Hail in Oklahoma, May 27, 1996

Severe thunderstorms moved across northeast Oklahoma during the evening of May 26th and very early morning of May 27th. The storms spawned 1 tornado in northeast Oklahoma, and also produced damaging winds and large hail.The tornado tocuhed down at 1838CST 1 mile northwest of Talala and moved northeast into Nowata County 1 mile south of Watova at 1845CST. The tornado continued northeast and entered Craig County 7 miles northeast of Childers at 1915CST. The tornado moved northeast across the northwest part of Craig County before lifting at 1930CST 8 miles north of Centralia.The tornado destroyed a mobile home and injured 1 person 1 mile northwest of Talala. This was the only structural damage done by the tornado in Rogers County. In Nowata County, 30 boxcars were knocked off railroad tracks just south of Watova. 10 homes were damaged, 2 barns were destroyed, and 2 major power distribution systems were knocked out in Nowata County. In Craig County, 1 home was destroyed, 2 homes were damaged, and 1 barn was destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were downed along the entire track of the tornado. The tornado was on the ground for a total of 30 miles and reached a maximum width of 100 yards in Rogers County and 0.5 miles in both Nowata and Craig Counties. The maximum intensity of the tornado was rated as F1 in Rogers County and F2 in both Nowata and Craig Counties.Damaging straight-line winds also occurred with the storms. A large shed was blown down 1 mile south of Wann, and large trees were blown down in Pawhuska and in Hulbert. Strong thunderstorm winds downed power lines in Fairfax and in Haskell, and large tree limbs were blown down in Collinsville, in Bartlesville, in Porter, in Warner, and in Gore. Numerous large tree limbs were downed by 65 mile an hour winds in Jennings, and thunderstorm winds also gusted to 65 miles an hour 5 miles northeast of Skiatook and 1 mile south of Vinita. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 miles an hour at numerous other locations in northeast Oklahoma.Large hail also accompanied the storms. Quarter size hail fell 5 miles south of Miami and 4 miles east of Miami, and dime to nickel size hail fell at numerous other locations in northeast Oklahoma. Lightning also set a gas well on fire 2 miles southeast of Nowata.