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Severe Weather

Hundreds of Tornadoes Ravage the Plains, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic in May 2019 (RECAP)

By weather.com meteorologists

May 30, 2019

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At a Glance

  • More than 200 tornadoes touched down in at least two dozen states.
  • The storms were caused by a stubborn jet stream over the Plains and Ohio Valley.
  • At least 2 violent tornadoes caused extreme damage.
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Tornadoes, flash flooding, destructive hail and damaging winds rocked a large section of the Plains and Midwest for nearly two weeks in the middle to end of May. The repetitive and seemingly never-ending onslaught of severe weather produced well over 200 tornadoes from Texas to Pennsylvania, including two EF4 tornadoes.

The violent tornadoes struck Dayton, Ohio on May 27 and Linwood, Kansas on May 28.

The reason for the high number of severe thunderstorms is a dominant and stagnant jet stream that developed in mid-May, then stayed over the Plains and the Ohio Valley through the end of May. By the end of the month, a classic ring of fire pattern developed as a strong high pressure system took hold over the Southeast, causing clusters of thunderstorms to move from Texas to Kansas to Maryland time after time.

The persistent storm track also caused record flooding in several major rivers in the Plains, including the Arkansas, the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers.

(MORE: Extreme Rainfall Causes Rivers to Eclipse All-Time Record Crests in the Plains)

Between the flooding, the tornadoes, and the other severe weather, weather most assuredly did more than a billion dollars in damage to property and agriculture in the second half of May 2019.

Severe Weather Recap

Thursday, May 30

A tornado touched down near Glenwood, Maryland, causing mainly tree damage. Severe weather continued to rage from the Texas Big Bend to the mid-Atlantic.

Wednesday, May 29

Early Wednesday evening, a large tornado was seen by storm spotters in Canton, Texas. The National Weather Service received many reports of debris and damage in and around Canton from this twister.

Video shared by CBS 11 showed several people emerging from a storm shelter in Canton, including a girl wearing a baseball helmet. The video also showed trees and power lines down. Several buildings were reported damaged in the area.

One person was injured Wednesday evening when a possible tornado hit the Cedar Creek Country Club in Kemp, Texas, about 45 miles southeast of Dallas. A Kaufman County Sheriff’s officer said about 15 homes were impacted by severe weather. At least five sustained major damage and two were a total loss, according to WFAA.

In the Northeast, severe thunderstorms produced golf-ball-sized hail in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon and early evening. A few tornado warnings were also issued north of Philadelphia, but no touchdowns had been confirmed in the area as of early Wednesday evening.

Wednesday afternoon, one person was killed in Prestonburg, Kentucky, where a severe storm lifted the roof off a building. The NWS estimated the storm produced wind gusts up to 60 mph.

(LATEST NEWS: One Person Dead in Kentucky as Severe Storms Continue)

Tuesday, May 28

Early Tuesday evening, tornado emergencies were issued for the southern side of Lawrence, Kansas, and the western side of Kansas City. A confirmed large tornado, estimated to be 1 to 1.5 miles wide by storm spotters, was seen on the ground. Doppler radar detected debris being lifted some 20,000 feet into the air.

Images posted to social media showed houses damaged or destroyed just south of Lawrence. Dozens of houses were also damaged or destroyed near Linwood, Kansas, by this destructive tornado.

The National Weather Service office in Kansas City said debris from that tornado was falling from the sky along Interstate 70 north-northeast of Edwardsville, Kansas. The Kansas City International Airport airfield had to be closed until around midnight because it was covered in storm debris.

The tornado lifted before reaching Kansas City itself, but the same thunderstorm produced a new tornado northeast of Kansas City near Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

In the Northeast, a tornado may have touched down in Berks County, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia. Morgantown suffered significant roof and tree damage and was also pelted by egg-sized hail, according to the NWS.

Lenape Valley High School in Stanhope, New Jersey, suffered possible tornado damage Tuesday evening. People were reportedly trapped inside the school and injuries were reported, but the exact numbers were unknown.

Monday, May 27

Monday continued a more than 10-day-long siege of severe weather and flooding in the Plains and Midwest. In total, more than 50 reports of tornadoes were tallied Monday and Monday night from Ohio and Indiana to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado. Some of the worst tornado damage occurred late Monday night near Dayton, Ohio, where an EF4 tornado touched down.

(LATEST NEWS: Tornadoes Cause Significant Damage in Western Ohio)

Monday's Tornado Reports
(Each red circle represents a report of a tornado submitted to the National Weather Service.)

A tornado touched down in western Ohio late Monday evening, drawing a path of destruction near Shiloh, or about 3 miles north of Dayton, at roughly 11:03 p.m. local time. Debris was lofted to 10,000 to 20,000 feet above the ground, according to radar, indicating a very impactful tornado. The tornado also passed near Riverside, Ohio.

Celina, Ohio, also suffered damage from an EF3 tornado late Monday evening. Several homes were heavily damaged.

Miami County, Ohio, emergency managers reported widespread damage. Miami County is located just to the north of Dayton, Ohio. Roads in Dayton were cleared by snowplows.

There were several reports of a tornado causing damage to houses in Wabash and Miami counties in Indiana Monday evening. The National Weather Service had issued a "particularly dangerous situation" (PDS) tornado warning shortly after 8 p.m. EDT for northwestern Wabash, eastern Fulton, south-central Kosciusko and north-central Miami counties after a large tornado was confirmed on the ground near Akron, Indiana.

Additional damage from a possible tornado was reported in Pendleton, Indiana, where the Madison County EMA said most roads in the town were closed and power was out after "significant damage from the storm."

An EF1 tornado touched down early Monday afternoon in Charles City, Iowa, where there was extensive damage to the Floyd County Fairgrounds. Some buildings were destroyed and some houses damaged, according to the NWS.

The same tornado went on to strike Lime Springs, Iowa, where damage to homes, roofs and trees was reported. Power lines were also knocked down in the northeastern Iowa city.

(LATEST NEWS: Iowa Tornado Damages Fairgrounds, Tears Off Roofs)

A separate possible tornado struck parts of Van Buren County in southeastern Iowa, destroying at least one home near Cantril.

Southern portions of Chicagoland were pelted by large hail and 60-mph wind gusts as severe thunderstorms rumbled through Monday afternoon. A few trees were downed in the area.

In Iliff, Colorado, a severe storm left the ground covered in hail up to 3 inches deep Monday afternoon. There was significant damage to vegetation in and around Iliff, according to the NWS.

Flash flooding was reported in South Bend, Indiana, early Monday evening after 1.52 inches of rain fell in about 30 minutes.

Sunday, May 26

More than a dozen tornadoes were reported by storm spotters Sunday afternoon and evening, mostly in eastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico, but also in northwestern Kansas. No damage had been reported from any of the twisters.

One particularly photogenic supercell spawned a tornado in far eastern New Mexico near Dora.

Large hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter caused damage to car windshields in Springfield, Colorado, and hail up to the size of softballs was seen in parts of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Hail accumulated to a depth of 4 inches along a stretch of Interstate 25 south of Wheatland, Wyoming, and a flash flood emergency was issued for Chugwater Creek in Chugwater, Wyoming, after a report from emergency management of 5 feet of water overflowing a bridge in the town.

Heavy rain Sunday morning triggered renewed flash flooding in southeastern Kansas. A few roads were closed in Independence, Kansas, and flood-prone areas of Wellington, Kansas, took on water as the nearly stationary thunderstorm cluster parked over the area for a few hours.

As of Sunday evening, the city of Independence, Kansas, was beginning to experience flooding from the Verdigris River. Police, fire and EMS crews were out notifying residents of at least 50 houses that will be impacted by the floodwaters.

Saturday, May 25

A deadly EF3 tornado struck El Reno, about 25 miles west of Oklahoma City, late Saturday night.

(NEWS: Tornadoes Rake Oklahoma)

The American Budget Value Inn, just north of the intersection of Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 81, experienced major damage.

The tornado formed quickly on the leading edge of a storm complex, lasted only 4 minutes, was on the ground for 2.2 miles and was only about 75 miles wide, according to the National Weather Service damage survey.

As the complex moved into the Oklahoma City area, another tornado was indicated by radar just northwest of downtown Oklahoma City. Tree and roof damage was reported in the city.

After midnight, multiple tornadoes carved through the southern Tulsa metro area.

Windows were blown out of the middle school in Sapulpa, about 10 miles southwest of downtown Tulsa, and trees were downed on homes, KJRH reported. A National Weather Service damage survey found a pair of EF1 tornado tracks in Sapulpa and Jenks, and EF1 damage in Kellyville, southwest of Sapulpa.

Large trees were uprooted and roofs were damaged in Broken Arrow and the steeple of a Tulsa church was snapped. The NWS found preliminary EF0 damage in Broken Arrow, and another

Storms quickly raced through the storm-fatigued Texas panhandle Saturday afternoon, bringing flooding to Plainview and damaging winds across much of the region. Hail as large as baseballs fell across southwest Texas.

Wind gusts of 72 and 70 mph accompanied severe thunderstorms near Akron, Ohio, and Niagara Falls, New York, respectively.

Friday, May 24

Several cars have been submerged after driving into flooding roadways across southeastern Kansas. Water is making its way into several homes in Eureka, Kansas. Significant flooding was reported in portions of Kansas City and in Piper, a town located roughly 20 miles west of Kansas City, Friday evening.

A tornado was sighted by many in the Iowa City, Iowa, area Friday evening. Extensive tree damage was reported in the vicinity of Iowa City municipal airport. A National Weather Service damage survey found EF1 damage in Iowa City from the tornado that was on the ground for 27 minutes.

A pair of EF1 tornadoes tore brief swaths north of Industry, Illinois, in McDonough County shortly after 12:30 p.m. CDT, destroying outbuildings and snapping trees and power poles.

A possible tornado was reported in Marysville, Kansas, early Friday where damage to a building and sheds were destroyed.

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A portion of the levee along the Neosho River was breached Friday in Erie, Kansas, which resulted in some evacuations.

Midday Friday, voluntary evacuations were suggested near the Arkansas and Verdigris rivers in Wagoner County in Oklahoma as dangerous flooding was expected.

On Friday morning, cars were stranded in flood waters in Ponca City, Oklahoma, prompting water rescues. Early Friday, evacuations along the West Nodaway River were recommended near Massena, Iowa, due to flash flooding.

Thursday, May 23

A tornado warning was issued for the Washington, D.C., metro area late Thursday afternoon, when National Weather Service meteorologists spotted rotation on radar, though there have been no reports of a tornado touchdown there.

Severe thunderstorms did produce damaging wind gusts, however, which downed trees and knocked out power in parts of the mid-Atlantic region. A 68-mph wind gust was clocked at Reagan National Airport in Washington.

Late Thursday morning, storms in western Kansas produced hail as large as eggs near Liberal, Kansas.

The National Weather Service received numerous reports of flooded roads on the northern and western sides of Springfield, Missouri, Thursday morning. Multiple roads were flooded in Jasper County, Missouri, including the city of Joplin, with some water rescues reported.

Wednesday, May 22

A large tornado struck Jefferson City, Missouri, just before midnight CDT, tearing a swath of damage through the heart of Missouri's capital city of about 43,000 residents. The National Weather Service gave this tornado a preliminary rating of EF3 with peak winds of 160 mph. This tornado has a path of just under 20 miles.

The same supercell thunderstorm, possibly the same tornado, appeared to have also damaged homes near the town of Eldon, about 25 miles southwest of Jefferson City.

Law enforcement officers confirmed three people were killed by a tornado that struck Wednesday evening near Golden City, Missouri, about 30 miles northeast of Joplin, according to the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

Preliminary severe weather reports from May 22 through early morning on May 23, 2019. Note the tornado reports don't necessarily correspond to the number and track of actual tornadoes, and some preliminary wind damage reports may be found to be from tornadoes after NWS damage surveys are conducted.
(Data: NOAA/NWS/SPC)

What appears to have been the same tornado struck just northwest of the regional airport at Joplin, eight years to the day after that city experienced a catastrophic tornado. Officials in the town of Carl Junction, just north of Joplin, reported downed power lines and tree debris but no serious injuries.

An overnight squall line of severe thunderstorms may have spawned at least one tornado near Fithian, Illinois, where power poles were snapped and a semi was blown off Interstate 74.

Large machine sheds were destroyed in Ashland, Illinois, and an 83-mph wind gust was measured in Watseka, Illinois. Trees were uprooted and power lines downed, closing roads from Orland to Pleasant Lake, Indiana.

A large tornado was spotted on the ground southwest of the city of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, early Wednesday evening. An unconfirmed media report indicated that a house may have been struck by the twister southwest of Okmulgee.

Baseball-sized hail was reported in the Okmulgee area as the tornadic thunderstorm moved through, according to the NWS.

A large tornado was spotted on the ground near Owasso, Oklahoma.

Tuesday, May 21

A confirmed large tornado was on the ground just west of St. Louis early Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado appeared to have lifted before reaching the highly populated St. Louis metro area.

Some 45 miles west of St. Louis in Augusta, Missouri, power flashes were observed by a storm spotter, who noted the tornado was rain-wrapped. Tree debris was observed in nearby Labadie, Missouri. A funnel cloud was reported near Harvester, Missouri, some 25 miles northwest of St. Louis.

A photogenic tornado was captured in the plains of eastern Kansas early Tuesday evening near the town of Webster. Another tornado was visible just west of Junction City, Kansas.

A confirmed tornado was on the ground just north of Northview, Missouri, Tuesday afternoon, according to the NWS. An 18-wheeler was overturned on Interstate 44 at mile marker 92.8, and damage was reported at the old Animal Paradise.

Another tornado report was received Tuesday afternoon from near Ava, Missouri, where tree limbs were down and at least one tree was uprooted.

The NWS confirmed that five pre-dawn tornadoes, all rated EF0 or EF1, struck early Tuesday from Norman to near Meeker, Oklahoma. Another tornado rated EF1 was confirmed near Tulsa International Airport Tuesday morning.

Late Tuesday morning, a water rescue was underway in Edmond, Oklahoma. An additional water rescue was necessary in Stillwater, Oklahoma, after a woman's car was swept away. Many roads in these areas were closed.

Tuesday afternoon, Highway 20 just east of Skiatook, Oklahoma, was inundated by rising floodwaters, according to a photo posted on social media.

Monday, May 20

Several tornadoes touched down from West Texas and Oklahoma to southeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri. Two tornadoes were spotted simultaneously near the town of Crescent, Oklahoma, Monday afternoon.

A tornado caused damage near Mangum, Oklahoma, early Monday evening, including damaged homes and an apartment complex, a destroyed county building and ripped-up trees. No injuries had been reported.

Tornadoes were also reported in Odessa, Texas, and Perry, Oklahoma, as well as Cherokee County, Kansas, and Barton County, Missouri.

A barn roof was ripped off and twisted by the reported tornado in Perry, Oklahoma. The Barton County, Missouri, tornado caused damage to houses and buildings and knocked down power lines.

A confirmed large and destructive tornado near the town of Leach, Oklahoma, prompted the issuance of a tornado emergency. The tornado was rated EF2.

A tornado in Paducah, Texas, was also among the multiple twisters spotted by storm chasers on Monday.

In addition to the tornadoes, extremely large hail up to 5.5 inches in diameter was reported in Wellington, Texas, Monday afternoon.

Flooding affected several areas in the southern Plains Monday evening, including parts of north-central and northeastern Oklahoma and south-central and southeastern Kansas. Some local roads were closed in those areas.

A flash flood emergency was issued for several communities in northeastern Oklahoma, including the city of Bartlesville. Four to 6 inches of rain had already fallen by around 11 p.m. CDT Monday. Multiple water rescues were underway in Bartlesville, according to county officials.

Parts of Hominy, Oklahoma, were evacuated late Monday night as up to 5 feet of water entered some homes.

Water rescues were also necessary in Glencoe, Oklahoma, while floodwaters reportedly entered the local police department in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Additional water rescues were reported overnight into early Tuesday in Stillwater, Oklahoma; Hominy, Oklahoma; Joplin, Missouri; and other locations. Some homes in Hominy, Oklahoma, reportedly had 5 feet of water inside.

Sunday, May 19

Damage was reported in Ville Platte, Louisiana, early Sunday morning from a possible brief tornado. Trees were also downed by severe thunderstorm winds in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Scattered severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and evening produced damaging winds from the southern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley to the interior Northeast. The strong wind gusts knocked down trees and power lines in parts of those regions.

Among the strongest winds was a 59-mph gust in Milwaukee Sunday afternoon. A few 60-plus-mph gusts were reported in parts of east-central Illinois, Indiana, southwestern Lower Michigan and central Pennsylvania.

Saturday, May 18

A possible tornado struck near McAlester, Oklahoma, early Saturday afternoon, downing a large tree onto a home. Significant roof damage was reported.

Storms in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex produced flash flooding early Saturday. Major street flooding was reported across Interstate 30 and Montgomery in Fort Worth, where up to 3 inches of rain had fallen by midday Saturday.

One strongly rotating supercell thunderstorm raked through San Angelo, Texas, early Saturday morning, prompting staff at the National Weather Service to take shelter as the rotation appeared to pass just north of the office. It then headed into the city of San Angelo, with an estimated population of 100,000. The storm produced an EF2 tornado.

Roofs of several homes were damaged in the Dove Creek subdivision, and one building collapsed at Boys Ranch on the city's southwestern side. Numerous homes were also damaged on the city's northern side, according to the local fire department.

This supercell was followed by drenching rain with rainfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour, with reports of vehicles trapped in floodwaters on Southwest Boulevard and near the Angelo State University campus, according to SanAngeloLive.com.

Another tornado tore through Abilene, Texas, early Saturday morning, damaging homes on the city's southern side and blowing roofs off homes north of downtown. This tornado was given a preliminary EF2 rating by the National Weather Service.

A large tornado touched down a few hours later Saturday morning in Runnels County, northeast of San Angelo, and tracked into the city of Ballinger, damaging homes, the high school, a water tower and a baseball stadium, according to local law enforcement. Torrential rain then led to some flooding of homes in the town.

The tornado apparently continued into Coleman County, where a church roof was damaged in Silver Valley, about 35 miles south-southeast of Abilene, Texas.

An EF2 tornado touched down in Comanche County, Oklahoma, near Geronimo. Two homes were destroyed, and one person was injured, according to a county emergency manager.

Flooding was also a serious issue in parts of Oklahoma.

At least one vehicle stalled in high water in Oklahoma City, with water reportedly up to the vehicle's windows. Spencer, just east of the city, reported 2.30 inches of rain by early afternoon. At least a couple of vehicles were flooded out in Lawton, Oklahoma, requiring water rescues.

Friday, May 17

A tornado touched down near the Nebraska/Kansas border, then tracked northeastward to near McCook, Nebraska, as an EF2-strength with winds up to 120 mph early Friday evening. At least one home, several grain bins and multiple outbuildings were damaged northwest of town. The supercell went on to produce a pair of EF1 tornadoes later near Farnam and near Cozad, Nebraska, on Interstate 80, producing damage near the town's cemetery.

Another tornado damaged two homes near the towns of Bloom and Windhorst, Kansas, south and east of Dodge City. A mobile home was also overturned near Windhorst.

Hail up to 3 inches in diameter pelted Sedgwick, Colorado. Thunderstorm winds blew out a window and damaged a garage door in Schleicher County, Texas, and overturned a camping trailer, injuring one camper in Scioto County, Ohio.

Flooding was also an issue in some areas. Up to 2 feet of water flooded roads in Brookings, South Dakota, Friday night.

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