Tornadoes Kill Two in Oklahoma; Severe Weather Outbreak in Ohio Valley on Tuesday

A significant tornado outbreak hit the Plains on Monday night, killing two people in Oklahoma and causing significant damage in several towns, including Wynnewood, Oklahoma. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) logged 22 preliminary reports of tornadoes, with touchdowns occurring in Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Illinois, and Nebraska. There were more than 90 reports of large hail at least 1" in diameter, with softball-sized hail 4.25" in diameter reported in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chester Barnes, 76, was killed in his rural Garvin County home when a violent tornado touched down south of Oklahoma City, according to KFOR.com. A second death occurred in Johnston County near Connerville, whom KXII.com identified as 76-year-old Jackie Brooks. The two deaths bring the 2016 tornado death toll in the U.S. to twelve, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Survey crews from the National Weather Service will go to the tornado-damaged areas on Tuesday to determine the EF ratings of the twisters. Some impressive YouTube videos of Monday's twisters can be seen from severestudios.com and from stormchasingvideo.com.


Figure 1. A tornado south of Wynnewood, OK taken from the west at 4:18 pm on May 9, 2016.  The tornado was dwarfed by the massive spinning updraft of its parent supercell which stood out in amazing clarity owing to its almost complete separation from the core of rain and large hail. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed I-35 near Wynnewood for 15 minutes when the tornado turned towards the freeway, the Associated Press said. Image credit: James LaDue.


Figure 2. A tornado rips through a residential area after touching down south of Wynnewood, Oklahoma on May 9, 2016. (JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images) 


Figure 3. Preliminary storm reports for Monday, May 9, 2016, from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

More severe weather coming on Tuesday
The storm system responsible for Monday's severe weather has moved eastwards, and Tuesday's greatest severe weather threat will be focused over the Ohio Valley in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky, where SPC has issued their "Enhanced" probability of severe weather. A very moist and unstable airmass is in place there, which should fuel a round of severe thunderstorms capable of causing widespread wind damage. Upper level winds are marginally favorable for allowing a few supercell thunderstorms with tornadoes to occur, as well.


Figure 4. Severe weather outlook for Tuesday, May 10, from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

Jeff Masters