EF2 Tornado — Ellis, Oklahoma

2025-06-17 · near Arnett, Ellis, Oklahoma

Event narrative

This large tornado started near the Texas state line and moved southeast through southwestern Ellis County. It was rain-wrapped much of the time, although research radars and the damage survey confirmed it's existence.

The tornado moved southeast causing extensive roof damage to a home and a barn as well as causing significant damage in groves of trees near Little Robe Creek, including snapping and debarking the trees. The tornado continued southeast and caused more extensive tree damage along County Roads D1695 and E0720. One home that had been burned in the Smokehouse Creek wildfire (February 2024) was further damaged with the tornado scattering the remnants of the house.

The tornado severely damaged more trees and downed power line along County Roads N1730 and E0730 and along the Canadian River before crossing into Roger Mills County.

Wider weather episode

In addition to a morning complex of severe thunderstorms, a multi-modal severe weather outbreak impacted portions of northern and central Oklahoma during the evening of the 17th. Initial thunderstorm coverage during the morning across northern Oklahoma featured a few reports of thunderstorm wind damage/gusts. After quickly moving eastward, allowing for substantial airmass recovery across the area, additional severe thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching synoptic wave by the early evening. Initial thunderstorms impacted the Oklahoma/Kansas border areas of Kay County, producing a few reports of large hail. All the while, an intense supercell thunderstorm was drifting from the northeastern Texas Panhandle into portions of western Oklahoma. This storm became tornadic as it crossed into Ellis and Roger Mills County, producing a significant (EF-2) tornado here. As this thunderstorm grew upscale, along with additional development to its north, an organized mesoscale convective system (MCS) took shape. Numerous reports of wind damage and three brief tornadoes occurred as this system swept eastward across the northern one-half of the forecast area.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.0050, -99.9990)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1276093. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.