Tornado on the Ground in Okc & KS

Channel 5 Oklahoma ^ | 05/08/03 | Me

[chantal7]

Tornado on the ground. Heading for Tinker AFB.

Debris flying and electrical lines down.

I-240 and Sooner Road, it's crossing the road.

[PhiKapMom]

I was just going to ping you. We didn't even get any rain here in Norman. In fact, I was out in front planting flowers when my daughter told me a tornado was on the ground at I-240 and Sooner Road which is just north of us! This went almost in the same path as the last one except this one started in Moore, hit the GM plant and went on the East side of Tinker this afternoon instead of the west side like last time.

No damage to any aircraft at Tinker. They did lose the fence on the east side. GM plant is directly south of Tinker and it suffered major damage.

According to reports the tornado stayed on the ground for 37 miles.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Thanks for the link - I was aware of the storm - My Mother lives in Texas and called as I was walking in the door from work. She had spoken to my sister and they were all home and safe.

My sister lived through an F5 tornado in Wichita Falls in 1979 - her home was destroyed and when I finally made it across town to what "had" been her house, I didn't know if she had made it out or not. I literally crawled under a wall that had fallen against another searching for her body.

Thankfully, I didn't find one.........

[rwfromkansas]

Same here. I have been frustrated that all the storms have been hitting east of my location.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I was just going to send you a private note! lol.....Glad to hear you are all ok too!

I am just stunned that Moore got hit again!

[nicmarlo]

My sister lived through an F5 tornado in Wichita Falls in 1979 - her home was destroyed

How frightening....and how sad. I'm glad for you that you didn't find a body, either, that she's alive and well. A shame about her home and things....

[PhiKapMom]

I know this probably isn't funny but I did chuckle. They interviewed a lawyer who was in the Union Building that was destroyed just west of the GM plant. He said they were there for some major meeting -- probably up to no good as usual.

Now the auto workers have NO Union Hall!!!!

[Husker24]

I think as the season progresses the severe weather will spread north and east.

[Husker24]

I meant north and West

[PhiKapMom]

Only difference was it started just west of I-35 in Moore at Shields (went through Sheilds Avenue area the last time) and this one traveled down I-240 and then turned to the northeast after Tinker instead of before.

Lincoln Bank at I-240 and Sooner road was flattened. Go by it all the time on the way to Tinker AFB.

At least Tinker planes are okay! Not near as massive as the May 3rd, 1999 one!

[nicmarlo]

Here some good news:

Bush declares 20 Tennessee counties disaster areas
By The Associated Press
May 8, 2003

NASHVILLE - President Bush on Thursday declared 20 Tennessee counties disaster areas following severe storms and deadly tornadoes that ravaged the state earlier this week.

The declaration makes individuals and certain government agencies in affected areas eligible for federal assistance to aid in the cleanup and rebuilding. Gov. Phil Bredesen asked the federal government for help Wednesday, a day after touring Madison County to see destruction from a tornado that killed 11 there Sunday. Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael D. Brown also toured the area Tuesday.

Damage estimates across the state are in the tens of millions of dollars. "We're very pleased the president granted this initial request so quickly. It will certainly be welcome news to the residents of Middle and West Tennessee," Bredesen said. [snip]

[PhiKapMom]

You are right about that! The tornado line moves north and east as the spring season goes on. Doesn't mean we still cannot get them but they won't be as bad here in OK.

[nicmarlo]

I'm sure the President will also sign something for Oklahoma and Kansas ....

[Milwaukee_Guy]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
847 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
CHEROKEE COUNTY IN KANSAS

* UNTIL 945 PM CDT.

* AT 839 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ALTAMONT...AND MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION.
THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS A LONG HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES. BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND EXTREME DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL TRACK BETWEEN SHERMAN AND FAULKER SHORTLY AFTER 9 PM...NEAR HALLOWELL AROUND 910 PM...AND NEAR COLUMBUS BEFORE 920 PM.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD SEEK SHELTER NOW!
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

[PhiKapMom]

The damage from this one won't be near as bad as the May 3rd, 1999, tornado that hit Moore. That was an F-5 and would have been F-6 if they had one. It was much wider, much more deadly, and devastation was a lot worse.

[PhiKapMom]

They just reported 100 people injured with 20 critically!

[Milwaukee_Guy]

A LOCATION WOULD BE USEFULL.....

[nicmarlo]

That was an F-5 and would have been F-6 if they had one. It was much wider...

Man, how can you deal with these things?

[nicmarlo]

Dozens Injured in Okla. Tornado
Associated Press
Thursday, May 8, 2003; 9:54 PM

At least 118 people were injured in the Oklahoma City area, 20 critically, said Paul O'Leary, spokesman for the city's ambulance service. There were no immediate reports of fatalities. [snip]

[PhiKapMom]

Norman, Oklahoma, home of the University of Oklahoma, is where I live which is 20 miles south of Oklahoma City in the middle of the state. Sooner Road runs on the West side of Tinker AFB which is about 4 miles east of I-35, I-240 is about 1/2 a mile to the south of Tinker, and Douglas Blvd is on the East side of Tinker AFB, with 29th Avenue on the north.

The tornado pretty much followed I-240 after it left Shields Blvd west of I-35, hit the big GM plant along I-240 east of Sooner road, and then started turning northeast as it left the GM plant and went across the SE corner of Tinker AFB picking up steam, and stayed on the ground in a northeasterly fashion for 37 miles all total.

From all reports the GM plant suffered major damage while Tinker AFB had very little damage and they are less than a half mile from each other.

Norman, where I live is 7 miles south of the tornado. All our stations have been covering it 24/7. BTW, the Storm Prediction Center is here in Norman about two miles from my house. We have tracking reports of tornadoes here by the minute where it will be along with the latest tornado warning sirens being tested here. The Storm Center has the latest equipment and storm chasers to follow these tornadoes. They just have a new type of radar they are using this year as well which gives more warning.

[2Jedismom]

Just heard storms coming over Tulsa/Bixby area have weakened

That was amazing...I even heard one of the weather guys saying they couldn't believe how that very storm that tore up the OKC area just fell completely apart. It literally disappeared just minutes from my house. Naturally, I'm praising God...but I sure feel bad for the folks in OKC...