EF3 Tornado — Pittsburg, Oklahoma

2025-05-19 · near Pittsburg, Pittsburg, Oklahoma

Event narrative

This tornado developed approximately 3 miles southwest of the town of Pittsburg near Staples Road. The tornado intensified as it approached Pittsburg Lake. EF-1 to EF-2 damage was done to homes and trees just north of Pittsburg Lake on Indian Trail Road. One person was injured in the most badly damaged home. The tornado continued to grow as it passed just southeast of Pittsburg, where it did EF-1 and EF-2 damage to two homes. The tornado reached its maximum width of 1.7 miles near Blanco. Several homes just south and southwest of Blanco received significant roof damage, and a number of power poles were broken as well. Winds were estimated from 95 mph to 115 mph in these areas. The tornado turned onto a more east-northeast course leaving the immediate Blanco area. During this turn, the most intense winds stayed just south of Blanco proper. The highest rated damage was to trees 2.4 miles east of Blanco, where many trees were stripped of some bark and most branches. This occurred in a forested area where nearly all trees were downed. A rating of EF-3 was assigned to this area, with the wind speeds estimated near 140 mph. The tornado slowly weakened from this point and dissipated 9 miles east-northeast of Blanco.

Wider weather episode

Severe thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma along and ahead of a dry line during the afternoon of the 19th, as an upper level disturbance approached the Southern Plains. These thunderstorms moved northeast off the dry line and across portions of eastern Oklahoma during the mid afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere east of the dry line across eastern Oklahoma became very unstable during the afternoon and evening, and this instability combined with strong deep-layer and low-level wind shear, resulted in the development of a few supercell thunderstorms and a severe squall line. Multiple tornadoes, large hail slightly larger than golf ball size, and damaging wind gusts occurred with these thunderstorms across eastern Oklahoma. Locally heavy rainfall also produced some localized flash flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.6650, -95.8630)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1263654. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.