Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, September 21, 1998

Severe thunderstorms developed over much of western and central Oklahoma from late morning through late evening of the 21st, and were responsible for 1 fatality and 18 injuries. Three tornadoes were also sighted. Storms first developed in Kay County during the late morning where a semi-truck was blown over 1.5 miles southwest of Blackwell near the intersection of Highway 11 and Interstate 35. Severe thunderstorms then redeveloped over Major and Blaine Counties a few hours later. As these storms moved east into Garfield County, a tornado was spotted 3 miles south of Waukomis moving east. This tornado, rated an F1, knocked down or snapped 40 to 50 power poles, damaged several outbuildings, and destroyed numerous trees. One large diesel storage tank was picked up and desposited one-half mile away. A pickup truck containing 2 occupants was also picked up a short distance from the road and dropped on the side of the road near a creek. Both occupants were uninjured. A semi-trailer was also blown off the highway. As the tornado dissipated, severe thunderstorm winds blew down large tree limbs in Bison, and lightning from the same complex of thunderstorms struck a house in Enid, causing a short in the wiring, which then started a small house fire. Large tree limbs were also downed in Seiling in Dewey County, while a rain gutter from a house was ripped off by the winds 12 miles east of Hennessey in Kingfisher County breaking several flower pots. Large tree limbs were also downed in the same location.As the thunderstorms moved into Logan County, Oklahoma Mesonet measured wind gusts of 59 mph and 66 mph at 1620 CST and 1630 CST respectively 3 miles southeast of Marshall. A weak, F0 tornado was then spotted 9 miles north of Crescent, just west of State Highway 74. The tornado uprooted several trees while crossing the highway, then quickly dissipated. Another weak tornado, an F0, was spotted on the Blaine/Dewey County border 2 miles west of Canton, knocking down trees and power poles. The same thunderstorm was responsible for a lightning strike at the Old Christian Church in Eagle City in Blaine County causing a fire that destroyed the church. As these storms moved east, thunderstorm winds damaged a fence, silo, and several trees in Logan County 3 miles southwest of Langston. Several power poles were blown down 1 mile north of Loyal in Kingfisher County, while in the city of Loyal 13 power poles were snapped, and large tree limbs were blown down. Widespread wind damage occurred in the city of Kingfisher consisting of downed trees and power lines over a 12 square block area on the northwest side of the city. The garage of a house also shifted causing roof damage. Oklahoma Mesonet measured wind gusts of 63 mph and 80 mph at 1900 CST and 1905 CST respectively 4 miles southwest of Guthrie in Logan County. Straight-line winds then produced a large swath of damage to mobile homes, house roofs, trees, power poles and power lines in a 4 by 6 mile area across southern Logan County bounded by Western Ave to the west, Interstate 35 to the east, Forest Hills Road to the north, and Waterloo Road to the south. The worst damage occurred in a 1/2 by 1 1/2 mile area near Oak Cliff. Two-hundred fifty residents were damaged. Of these, 10 homes and business building were destroyed, while 41 structures suffered major damage. One hundred sixty-one single family homes, 43 mobile homes, 7 businesses, and 1 apartment complex suffered minor structural damage. Total damage estimates were near 3.5 million dollars. Five persons were injured, consisting mostly of broken fingers and cuts. No one was seriously injured. Lightning also struck an oil tank at Pine and Industrial in Guthrie, starting a fire that was quickly extinguised.Unusually strong straight-line winds also left a swath of damage roughly 8 miles long and 2 miles wide from just east of Jones in eastern Oklahoma County, east-southeast into extreme western Lincoln County 3 miles northeast of Harrah. A two year-old boy was killed, and ten persons were injured, 8 of which were transported to local hospitals. Damage was estimated at about 2 million dollars. Damage was intermittent from east of Jones to north of Horseshoe Lake and was limited mainly to fallen tree limbs. A more persistent area of wind damage about 1.5 miles wide was found from near Luther Road and Wilshire southeast to near the county line and Northeast 50th. Widespread tree damage occurred in this area along with structural damage to several homes. By far the most concentrated area of damage was along a half-mile wide swath from Harrah Road and 63rd extending east-southeast. Several mobile homes were completely destroyed in this area, one of which disintegrated with the frame left wrapped around a tree. All of the destroyed mobile homes were perpendicular to the wind or nearly so and thus were hit broadside by the full force of the wind. The level of damage in this swath is estimated at strong F1 suggesting that maximum winds probably were between 100 and 110 mph.Damage in Lincoln County consisted of downed power lines, uprooted trees, and damaged outbuildings in a half-mile wide by one-mile long swath just north of Highway 62. One barn also disintegrated as it was picked up by the wind and carried nearly one-quarter of a mile. In total, 75 homes were damaged; 11 suffered major damage, and six (All mobile homes) were destroyed. Three mobile homes were found to be totally disintegrated and one other that was rolled from its foundation. Several eyewitness reports indicated that at least some of these mobile homes were airborne while or just before they were destroyed. The fatality, and most of the injuries, were residents who were in the destroyed mobile homes when the winds struck. The last report of damage in Lincoln County occurred in Chandler, where lightning struck numerous transformers and power poles, knocking out power to all of Chandler for 5 hours.Severe thunderstorm winds also downed trees, wires, and numerous power poles all across the city of Edmond in Oklahoma County. Seven thousand residents were left without power for several hours. One tree fell on a car, and the canopy was blown off at Juffy Lube on 2nd Street, east of Bryant. Farther south and east, a tree was blown down near the Mazzio's Pizza on State Highway in Cushing in Payne County; highway signs and numerous trees were downed near Highway 44 in Cleveland County 4 miles west of Moore, and trees and power lines were blown down in Norman, also in Cleveland County. Lightning struck an oil tank battery in Slaughterville in Cleveland County, causing a fire that burned for about 1 hour before being extinguished. A mobile home was blown off its foundation and destroyed in Shawnee in Pottawatomie County. Five persons were inside the home including 3 children who were injured from minor cuts and bruises. The roof was also blown off of a boathouse at Shawnee Lake, also in Pottawatomie County. Numerous Numerous power lines were downed 8 miles east of Pauls Valley in Garvin County knocking out power to 500 residents, while a house sustained significant roof damage from strong winds. Rain poured into the house causing an estimated $20,000 in damage. Power lines and large tree limbs were downed in Wewoka in Seminole County and Holdenville in Hughes County. Lastly, Lightning struck a tree in Sulphur in Murray County, killing 3 cows and an angus bull standing under it.