Tornado outbreak of May 7–10, 2016

Meteorological synopsis

The tornado outbreak developed along a cold front alongside an area of low pressure while situated north of the United States–Canada border. Near the High Plains, a dry line began to coalesce as wind shear started climbing to levels favorable for tornadoes. In addition, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico was advected northwards into the country. Not long afterwards, tornadic supercell thunderstorms began developing late on May 7.

Tornadic activity started with a large multiple-vortex EF2 tornado that tossed several RVs into the air and injured two people near Wiggins, Colorado on May 7. Later that evening, a large stovepipe tornado caused high-end EF2 damage near the town of Wray, while several other tornadoes tracked across other very rural areas of Colorado, causing no damage. Scattered tornadoes occurred on May 8, most of which were weak. However, a strong EF2 tornado caused considerable damage to outbuildings and high-voltage transmission line poles near Catharine, Kansas. On May 9, a significant tornado event unfolded across Oklahoma, as several strong to violent tornadoes touched down and caused severe damage in several portions of the state. A violent EF4 stovepipe tornado (the first EF4 tornado of 2016) near Katie, Oklahoma killed one person, leveled and swept away multiple homes, and left behind an extensive swath of ground scouring, while a large EF3 wedge tornado from the same parent supercell caused major damage near Sulphur. An EF3 tornado that tracked from near Connerville to Bromide destroyed a house and killed one person. An extremely large EF3 multiple-vortex tornado reached a maximum width of about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) as it passed near Boswell, snapping and denuding numerous trees, destroying mobile homes, heavily damaging frame homes, and toppling two large metal power line truss towers along its path. Other strong tornadoes occurred as far north as Nebraska, including an EF2 tornado that tore the roof and some exterior walls from a home near Nehawka and injured one person. An EF1 tornado also caused minor damage in residential areas of Lincoln. Significant tornado activity continued on May 10, as several tornadoes moved across areas of western Kentucky, including an EF3 tornado that injured 10 people as it moved through the north edge of Mayfield, Kentucky, destroying numerous homes, vehicles, and businesses. Another tornado caused EF2 damage near Hartford. Overall, this outbreak killed two people and produced 57 tornadoes.

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Confirmed tornadoes

May 7 event

May 8 event

May 9 event

May 10 event

Katie–Wynnewood, Oklahoma

This violent and erratic tornado touched down to the south of Katie, initially snapping trees at EF1 intensity. The tornado headed east-northeastward into a forested area, where further tree damage occurred. It then crossed North Private Drive, causing an unknown amount of damage. As the tornado began to track toward the intersection at East 1960 Road and North 3180 Road, it deroofed a farm and uprooted hardwood trees at EF1 intensity. As it continued to track alongside East 1690 Road, it rapidly strengthened to EF2 intensity, where multiple tree trunks were found to be snapped. The tornado then further strengthened to EF3 intensity, where two multi-story houses collapsed as a result of 140 mph winds generated by the tornado. It also continued to uproot and damage trees at EF1 and EF2 intensity along its path. A farm located off of eastern East 1690 Road sustained EF0 damage, and a manufactured home located off of a trail nearby sustained EF1 damage caused by 110 mph winds.

The tornado then crossed the Wildhorse Creek Reservoir, causing an unknown amount of damage to trees or other structures. It continued tracking through relatively unpopulated areas of southern Katie, only hitting the far-south portions of North 3190 Road. The tornado then strengthened back up to EF2 intensity, snapping tree trunks and breaking windows in a home. The tornado then began to turn directly East, crossing multiple trails. It snapped more trees located off of North County Road 3210, where it strengthened to EF3 intensity. Multiple trees nearby were completely debarked, and a home was deroofed at EF2 intensity. The tornado continued to uproot, debark and damage large swaths of trees as it moved eastward.

The tornado tracked through another forest, before striking the southern portions of North 3220 Road.and the Wildhorse Creek Site 59 Reservoir. It then hit Indian Meridian Road, uprooting trees at EF0 and EF1 intensity. A house located on East County Road 1680 sustained EF2 roof damage, and a vehicle was mangled. The tornado then abruptly became violent, reaching EF4 intensity as it destroyed a home with peak winds estimated to be at 170 mph. It also debarked trees nearby at EF3 strength, before immediately weakening back down to EF1 intensity. As the tornado continued to move eastward, it again strengthened to EF2-level intensity, with the tornado downing power lines. It then briefly moved sharply to the south before tracking back up to the northeast, and then began to straighten out its path eastward. The tornado reached EF3 intensity for a final time on North Private 3246 Drive, where two separate homes were destroyed with their foundations left exposed. The tornado continued to move east, rapidly weakening EF0 and EF1 damage. A manufactured home located off of East County Road 1680 slid off of its foundation in 87 mph winds caused by the tornado. A short distance down the road, a house was partially deroofed by 79 mph winds. The tornado then crossed North County Road 3250, snapping tree trunks and uprooting trees at EF1 intensity before dissipating to the west of Interstate 35 at 3:27 p.m., tracking a total of 9 miles and reaching a maximum width of 400 yards.

Davis–Sulphur–Roff, Oklahoma

This large, high-end EF3 wedge tornado was spawned by the same supercell that produced the EF4 Katie/Wynnewood tornado earlier. It first touched down to the north of Davis, Oklahoma at 4:34 PM CDT, initially snapping trees at EF1 strength near US 77. The tornado then moved across a large open field and began widening significantly before it reached high-end EF2 strength and crossed Sunshine Road, completely destroying a poorly–constructed house and tossing a pickup truck hundreds of feet into a nearby field. Numerous trees and power poles were snapped, and a brick home lost part of its roof here. The tornado intensified as it crossed Meadow Road further to the east, where trees were debarked and an unanchored home was swept completely away at high-end EF3 strength. Two poorly constructed homes lost their roofs and their exterior walls in this area as well, therefore sustaining EF2 damage. Widespread EF3 damage occurred as the tornado crossed Burnside Road, where multiple homes were left with only their interior walls standing. Also in this area, mobile homes and outbuildings were obliterated, and some unanchored block foundation homes were leveled and swept away. A large metal storage garage was swept away as well, with vehicles stored inside being thrown up to 280 yards away. Several trees were debarked, and numerous metal power poles were bent to the ground. At one home in this area, 18-year-old resident Daniel Parks and his cousin survived the tornado without injury by taking shelter in an interior bathroom and hanging on to a toilet. The bathroom was the only room left standing after the tornado had passed. A Doppler on Wheels (DOW) mobile research radar provided by the Center for Severe Weather Research indicated approximately 218 mph (+/-) at 17 meters AGL as the tornado passed through this area. This indicated that the tornado may have reached EF5 intensity here, but there was no damage that severe to confirm such a rating.

Soon afterwards, trees were uprooted, and outbuildings were destroyed along Trett Slab Road and E1690 Road before more significant damage occurred further to the east, where several frame homes and mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed along Buel Green Road and Nelson Road. One unanchored home in this area was swept completely away at high-end EF3 intensity, and outbuildings were destroyed as well. More metal power poles were bent to the ground, and a couple of trees were debarked. The tornado then crossed W 14th St, briefly weakening to EF2 strength as it destroyed a mobile home, shifted a frame home off its foundation, and caused roof damage to other homes. More outbuildings were destroyed, one of which had a small trailer thrown into it. North of Sulphur, the tornado crossed US 177 at EF3 intensity. Several frame homes lost their roofs and had collapse of exterior walls. Some additional trees sustained debarking, a mobile home was swept away and destroyed, and a few other homes had their roofs torn off at this location. A large frame home east of the interstate that was under construction was reduced to a bare slab as well. As the tornado continued eastward, it produced high-end EF2 damage along N3400 Road as two small homes were left with only their interior walls standing, one of which homes was pushed 60 feet off of its foundation. The tornado then began to narrow and weaken as it crossed the Chickasaw Turnpike and County Line Road intersection, causing mainly minor damage to trees, power lines, and outbuildings, though one home and a large metal shed both sustained low-end EF2 damage. The tornado continued to narrow as it moved further east, producing EF0 outbuilding damage before dissipating to the southwest of Roff at 5:17 PM CDT.