Two large and severe thunderstorms which spawned tornadoes in the Texas panhandle earlier in the day, moved into Hardeman County around dark. The thunderstorms merged into one very large severe thunderstorm near Quanah and was responsible for 2 tornadoes, one reported 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide, and widespread straight-line wind damage to city of Chillicothe.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.
Two large and severe thunderstorms which spawned tornadoes in the Texas panhandle earlier in the day, moved into Hardeman County around dark. The thunderstorms merged into one very large severe thunderstorm near Quanah and was responsible for 2 tornadoes, one reported 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide, and widespread straight-line wind damage to city of Chillicothe.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 29, 1:30 PM CST, 7 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 230 PM CDT TUE MAY 29 2001 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN OK THIS EVENING FROM THE TX AND OK PANHANDLES AS THE CORE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INTO WESTERN OK TONIGHT. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS CENTRAL OK LATER TONIGHT AND THE HEAVIER RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE FROM CENTRAL TO NORTHERN OK...AREAS THAT WILL BE NORTH OF THE RED RIVER WARM FRONT AND CLOSER TO THE STRONGER KINEMATICS. STORMS THAT MOVE INTO WESTERN OK ARE EXPECTED FOR FORM AN MCS AND MOVE ACROSS THIS AREA OVERNIGHT. AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES TO THE EAST TUESDAY, A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST OK TUESDAY MORNING AND INTO THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE BY EVENING. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...LASTING INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS SOUTHERN OK. ONCE THIS SYSTEM CLEARS...THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WILL SEE DRIER AND COOLER NIGHTTIME AIR. AN UPPER RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS DURING THE WEEKEND WITH WEAK SOUTHWEST FLOW EARLY NEXT WEEK...A WARMING AIRMASS AND NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER MAKER. FCSTID = 9 OKC 67 81 57 83 / 70 40 0 0 HBR 66 81 57 84 / 70 20 0 0 SPS 67 86 60 88 / 60 40 0 0 GAG 62 80 54 84 / 80 20 0 0 PNC 66 80 55 84 / 100 30 0 0 DUA 69 85 63 85 / 60 80 60 0 .OUN... OK...NONE. TX...NONE.
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
914 PM CDT TUE MAY 29 2001
TIME (CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0913 PM BU>FFALO OK 60 MPH WIND GUST
05/29/01 HARPER ESTIMATED BY COUNTY
SHERIFFS OFFICE
KTLOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
939 PM CDT TUE MAY 29 2001
TIME (CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0915 PM 1 SW BUFFALO OK 65 MPH WIND GUST
05/29/01 HARPER MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
MESONET
KTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
This tornado was reported by the Department of Public Safety in Chillicothe. The tornado traveled a very short distance before dissipating, and no damage occurred.
This was a large tornado, observed by many persons, but only produced F1 damage. The tornado formed about 3 miles east of Quanah and tracked east-southeast for 8 miles before dissipating. As the tornado crossed Highway 287, a semi-truck, which pulled to the side of the road, was blown over. The driver sustained several injuries, requiring hopital care. Also nearby, 10 to 15 utility poles were either blown over or snapped in half, and a trailer house was destroyed.
Damage to buildings, trees, power poles, and other infrastructure was sustained city-wide.
A trailer building was destroyed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2001Warnings in Texas, May 2001
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: 5247883, 5247875, 5247876, 5247877, 5247884, 5247878, 5247879, 5247880, 5247881, 5247885, 5247882.