EF4 Tornado — Tillman, Oklahoma

2011-11-07 · near Tipton Arpt, Tillman, Oklahoma

Event narrative

This violent tornado continued northeast into Tillman county about 9 miles SSW of Tipton. The most severe damage occurred at the Oklahoma State University Agronomy Research Station. The buildings at the site were demolished, with most of the debris thrown into the nearby fields. The trees surrounding the site were debarked and splintered. Other damage was to the Tipton Mesonet site that took a direct hit. The wind speed maxed out at 86.4 mph before the site was demolished by flying debris. The tornado lifted about 3 miles NNE of Tipton.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm system moving through the southern Great Plains produced tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flooding across parts of Oklahoma and western north Texas on November 7-8, 2011.

The strong storm system generated severe weather including tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flooding from the early afternoon of November 7th through the early morning of November 8th. Several supercell thunderstorms developed over southwest Oklahoma during the mid-afternoon hours and moved northeast. One particularly nasty supercell thunderstorm developed over northern Wilbarger county in north Texas. This thunderstorm moved northeast into Tillman county, eventually producing at least eight tornadoes over a five county area. Two of the tornadoes moved near two Oklahoma Mesonet sites, both taking direct hits. The Mesonet site at Tipton measured 86.4 mph before it was destroyed. The Mesonet site near Fort Cobb measured 91.4 mph before it was destroyed. Both sites also recorded significant drops in surface pressure. Other supercells over southwest Oklahoma eventually congealed into a complex of storms and moved east into central Oklahoma. Numerous reports of high winds (92 mph near Clinton, OK) and hail up to golf ball-size were reported. The severe threat transitioned to a heavy rain and high threat after sunset.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.3570, -99.1940)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 353589. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.