Ticker for May 13, 2004

                
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May 13, 2004       May 13, 2004       May 13, 2004       May 13, 2004



Day of Contrast Across Oklahoma

A strong late-spring cold front continues to push slowly across the
state.  At 3:30 pm, Oklahoma Mesonet stations in southeastern Oklahoma
had significant heat index values, while some in the northwest were
reporting wind chills in the lower 30s!




This front is associated with much of the severe weather across the
state today.


One Year Without Significant Tornadoes in OK

The following content comes courtesy of OCS's Director of Climate
Information, Mark Shafer:

Although Oklahoma has experienced an active spring severe weather
season, Friday will mark one year since Oklahoma was last struck
by what scientists term a strong tornado. The last strong tornado,
rated F2 or higher on the Fujita scale, to strike the state cut
a 26-mile path across McCurtain County into Texas on May 14, 2003.
That tornado capped a week of violent weather, which included the
devastating tornadoes on May 8 and 9.

It is rare for Oklahoma to go a year without being hit by a strong
tornado. Two recent streaks have come very close. From May 27, 1996
through May 24, 1997, Oklahoma went 363 days with only 28 "weak"
tornadoes. During that stretch, there were no reported injuries,
and only one tornado that caused substantial damage. But these quiet
periods can end with a bang. Over the next two days, 35 tornadoes
struck the Sooner State, the largest of which occurred in Pittsburg
County. The storms caused more than 1.5 million dollars in damage
and injured three people.

After the two-day outbreak, Oklahoma began another 362-day stretch
without strong tornadoes, lasting from May 27, 1997 through May 23,
1998. During the period, 20 weak tornadoes were confirmed, with a total
of 4 injuries and an estimated $277,000 in damages. The streak ended
as 16 tornadoes hit Oklahoma on May 24, causing more than two million
dollars in damages in a single storm near Lamont. Again, well-prepared
Oklahomans escaped without injuries.

The longest known streak without any strong tornadoes was an incredible
539 days, stretching from November 16, 1987 through May 7, 1989. Only
21 tornadoes were confirmed during this nearly eighteen-month period,
although several of these tornadoes caused substantial damage and one
fatality. Unlike the other streaks, this one did not end with an
outbreak, but rather with a single, strong tornado in Delaware County.
The remainder of spring 1989 turned out to be almost equally tranquil.

During the current stretch, Oklahoma has recorded more tornadoes than
these other streaks, a total of 25 more on May 15th and 16th, 2003
and 19 so far this spring. But like the other streaks, there have been
few injuries and no fatalities. How this streak will end, nobody can
be sure. But one thing is clear: Oklahomans know what to do when they
inevitably do return.

Tornado strength is determined by the damage they produce, rated using
the Fujita Scale, which runs from F0 to F5.  Strong or violent
tornadoes, those rated F2-F5, make up only about one-third of the total
number of tornadoes but they claim 99% of lives lost in tornadoes. Those
in the upper reaches of the scale, F4 and F5-intensity tornadoes, make up
just 2% of the total but cause 67% of deaths. F0 and F1 tornadoes, while
much weaker and less threatening to life, are still capable of producing
property damage.