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EF2 tornado in Caddo County, Oklahoma

Tornado May 13, 2009 · Caddo County, Oklahoma

EF2
Rating
7.3 mi
Path length
250 yd
Path width
3
Injuries
$50.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 250 yards (0.14 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The tornado developed southeast of Gracemont and moved south along and just east of Highway 8/281 toward the east side of Anadarko. Hundreds of trees, power lines/poles, and fences were destroyed along its path, with numerous homes, barns, and outbuildings receiving significant roof and siding damage. More significant damage occurred on the northeast and east sides of Anadarko, with homes sustaining major damage along Country Club Road. The tornadic winds also damaged the roof and walls of a strip mall. The tornado finally lifted 1.5 to 2 miles southeast of Anadarko. In all, monetary damages were estimated at $50 million, which covered both the tornado damage and damage associated with the rear flank downdraft.

The wider storm

A cold front moved south into Oklahoma during the evening of the 13th and early on the 14th. Widespread thunderstorms developed over much of the eastern two thirds of Oklahoma. Deep moisture and favorable atmospheric conditions allowed for thunderstorms to become severe along and south of the cold. A strong cap over western Oklahoma didn't allow for much development, although thunderstorms were able to develop west during the late evening hours. All forms of severe weather developed as several supercell thunderstorms developed. Hail up to baseball size, wind gusts over 60 mph, and four tornadoes were reported as the evening progressed. Damage was reported, especially with the tornadoes. The worst damage was reported with a tornado that moved from Gracemont to near Anadarko. Luckily, no injuries were reported with any of the damage.

Began near Gracemont (35.1638, -98.2432).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

3 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 175481. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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