MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... May 27, 2011 May 27, 2011 May 27, 2011 May 27, 2011
Oklahoma Disaster Potpourri
Here's a little bit of a lot, or a lot of a little bit for your reading displeasure.
Our Mesonet technician Phil Browder visited the El Reno Mesonet site (of 151 mph wind gust fame) and snapped some pictures of the damage. Click for embiggenation.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110527/P1070398.jpg http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110527/P1070402.jpg http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110527/P1070404.jpg
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The most up-to-date information on the tornadoes themselves can be tracked by our friends across the hall at the NWS Norman office. Some of their latest tidbits:
* At least 7 tornadoes occurred, mainly over the central third of Oklahoma. Damage surveys are ongoing for many of these tornadoes. * Three tornadoes were rated at least EF-4, one tornado was rated EF-3, one tornado was rated EF-2, and two tornadoes have not been rated. * In addition to the damaging tornadoes, hail sizes reached at least 3" in diameter.
Remember, the surveys of tornado damage are still occurring. Those ratings can still go up. Here's a link to the NWS Norman May 24 information page.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=events-20110524
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Folks in the NWS Tulsa office are dealing with two separate tornado days. The first is from May 22 in which at least five tornadoes touched down. That resource page can be found here:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=tsa&storyid=68618&source=0
The NWS Tulsa May 24 resource page, covering at least four tornado touchdowns, can be found here:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=tsa&storyid=68709&source=0
Same cautions as with the NWS Norman information ... ratings and tornado numbers are still preliminary.
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These tornadoes push the state total up to around 75 for the year thus far. Have I mentioned these numbers are preliminary yet? They are subject to go up as the tornadoes that have already occurred are examined. Even more remarkable is the number of significant (EF2 and above) and violent (EF4 and above) tornadoes. Three EF3 and three EF4 tornadoes have been counted thus far and add another eight EF2 twisters.
The fatality count due to Oklahoma tornadoes during 2011 is now up to 12 (2 were from the April 14 Tushka tornado). This year is now the deadliest due to tornadoes since 1999 when 42 people lost their lives (including 40 during the May 3 outbreak).
Here's a rundown on Oklahoma tornadoes since 1999 (2011 numbers still preliminary!!):
Year Total deaths Significant Violent 2011 ~75 12 ~14 ~3 2010 102 3 20 2 2009 34 8 8 1 2008 77 6 11 1 2007 50 2 6 0 2006 27 0 2 0 2005 27 0 0 0 2004 62 0 3 0 2003 78 0 9 1 2002 18 0 2 0 2001 61 1 8 0 2000 44 0 5 0 1999 145 42 25 3
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Western Oklahoma still facing D4 drought
While rains of the last 45 days have quenched the dry earth in the eastern two-thirds of the state, a lot of the folks out west are still hurting. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor tells the story.
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110527/ok_dm.png
You will notice that D4 has expanded into Harper County -- yes, my favorite fishing hole is still absent -- and also farther to the east in the Panhandle. Meanwhile, drought has been whittled away through most of the area east of I35, and lessened to the west. The Boise City Mesonet site has now gone 245 days without at least a quarter-inch of rain in a single day.
Whether it's the flash-bang of tornadoes or the slow crawl of drought, Oklahoma is taking a beating this year.
Gary McManus Associate State Climatologist Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org
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