam 0153 0.5 miles (800 m) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 W of Conlen Dallam 0230 4 miles (6.4 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 W of Stratford Sherman 0340 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 E of Stratford Sherman 0427 1 mile (1.6 km) A few irrigation pivots were damaged.
EF0 NNW of Gruver Hansford 0512 0.5 miles (800 m) Tornado remained over open country.
EF1 S of Pringle Hutchinson 0656 0.4 miles (640 m) A metal barn was destroyed and several tractors were also damaged. Tornado nearly crossed paths with the one that touched down at 0044 UTC.
EF0 SW of Wolf Creek Ochiltree 0832 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
Colorado
EF0 NE of Rockport Weld, Laramie (WY) 2136 5 miles (8.0 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 N of Firestone Weld 2323 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0 SW of Bethune Kit Carson 0050 2 miles (3.2 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 NNW of Chivington Kiowa 0050 2 miles (3.2 km) Tornado remained over open country.
Wyoming
EF0 S of Laramie Laramie 2145 5 miles (8.0 km) Rope tornado with no damage.
EF0 W of Carpenter Laramie 2145 5 miles (8.0 km) Tornado sighted by many but no reported damage.
EF0 W of Pine Bluffs (1st tornado) Laramie 0000 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado sighted at Interstate 80 Exit 391 with no damage.
EF0 W of Pine Bluffs (2nd tornado) Laramie 0010 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado repoted at Laramie County Road 242.
EF0 W of Pine Bluffs (3rd tornado) Laramie 0015 unknown Brief tornado touchdown along Interstate 80 with no damage.
EF0 W of Pine Bluffs (4th tornado) Laramie 0021 unknown Brief tornado touchdown along Interstate 80 near the same place as the 0015 tornado with no damage.
EF0 W of Pine Bluffs (5th tornado) Laramie 0024 unknown One of several tornadoes concurrently on the ground with no damage.
EF2 N of Burns Laramie 0055 2 miles (3.2 km) One house lost its roof and numerous outbuildings were destroyed on several ranches.
Nebraska
EF0 SW of Bushnell Kimball 2344 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
Oklahoma
EF0 NW of Guymon Texas 0044 0.5 miles (800 m) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 S of Arnett Ellis 0622 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF1 N of Fargo Ellis 0815 1 mile (1.6 km) A trailer was destroyed, and trees and power lines were knocked down.
Sources:

NWS Amarillo, NWS Cheyenne, NCDC Storm Data

May 19 event

List of reported tornadoes - Wednesday, May 19, 2010
EF#
Location
County
Coord.
Time (UTC)
Path length
Comments/Damage
Oklahoma
EF0 N of Leedey Dewey 2024 6 miles (9.7 km) Tornado remained over open country.
EF0 NW of Hennessey Kingfisher 2141 unknown Tornado remained nearly stationary with no damage.
EF0 E of Hennessey Kingfisher 2208 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0 SE of Marshall Logan 2224 6 miles (9.7 km) Tornado spotted by video with no damage.
EF1 W of Loyal Kingfisher 2233 14 miles (23 km) An unanchored mobile home and a salt barn were destroyed. A truck was blown off U.S. Route 81 with the driver sustaining minor injuries.
EF1 W of Stillwater Payne 2303 11 miles (18 km) A barn and outbuildings were heavily damaged and a roof was removed from a house. Trees were also knocked down.
EF0 SE of Orlando Logan 2304 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0 ESE of Depew Creek 0009 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF1 NE of Bristow Creek 0037 5 miles (8.0 km) Numerous houses were damaged and barns destroyed. Trees and power poles were also damaged.
EF1 WNW of Prague Lincoln 0112 1 mile (1.6 km) A tin barn and an outbuilding were destroyed.
EF1 Joy area Garvin, Marshall 0131 18 miles (29 km) Several houses were damaged in the area, and many barns and outbuildings were heavily damaged. Extensive tree and power pole damage.
EF1 S of Micawber Okfuskee 0146 8 miles (13 km) Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped.
EF1 N of Clearview Okfuskee 0205 10 miles (16 km) Several houses were damaged and numerous trees and power poles snapped.
Sources:

NWS Tulsa, NCDC Storm Data

May 20 event

List of reported tornadoes - Thursday, May 20, 2010
EF#
Location
County
Coord.
Time (UTC)
Path length
Comments/Damage
Texas
EF0 N of Midlothian Ellis 1906 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado confirmed by video over open country.
EF0 NE of Alma Ellis 2020 1 mile (1.6 km) An abandoned barn was destroyed and a few trees were damaged.
EF0 N of Hubbard Hill 2350 unknown Brief tornado over open country.
Missouri
EF0 SW of Burtville Johnson 2245 unknown Brief tornado over open country.
EF0 SW of Sedalia Pettis 2346 unknown A few houses sustained minor roof and shingle damage from this brief tornado.
Mississippi
EF0 NW of Moselle Jones 0057 3.5 miles (5.6 km) A windmill tower was blown down and some trees were damaged.
Sources:

NWS Jackson, NWS Fort Worth, NCDC Storm Data

May 21 event

List of reported tornadoes - Friday, May 21, 2010
EF#
Location
County
Coord.
Time (UTC)
Path length
Comments/Damage
Illinois
EF0 S of Hume Edgar 1720 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0 ESE of Mortimer Edgar 1740 unknown Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
Ohio
EF1 NE of Mount Orab Brown, Highland 2244 3 miles (4.8 km) One house's front porch was lifted and removed along with sections of the roof. A 2x4 was driven into a wooden deck. Numerous trees were uprooted and barns and outhouses in the tornado's path were destroyed. Winds were an estimated 100 mph (160 km/h).
EF1 Bentonville Adams 0044 2.6 miles (4.2 km) Houses were damaged as windows were blown out and roofing was torn off. Mature hardwood trees snapped. Outhouses and barns were destroyed. High end EF1.
Wyoming
EF0 NNW of Wheatland Platte 2259 unknown Rope tornado spotted by storm chasers with no damage.
Kentucky
EF1 Big Springs area Breckinridge, Hardin 0028 1.75 miles (2.82 km) Minor damage to several houses and significant damage to trees. A barn was also destroyed.
Sources:

NWS Wilmington, OH, NWS Louisville, NCDC Storm Data

See also

References

  1. ^ "Daily Weather Maps". Previous Days Weather Maps. NOAA.gov. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/dailywxmap/index_20100518.html. Retrieved 21 May 2010. 
  2. ^ "May 18, 2010 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Convective Outlook. Noaa.gov. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2010/day1otlk_20100518_2000.html. Retrieved 21 May 2010. 
  3. ^ "NOUS44 KAMA 202013 CCA". Noaa.gov. http://www.weather.gov/view/validProds.php?prod=PNS&node=KAMA. Retrieved 21 May 2010. 
  4. ^ a b "May 19, 2010 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Convective Outlook. NOAA.gov. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2010/day1otlk_20100519_2000.html. Retrieved 21 May 2010. 
  5. ^ "Kingfisher County Officials: 1 Injured After Tornado Touches Down". Ksbitv.com. http://www.ksbitv.com/news/94337259.html. Retrieved 21 May 2010. 
  6. ^ a b c "Weather Center". 19 May 2010. 
  7. ^ "Daily Weather Maps". Daily Weather Maps. Noaa.gov. http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/dailywxmap/index_20100520.html. Retrieved 22 May 2010. 
  8. ^ "20100519's Storm Report (1200 UTC - 1159 UTC)". SPC Storm Reports. NOAA.gov. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/100519_rpts.html. Retrieved 22 May 2010.