Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Tulsa, OK

April 26, 1991LeFlore County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 1991, 11:38 PM CDT for LeFlore County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 67 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 26, 1991, 11:38 PM CDT (04:38 UTC)
Expired: Apr 27, 1991, 12:45 AM CDT
In force: 67 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties

County LeFlore County, OK

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 26, 11:58 PM CDT	Hail 1.75	Le Flore, OK

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 248 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 4072 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 954 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 201 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 377 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 7.9
Supercell composite: 34.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KFSM 270440
TORFSM
OKC079-270545-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR
1138 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT SMITH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...LE FLORE COUNTY
 
AT 1137 PM RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WISTER
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. THE CITIES OF
HEAVENER AND WISTER ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE( PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 26, 5:42 PM CDT, 5 hours 56 minutes before

OKZ026-030-262345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
542 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR OSAGE...PAWNEE...AND CREEK
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM...

AT 530 PM...A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF
NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.  SOME OF THESE STORMS HAVE BECOME SEVERE.
HOWEVER CONSIDERING ITS CURRENT MOVEMENT...IT APPEARS THE STRONGEST
STORMS WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD INTO KANSAS.  HOWEVER...OTHER STORMS
MAY DEVELOP FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE BAND LATER THIS EVENING...AND MAY
AFFECT THE COUNTIES IN THE WATCH AREA (OSAGE...PAWNEE...AND CREEK).

PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE ALERT AND TO MONITOR
NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Special weather statement, Apr 26, 6:35 PM CDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before

OKZ026-030-270030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
635 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR OSAGE...PAWNEE...AND CREEK
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM..

AT 630 PM...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.  THE STRONGEST STORMS CONTINUE BETWEEN ENID AND
PONCA CITY.  HOWEVER...A NEW AREA OF STORMS HAS DEVELOPED TO THE EAST
OVER OSAGE AND PAWNEE COUNTIES.  ALTHOUGH THESE STORMS ARE NOT AS
STRONG AS THE ONES TO THE WEST...THEY COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY.

PEOPLE IN OSAGE AND PAWNEE COUNTIES SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND CONTINUE
TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER SOURCES FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS
AND FURTHER STATEMENTS.R

Local storm report, Apr 26, 8:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
810 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

TIME(CDT)         COUNTY        REPORT

 728 PM           OSAGE         GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL NEAR BURBANK
                                EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE EAST OF BURBANK

 731 PM           OSAGE         WINDS ESTIMATED 80 MPH EAST OF BURBANK
                                BASEBALL SIZE HAIL EAST OF BURBANK

 734 PM           OSAGE         TORNADO 5 MILES EAST OF BURBANK

 755 PM           PAWNEE        HALF-DOLLAR SIZE HAIL AT SOUTH JENNINGS

 800 PM           PAWNEE        BASEBALL SIZE HAIL NEAR HALLETT

Local storm report, Apr 26, 8:56 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
848 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

ADDITIONAL STORM REPORTS RECEIVED BY NWS TUL SINCE 800 PM...

TIME(CDT)         COUNTY        REPORT

 815 PM           PAWNEE        QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT CLEVELAND

 815 PM           PAWNEE        FUNNEL CLOUD 3 ENE OF TERLTON.  HAD
                                BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN.

 830 PM           PAWNEE        TORNADO ON THE CIMMARON TURNPIKE AT
                                JCT OF HIGHWAY 48.  VEHICLES TURNED
                                OVER ON TURNPIKE.

Local storm report, Apr 26, 10:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1000 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

ADDITIONAL STORM REPORTS RECEIVED BY NWS TUL SINCE 845 PM...

TIME(CDT)         COUNTY        REPORT

 930 PM           TULSA         60 MPH WINDS INTERSCTN HWY 75 AND 20.

 935 PM           TULSA         70 MPH WINDS INTERSCTN HWY 75 AND 20.

 935 PM           TULSA         TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN INTERSCTN HWY 75
                                AND 126TH ST N -- EAST OF SKIATOOK

 948 PM           TULSA         TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR OOLOGAH

Local storm report, Apr 26, 11:33 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1133 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

ADDITIONAL STORM REPORTS SINCE 830 PM WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SENT BEFORE...

TIME(CDT)     COUNTY        REPORT

 835 PM       PAWNEE        HWY 48 AND 64.  HOUSES DAMAGED IN WESTPORT.

 839 PM       TULSA         SPERRY.  POWER LINES DOWN NEAR HWY 48.

 840 PM       PAWNEE        WEST OF KEYSTONE DAM.  HAM RADIO OPERATOR
                            REPORTED TORNADO OVER HOUSE.

 851 PM       PAWNEE        HWY 48 AND CIMMARON TURNPIKE.  EXTENSIVE
                            DAMAGE.   CARS OFF THE ROAD.

 857 PM       TULSA         SKIATOOK.  DIME SIZE HAIL.

 917 PM       TULSA         NEAR SKIATOOK.  TORNADO.

 920 PM       WASHINGTON    COPAN.  AT LEAST 2 BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
                            ROADS BLOCKED.  POSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTED.

 925 PM       OSAGE         WEST OF SKIATOOK.  PROPANE COMPANY DAMAGE.
                            DELAYED REPORT.

 935 PM       TULSA         COLLINSVILLE.  DEBRIS AND POWER LINES DOWN.

 945 PM       ROGERS        OOLAGAH.  POWER LINES DOWN.

 951 PM       WASHINGTON    COPAN.  HOUSES DESTROYED.  PSBL FATALITY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 26, 7:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage	61 min
Apr 26, 7:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Pawnee	59 min
Apr 26, 8:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage	60 min
Apr 26, 8:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage	58 min
Apr 26, 8:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Washington	44 min
Apr 26, 9:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Tulsa, Washington	60 min
Apr 26, 9:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Nowata, Rogers	66 min
Apr 26, 9:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Rogers	46 min
Apr 26, 10:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	59 min
Apr 26, 10:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig	69 min
Apr 26, 10:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Craig	56 min
Apr 26, 11:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Latimer	57 min
Apr 26, 11:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	69 min
Apr 26, 11:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Ottawa	51 min
Apr 26, 11:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Osage, Tulsa, Washington	57 min
Apr 26, 11:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Nowata	57 min
Apr 26, 11:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Okfuskee	41 min
Apr 26, 11:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Rogers	47 min
Apr 27, 12:25 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Craig, Mayes	35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1991 Every tornado warning in 1991 Tornadoes in 1991

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.