A cold front will cross the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. through today with gusty winds and areas of rain showers. A strong atmospheric river is then expected to move into the Northwest by midweek bringing a threat for moderate to heavy rainfall and flooding, gusty winds, and mountain snows for parts of Washington, Oregon, northern California, and the Sierra Nevada. Read More >
A series of severe thunderstorms produced tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding in Oklahoma western north Texas during the afternoon and evening hours of May 6th. Several supercell thunderstorm tracked through parts of the I-44 corridor in Caddo, Grady, McClain and Cleveland counties, and produced several tornadoes in the area. These slow-moving storms also dropped 1 to 3+ inches of rain over areas that had received heavy rains of 2 to 4+ inches on May 5th, and severe flash flooding occurred in several locations.
The driver for this event was a shortwave moving through the central Great Plains. With upwards of 2000 joules of CAPE, around 30 knots of effective bulk shear, and southeast winds advecting moisture into the area, the atmospheric environment was primed for severe weather.
The first signs of organized convective weather began to show up around noon just north of Lawton, with the first severe thunderstorm warning being issued at 12:46 PM CDT. This storm wavered a bit before ramping up again. The first tornado warning of the day was issued at 3:45 PM CDT. Eight minutes later, we received a report of a tornado 4 miles NW of Cyril.
For the next hour or so, this storm continued to be the main event before convection started developing in north central Oklahoma. Both areas of storms contained tornadic activity. More storms fired off south of the Red River moving northeastward into southern Oklahoma. Probably the most memorable part of the event was around 5:30 PM CDT when a supercell entered central Oklahoma and dropped a tornado just a few miles northwest of Norman.
Storms continued overnight, eventually merging into a complex after midnight and moving eastward. The last severe warning for this event was issued at 5:06 AM CDT just north of Burkburnett. The next event would follow shortly on its tail.
Heavy rainfall was also a major player in this event. Some parts of central Oklahoma received up to 4 to 7 inches of rain, triggering several flash flood warnings late that night. Elsewhere around the NWS Norman forecast area, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were not uncommon.
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Sixteen tornadoes were confirmed in Oklahoma and western north Texas in the NWS Norman forecast area for the May 6, 2015 severe weather event.
Tornadoes by Intensity |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF? | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
| 0 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Tornado Number |
Date | Time (CST) |
Length of Path (miles) |
Width of Path (yards) |
F-Scale | Killed | Injured | County | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05/06/2015 | 1345-1347 | 2 | 50 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Caddo | 2.5 E - 3 ENE Apache |
| 2 | 05/06/2015 | 1353-1355 | 0.5 | 50 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Caddo | 4 NW Cyril |
| 3 | 05/06/2015 | 1533-1626 | 10 | 1500 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | Grady | 4.5 E Amber - 4 NNE Bridge Creek |
| 4 | 05/06/2015 | 1537-1538 | 0.1 | 20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Major | 5 S Ringwood |
| 5 | 05/06/2015 | 1548 | 0.3 | 50 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Grady | 5 ENE Amber |
| 6 | 05/06/2015 | 1615 | 0.1 | 10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Garfield | 2 SSW Carrier |
| 7 | 05/06/2015 | 1633-1639 | 1 | 200 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | McClain | 2 SE Newcastle |
| 8 | 05/06/2015 | 1646 | 0.5 | 25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Cleveland | Norman (near 60th Ave NW/Robinson) |
| 9 | 05/06/2015 | 1653-1710 | 3 | 1000 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | Cleveland | Norman (36th Ave NW//Rock Creek - 36th Ave NW/Indian Hills) |
| 10 | 05/06/2015 | 1733 | 0.3 | 30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Dewey | 10 ESE Seiling |
| 11 | 05/06/2015 | 1741-1749 | 4 | 200 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Caddo | 4 NNW - 6 N Verden |
| 12 | 05/06/2015 | 1756-1757 | 0.3 | 20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Grant | 5 SSW Wakita |
| 13 | 05/06/2015 | 1849-1851 | 0.5 | 40 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Grady | 3 SE Tuttle |
| 14 | 05/06/2015 | 1911-1921 | 4 | 200 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | Grady | 4 ENE Tuttle - 2 NE Bridge Creek |
| 15 | 05/06/2015 | 1941-1948 | 2 | 700 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma City (near SE 56th/Eastern - just W of SE 44th/I-35) |
| 16 | 05/06/2015 | 1949-2012 | 12 | 400 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | Archer | 7 WNW - 4 N Archer City |
NWUS54 KOUN 071154
LSROUN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
654 AM CDT THU MAY 07 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0200 AM FLASH FLOOD NORMAN 35.22N 97.44W
05/06/2015 CLEVELAND OK LAW ENFORCEMENT
NORMAN PD REPORTS FLASH FLOODING NEAR WEST LINDSAY AND
LAHOMA AVENUE. SEVERAL CARS STALLED AND WATER RESCUES
UNDERWAY. UP TO 2 FEET OF WATER OVER MAIN STREET JUST
EAST OF FLOOD AVENUE.
0218 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 SW APACHE 34.84N 98.43W
05/06/2015 COMANCHE OK PUBLIC
TREES SNAPPED
0230 PM TSTM WND DMG LOCO 34.33N 97.68W
05/06/2015 STEPHENS OK PUBLIC
TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED
0242 PM TORNADO 3 E APACHE 34.89N 98.31W
05/06/2015 CADDO OK STORM CHASER
STORM CHASER REPORTED A TORNADO DEVELOPED ABOUT 242 PM
2.5 MILES EAST OF APACHE AND MOVED NORTHEAST.
0245 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 S STECKER 34.91N 98.32W
05/06/2015 CADDO OK PUBLIC
TREE LIMBS LARGER THAN 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER DOWNED BY
WINDS.
0253 PM TORNADO 4 NW CYRIL 34.94N 98.25W
05/06/2015 CADDO OK AMATEUR RADIO
0305 PM HAIL 6 S ANADARKO 34.99N 98.24W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH CADDO OK AMATEUR RADIO
0312 PM HAIL 6 S VERDEN 35.00N 98.09W
05/06/2015 E2.00 INCH GRADY OK PUBLIC
0316 PM HAIL 3 S ANADARKO 35.03N 98.24W
05/06/2015 E1.50 INCH CADDO OK AMATEUR RADIO
0323 PM HAIL VERDEN 35.08N 98.09W
05/06/2015 E1.50 INCH GRADY OK STORM CHASER
0356 PM HAIL 1 SW HELENA 36.54N 98.28W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH ALFALFA OK STORM CHASER
0433 PM TORNADO 4 E AMBER 35.16N 97.81W
05/06/2015 GRADY OK NWS STORM SURVEY
UPDATED. EF3 TORNADO MOVED FROM 4.5 MILES EAST OF AMBER
TO BRIDGE CREEK TO 4 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF BRIDGE
CREEK AROUND 526 PM. MANY STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED OR
DESTROYED.
0437 PM TORNADO 5 S RINGWOOD 36.31N 98.24W
05/06/2015 MAJOR OK STORM CHASER
BRIEF TORNADO OBSERVED BY SPOTTERS AND STORM CHASERS.
0437 PM TORNADO 9 SW LAHOMA 36.30N 98.20W
05/06/2015 MAJOR OK STORM CHASER
0510 PM HAIL 3 W TRUSCOTT 33.75N 99.86W
05/06/2015 M1.50 INCH KNOX TX CO-OP OBSERVER
0515 PM TORNADO 2 SSW CARRIER 36.45N 98.03W
05/06/2015 GARFIELD OK TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM SPOTTERS AND CHASERS REPORTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED A
BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN.
0530 PM HAIL 4 SE CROWELL 33.94N 99.67W
05/06/2015 E1.75 INCH FOARD TX TRAINED SPOTTER
0533 PM TORNADO 2 SE NEWCASTLE 35.22N 97.57W
05/06/2015 MCCLAIN OK NWS STORM SURVEY
EF1 TORNADO. TWO OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED AND TREES
WERE DAMAGED IN SOUTHEAST NEWCASTLE.
0546 PM HAIL HILLSDALE 36.56N 97.99W
05/06/2015 E1.75 INCH GARFIELD OK EMERGENCY MNGR
0546 PM TORNADO 4 WNW NORMAN 35.24N 97.51W
05/06/2015 CLEVELAND OK STORM CHASER
UPDATED. EF0 TORNADO. BRIEF TOUCHDOWN AT THE INTERSECTION
OF NORTHWEST 60TH AND ROBINSON.
0551 PM TSTM WND GST 5 WNW NORMAN 35.25N 97.52W
05/06/2015 E70.00 MPH CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
ROTATING WALL CLOUD REPORTED AS WELL.
0553 PM TORNADO 4 NW NORMAN 35.25N 97.50W
05/06/2015 CLEVELAND OK NWS STORM SURVEY
UPDATED. EF1 TORNADO. TORNADO BEGAN JUST SOUTH OF
NORTHWEST 36TH AVENUE AND ROCK CREEK ROAD AND MOVED
GENERALLY NORTH THROUGH WEST NORMAN TO NEAR NORTHWEST
36TH AVENUE AND INDIAN HILLS ROAD AT AROUND 610 PM.
0555 PM HAIL 7 E ANADARKO 35.07N 98.12W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH CADDO OK AMATEUR RADIO
0600 PM TORNADO 4 NW NORMAN 35.26N 97.49W
05/06/2015 CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO WITH DAMAGE IN NORTHWEST NORMAN... NEAR NORTHWEST
36TH AVENUE AND TECUMSEH ROAD AND NEARBY AREAS.
0600 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 WNW NORMAN 35.23N 97.49W
05/06/2015 CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
DAMAGE TO A HOTEL AT INTERSTATE 35 AND ROBINSON STREET.
0601 PM HAIL 4 WSW POND CREEK 36.65N 97.87W
05/06/2015 E2.00 INCH GRANT OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0604 PM HAIL 7 W ANADARKO 35.08N 98.37W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH CADDO OK AMATEUR RADIO
0610 PM TSTM WND GST 2 NW NORMAN 35.24N 97.47W
05/06/2015 M58.00 MPH CLEVELAND OK MESONET
0611 PM HAIL 4 W POND CREEK 36.67N 97.87W
05/06/2015 M2.50 INCH GRANT OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0613 PM FLASH FLOOD NEWCASTLE 35.25N 97.60W
05/06/2015 MCCLAIN OK STORM CHASER
NUMEROUS ROADS AND DITCHES FLOODED NEAR HWY 62.
0615 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 E HILLSDALE 36.56N 97.96W
05/06/2015 GARFIELD OK DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TRAILER FLIPPED FROM DAMAGING WINDS.
0630 PM HAIL ELMER 34.48N 99.35W
05/06/2015 E2.75 INCH JACKSON OK BROADCAST MEDIA
0633 PM TORNADO 10 ESE SEILING 36.09N 98.76W
05/06/2015 DEWEY OK STORM CHASER
A CHASER WITH KOKH OBSERVED A TORNADO DEVELOP WEST OF
CANTON LAKE AND MOVE NORTHEAST.
0645 PM TORNADO 5 NNW VERDEN 35.15N 98.12W
05/06/2015 CADDO OK TRAINED SPOTTER
UPDATED LOCATION.
0651 PM HAIL 9 E ALTUS 34.64N 99.17W
05/06/2015 E2.50 INCH JACKSON OK EMERGENCY MNGR
SWATH IS 2-3 MILES WIDE
0651 PM HAIL HEADRICK 34.63N 99.14W
05/06/2015 E1.25 INCH JACKSON OK PUBLIC
0656 PM TORNADO 5 SSW WAKITA 36.81N 97.96W
05/06/2015 GRANT OK STORM CHASER
0656 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 S MOORE 35.32N 97.49W
05/06/2015 CLEVELAND OK EMERGENCY MNGR
19TH STREET IS IMPASSABLE DUE TO VERY HIGH WATER UNDER
THE RAILROAD OVERPASS.
0712 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 NNW WARR ACRES 35.56N 97.64W
05/06/2015 OKLAHOMA OK TRAINED SPOTTER
STRANDED VEHICLES DUE TO HIGH WATER AND EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL
0745 PM HAIL HEADRICK 34.63N 99.14W
05/06/2015 E1.25 INCH JACKSON OK PUBLIC
0749 PM TORNADO 4 SE TUTTLE 35.25N 97.76W
05/06/2015 GRADY OK NWS STORM SURVEY
ROOF DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED AT ONE HOME AND TREES WERE
DAMAGED.
0752 PM FLASH FLOOD 7 SW OKLAHOMA CITY 35.40N 97.60W
05/06/2015 OKLAHOMA OK ASOS
ONE HOUR MEASURED RAINFALL OF 3.04 INCHES AT WILL ROGERS
WORLD AIRPORT RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE
AREA.
0755 PM HAIL 1 NNW MINCO 35.33N 97.96W
05/06/2015 E1.50 INCH GRADY OK EMERGENCY MNGR
0757 PM TSTM WND GST WILL ROGERS AIRPORT 35.39N 97.60W
05/06/2015 M60.00 MPH OKLAHOMA OK ASOS
0802 PM HAIL MINCO 35.31N 97.94W
05/06/2015 E1.50 INCH GRADY OK EMERGENCY MNGR
0815 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 E TUTTLE 35.29N 97.71W
05/06/2015 GRADY OK PUBLIC
TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED
0811 PM TORNADO 4 ENE TUTTLE 35.31N 97.75W
05/06/2015 GRADY OK STORM CHASER
A STORM CHASER OBSERVED A TORNADO DEVELOP APPROXIMATELY 4
MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF TUTTLE. THE TORNADO MOVED
SOUTHEAST AND PRODUCED DAMAGE NORTH OF BRIDGE CREEK...
PERHAPS OVERLAPPING WITH THE DAMAGE PATH FROM THE BRIDGE
CREEK TORNADO EARLIER IN THE DAY.
0817 PM TSTM WND GST 4 E TUTTLE 35.29N 97.74W
05/06/2015 M82.00 MPH GRADY OK TRAINED SPOTTER
82 MPH EAST WIND ALONG WITH HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL.
0828 PM HAIL 5 E TUTTLE 35.29N 97.72W
05/06/2015 E1.75 INCH GRADY OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0841 PM TORNADO 3 SSE OKLAHOMA CITY 35.43N 97.49W
05/06/2015 OKLAHOMA OK NWS STORM SURVEY
*** 12 INJ *** UPDATED. EF3 TORNADO. TORNADO DEVELOPED
NEAR VALLEY BROOK AT 841 PM AT SOUTHEAST 59TH STREET AND
EASTERN AVENUE THEN MOVED NORTHWEST AND WEST TO NEAR
SOUTHEAST 44TH STREET AND LINDSAY AVENUE AT 848 PM.
VEHICLES OVERTURNED ON I-35 AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A
MOTEL AND RV PARK AND POWER LINES DOWNED NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF I-35 AND SE 44TH. 12 INJURIES REPORTED BY
LOCAL MEDIA. 2 CRITICAL
0847 PM TORNADO 3 SSE OKLAHOMA CITY 35.43N 97.49W
05/06/2015 OKLAHOMA OK AMATEUR RADIO
*** 12 INJ *** OVERTURNED VEHICLES AND DOWNED POWER LINES
AT THE INTERSECTION OF I-35 AND SE 44TH. STRUCTURAL
DAMAGE. 12 INJURIES REPORTED BY LOCAL MEDIA. 2
CRITICALLY.
0848 PM TSTM WND GST 5 S MUSTANG 35.32N 97.72W
05/06/2015 M76.00 MPH GRADY OK TRAINED SPOTTER
WIND WAS FROM A NORTHWEST DIRECTION.
0849 PM TORNADO 5 E LAKE KICKAPOO 33.64N 98.73W
05/06/2015 ARCHER TX STORM CHASER
UPDATED. EF2 TORNADO. TORNADO WAS OBSERVED AT 849 PM
ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF LAKE KICKAPOO OR ABOUT 7 MILES
WEST-NORTHWEST OF ARCHER CITY. THE TORNADO MOVED EAST
CROSSING STATE HIGHWAY 79 APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH OF
ARCHER CITY. THE TORNADO THEN TURNED NORTH AND NORTHWEST
DESTROYING ELECTRICAL TOWERS AND APPROACHING OR CROSSING
STATE HIGHWAY 79 AGAIN ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH OF ARCHER
CITY.
0900 PM HAIL 2 SSE NORMAN 35.20N 97.43W
05/06/2015 M2.00 INCH CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0900 PM HAIL 2 S NORMAN 35.19N 97.44W
05/06/2015 E2.00 INCH CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0906 PM HAIL 1 SE NORMAN 35.21N 97.43W
05/06/2015 E1.75 INCH CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0915 PM HAIL 2 E NORMAN 35.22N 97.41W
05/06/2015 E1.50 INCH CLEVELAND OK PUBLIC
MEASURED AT 24TH AND ALAMEDA
0915 PM HAIL 2 E NORMAN 35.22N 97.41W
05/06/2015 E1.50 INCH CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0920 PM TORNADO 4 N ARCHER CITY 33.65N 98.63W
05/06/2015 ARCHER TX STORM CHASER
0925 PM HAIL 6 ENE NORMAN 35.25N 97.34W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH CLEVELAND OK TRAINED SPOTTER
0930 PM FLASH FLOOD DEL CITY 35.45N 97.44W
05/06/2015 OKLAHOMA OK PUBLIC
HOME/BUSINESS FLOODED
0930 PM TSTM WND DMG DEL CITY 35.45N 97.44W
05/06/2015 OKLAHOMA OK PUBLIC
4 FOOT DIA TREE SNAPPED AT THE BASE. POWER LINES SNAPPED
AND DOWNED.
1035 PM HAIL 1 W SHAWNEE 35.34N 96.93W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH POTTAWATOMIE OK NWS EMPLOYEE
WIND GUSTS ESTIMATED 60 MPH
1040 PM HAIL SHAWNEE 35.34N 96.92W
05/06/2015 E1.00 INCH POTTAWATOMIE OK NWS EMPLOYEE
1040 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N RINGLING 34.19N 97.59W
05/06/2015 M62.00 MPH JEFFERSON OK MESONET
1045 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N RINGLING 34.19N 97.59W
05/06/2015 M64.00 MPH JEFFERSON OK MESONET
1105 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N RINGLING 34.19N 97.59W
05/06/2015 M60.00 MPH JEFFERSON OK MESONET
1145 PM FLASH FLOOD ARCHER CITY 33.59N 98.63W
05/06/2015 ARCHER TX PUBLIC
STREETS IN AND AROUND ARCHER CITY FLOODED. SIGNIFICANT
GRAVEL REMOVAL ON RURAL ROADS OFF HIGHWAY 79.
1200 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 NW WALTERS 34.40N 98.36W
05/07/2015 E58.00 MPH COTTON OK MESONET
1240 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG WALTERS 34.36N 98.31W
05/07/2015 COTTON OK BROADCAST MEDIA
UPROOTED TREES FROM WAKE LOW WINDS
1245 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG LAWTON 34.60N 98.42W
05/07/2015 COMANCHE OK BROADCAST MEDIA
DOWNED POWER LINES FROM WAKE LOW WINDS
&&
$$
JTK
The following image shows a loop of reflectivity images from 3:00 PM CDT though 10:57 PM CDT on May 6, 2015 for the Twin Lakes, OK (KTLX) Radar.
The following image shows a loop of visible satellite images from 8:45 AM CDT though 7:45 PM CDT on May 6, 2015 for the Twin Lakes, OK (KTLX) Radar.
The following photo was taken by Chris Hayes and shows a tornado as it moved near the Newcastle, OK area at 5:36 PM CDT on May 6, 2015.
NWS personnel conducted a survey of the tornado and wind damage near the Amber and Bridge Creek areas on May 7, 2015. The following photos show some of the tornado/wind damage that was observed by the NWS personnel during their survey of the affected areas.
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