Oklahoma, 1999

Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, May 11 to 12, 1999

May 11 to 12, 1999 · NWS TSA · 51 events in 10 counties and zones

Summary of events for May 11 1999:Numerous severe thunderstorms formed along a slow-moving north-south cold front across eastern Oklahoma on the afternoon and evening of May 11. A cap of warm air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere kept thunderstorm activity suppressed until the first storm formed in Rogers and Mayes County late in the afternoon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$220,000
Crop damage
$1,000
Events
51

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS TSA wrote it up.

Summary of events for May 11 1999:Numerous severe thunderstorms formed along a slow-moving north-south cold front across eastern Oklahoma on the afternoon and evening of May 11. A cap of warm air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere kept thunderstorm activity suppressed until the first storm formed in Rogers and Mayes County late in the afternoon. This was the largest storm of the day as it showed strong rotation and produced very large hail to the size of baseballs.Many other severe thunderstorms formed and increased in coverage through the evening. With the slow movement of the cold front, many thunderstorms moved over areas already saturated by earlier thunderstorms, leading to localized flash flooding. Several brief tornadoes also formed through the evening, with the largest concentration in the Arkansas River valley between Muskogee and Sallisaw.

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:54 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

31 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 4 tornado, 2 lightning, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Muskogee

When
May 11, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Ft Gibson
Crop damage
$1,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
35.616, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a tree behind the Church of Christ, travelling through the tree's roots and killing three cows.

Hail, Rogers

When
May 11, 4:55 PM CST
Where
Rogers County, 7 mi E of Claremore
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.320, -95.470

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 5:21 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, Pryor
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
36.300, -95.320

There were several reports of dime-sized hail near Pryor.

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 5:26 PM CST to 5:40 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, Pryor to 5 mi W of Pryor
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.300, -95.400

At 627 PM CDT, there was a report of golfball-sized hail 5 miles west of Pryor. At 635 PM CDT, there was a report of quarter-size (1" diameter) hail 5 miles west of Pryor. At 640 PM CDT, there was a report of baseball-sized hail 2 miles west of Pryor.

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 5:48 PM CST to 5:56 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, 3 mi SW of Pryor
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
36.270, -95.350

There were several reports of dime and quarter-sized hail southwest of Pryor.

Hail, Rogers

When
May 11, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Rogers County, 3 mi E of Inola
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.150, -95.450

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:07 PM CST to 6:13 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, Pryor to 3 mi of Pryor
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.250, -95.320

There was a report of dime-sized hail 3 miles south of Pryor at 707 PM CDT, while there was a report of nickel-sized hail in Pryor at 713 PM CDT.

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:14 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, Chouteau
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.180, -95.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, 1 mi NW of Chouteau
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.200, -95.370

Windows were blown out of a home northwest of Chouteau.

Hail, Wagoner

When
May 11, 6:29 PM CST
Where
Wagoner County, Tullahassee
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
35.830, -95.430

Flash Flood, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, Chouteau
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.302, -95.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was street flooding in Chouteau.

Funnel Cloud, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:36 PM CST to 6:41 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, 5 mi W of Locust Grove
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.302, -95.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There were two reports of funnel clouds west of Locust Grove.

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:54 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, 2 mi SE of Pryor
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
36.280, -95.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Mayes

When
May 11, 6:58 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, 5 mi E of Chouteau
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.180, -95.270

Location: at the entrance to the western end of the Cherokee Turnpike

Hail, Choctaw

When
May 11, 7:10 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, Bluff
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
33.930, -95.700

Hail, Mayes

When
May 11, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, Chouteau
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
36.180, -95.350

Hail, Pittsburg

When
May 11, 7:18 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 7 mi W of Arpelar
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.930, -96.080

Location: at the Atoka/Pittsburg county line

Hail, Pittsburg

When
May 11, 7:19 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, Savanna
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.830, -95.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Mayes

When
May 11, 7:20 PM CST
Where
Mayes County, 3 mi S of Locust Grove
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.150, -95.170

Hail, Pittsburg

When
May 11, 7:25 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, Kiowa to 1 mi of Kiowa
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.700, -95.900

Hail, Cherokee

When
May 11, 7:30 PM CST
Where
Cherokee County, Lost City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.980, -95.130

Tornado, Choctaw

When
May 11, 7:30 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, 3 mi N of Soper
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
34.080, -95.700

There was a brief tornado touchdown north of Soper, causing mostly tree damage.

Hail, Muskogee

When
May 11, 7:35 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 2 mi E of Muskogee
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.750, -95.330

Location: on the turnpike south of US Hwy 62

Hail, Muskogee

When
May 11, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Ft Gibson
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.800, -95.250

Location: near intersection of OK Hwy 10 and US Hwy 62

Hail, Cherokee

When
May 11, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Cherokee County, 6 mi S of Hulbert
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
35.850, -95.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Muskogee

When
May 11, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Ft Gibson
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
35.800, -95.250

Winds destroyed a garage in the 1500 block of Sumac Road.

Tornado, Muskogee

When
May 11, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 1 mi S of Braggs
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.670, -95.200

There was a brief tornado touchdown just south of Braggs, causing damage to numerous trees.

Hail, Muskogee

When
May 11, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 1 mi S of Braggs
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.670, -95.200

Hail, Pushmataha

When
May 11, 8:05 PM CST
Where
Pushmataha County, 3 mi S of Antlers
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
34.180, -95.620

Tornado, Muskogee

When
May 11, 8:16 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, 4 mi S of Braggs
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.620, -95.200

There was a brief tornado touchdown south of Braggs, causing mainly tree damage.

Hail, Cherokee

When
May 11, 8:18 PM CST
Where
Cherokee County, Tahlequah
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.920, -94.970

Hail, Choctaw

When
May 11, 8:20 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, Soper
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
34.030, -95.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Pittsburg

When
May 11, 8:35 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 3 mi NW of Arpelar
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.970, -96.000

A home's roof was partially removed.

Hail, Muskogee

When
May 11, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Braggs
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.670, -95.200

Hail, Tulsa

When
May 11, 8:48 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, Jenks
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
36.020, -95.970

Hail, Choctaw

When
May 11, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, 9 mi N of Boswell
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
34.170, -95.870

Hail, Sequoyah

When
May 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, 4 mi N of Gore
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
35.580, -95.120

Hail, Cherokee

When
May 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Cherokee County, 5 mi W of Cookson
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.700, -95.050

Lightning, Cherokee

When
May 11, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Cherokee County, Tahlequah
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
35.907, -95.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home in Tahlequah, starting a fire and destroying appliances in nearby homes.

Hail, Tulsa

When
May 11, 9:01 PM CST
Where
Tulsa County, 7 mi E of Tulsa
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.150, -95.820

Location: near Admiral and Memorial in Tulsa

Hail, Pushmataha

When
May 11, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Pushmataha County, Dela
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
34.200, -95.520

Flash Flood, Muskogee

When
May 11, 9:20 PM CST
Where
Muskogee County, Braggs
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.616, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water covered a road in Braggs.

Flash Flood, Choctaw

When
May 11, 9:30 PM CST to May 12, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Choctaw County, Central Portion
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.027, -95.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

About 6 inches of water covered US Hwy 271 about 8 miles northwest of Hugo. US Hwy 70 was closed between Soper and the US Hwy 271 intersection when 5 to 6 feet of water covered the roadway. Several rural bridges in the Twin Oaks area were washed out. In Hugo, there was flooding in the 700 block of "E", as well as on "A", 15th, and 12th Streets. A car was pulled from high water at the north end of "A" Street.

Thunderstorm Wind, Choctaw

When
May 11, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Choctaw County, Goodland
Property damage
$500
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
33.980, -95.550

A 10-foot diameter tree was blown down.

Tornado, Sequoyah

When
May 11, 9:37 PM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, 5 mi W of Blackgum
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
35.620, -95.080

There was a brief tornado touchdown near Aqua Park, causing mainly tree damage.

Hail, Pushmataha

When
May 11, 9:55 PM CST
Where
Pushmataha County, Darwin
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.250, -95.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Sequoyah

When
May 11, 10:06 PM CST
Where
Sequoyah County, Muldrow
Property damage
$100
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
35.420, -94.600

Large tree limbs were blown down.

Hail, Pittsburg

When
May 11, 10:25 PM CST
Where
Pittsburg County, 2 mi W of Mc Alester
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
34.930, -95.800

Flash Flood, Muskogee

When
May 12, 2:05 AM CST to 3:00 AM CST
Where
Muskogee County, East Portion
Property damage
$160,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.616, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated 6 inches of rain forced the closing of OK Hwy 10 between Muskogee and Braggs. A county commissioner estimated that 60 percent of the roads in the eastern part of the county were closed at one point. Water was about 7 to 8 feet deep on some roads. Three homes in Fort Gibson sustained damage when water came into the homes, which were located in the 300 block of South Avenue. Firefighters had to rescue a family whose minivan was washed into Cooper Creek. At least 7 or 8 other cars had to be pulled out of ditches after the flooding subsided.On 4 Mile Road near the Cherokee county line, the force of the water washed a 48-inch drainage pipe 100 yards down a creek and ripped a five-foot wide hole across the road. Water in the Carriage Estates Addition was deep enough to cover the roof of a car that had washed down the road.

Flash Flood, Wagoner

When
May 12, 2:05 AM CST to 3:00 AM CST
Where
Wagoner County, Coweta
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.961, -95.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads were flooded near Coweta.

Flash Flood, Cherokee

When
May 12, 3:00 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where
Cherokee County, Tahlequah
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.907, -95.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was street flooding in and around Tahlequah.

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1999Warnings in Oklahoma, May 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5701170, 5700078, 5701163, 5700079, 5701164, 5700080, 5700081, 5700082, 5701161, 5700084, 5700083, 5701165, 5701166, 5700085, 5700770, 5701167, 5700833, 5700832, 5700773, 5700771, 5700772, 5700829, 5701162, 5700774, 5700775, 5701169, 5700830, 5700831, 5700836, 5700837, 5700838, 5700835, 5701059, 5701060, 5701168, 5701064, 5701061, 5701063, 5701160, 5701065, and more.