Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 8 to 9, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 8 to 9, 2002
Start: 2002-03-08T23:55
End: 2002-03-09T02:50
Location: Oklahoma

March 8 to 9, 2002 · NWS TSA · 20 events in 15 counties and zones

20 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $38,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 20

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 forecasters said that day

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 8, 10:00 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 10:00 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1000 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

STRONG CONVECTION CONTINUES OVER FAR EASTERN SECTIONS OF FA.  BELIEVE
THIS AREA WILL SHIFT EAST INTO CENTRAL ARK OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.
MAIN CONVECTIVE LINE WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE INTO OSAGE AND
PAWNEE COUNTIES WITHIN THE HOUR.  LINE HAS WEAKENED SOMEWHAT...BUT
SEVERE THREAT SHOULD CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN
THREAT...PRIMARILY NORTH OF I-40.  ALSO INCLUDED REMAINDER OF FA IN
WIND ADVISORY OVERNIGHT AS WINDS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND
THE FRONT. ALREADY SENT UPDATED ZONES...MAINLY FOR WATCH/ADVISORY
CONFIGURATIONS.

FCSTID = 12

.TSA...
AR...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR
ZONES ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011.
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FOR ZONES ARZ001-ARZ002-
ARZ010-ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

OK...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR ZONES
OKZ054>071.
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FOR ZONES
OKZ054>056-OKCZ059-OKZ060-OKZ061-OKZ064.
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FOR ZONES OKZ069-OKZ072-
OKZ074>OKZ076-OKZ049-OKZ053.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 9:00 PM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-091200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
900 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

...SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
   AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS...

A STRONG COLD FRONT...WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS BY LATE
EVENING...WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN
ARKANSAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS
DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT AND WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS
THE FRONT PASSES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO AN AREA OF SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE.  THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE FURTHER
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY.  SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREAT DAMAGING WINDS.

STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE...THEREFORE A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR ALL OF
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.  PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE TULSA /NPWTUL/ FOR MORE INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED OVER FAR NORTHEASTERN
OKLAHOMA AROUND 9 PM.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED
CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY.

.DISCUSSION...
THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS IT
PROGRESSES EASTWARD.  THE SURFACE LOW OVER THE OKLAHOMA/KANSAS BORDER WILL
MAXIMIZE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OVER NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA...WHILE
AREAS FURTHER SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO BE INHIBITED BY A WARM LAYER
ALOFT.  STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS AS STRONG WINDS ALOFT OVERSPREAD THE AREA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC SATURDAY

AREA 1...NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...70
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...30

AREA 2...SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...80
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...40
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...10

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK. PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREATER WIND/TORNADO DAMAGE
AND/OR GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 9:25 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-091200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
925 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

...SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEASTERN
   OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE FORMED OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
ISOLATED TORNADOES PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SHIFT EASTWARD INTO CENTRAL
ARKANSAS AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.

THE COLD FRONT...WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS BY LATE
EVENING...WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN
ARKANSAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS
DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT AND WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS
THE FRONT PASSES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO AN AREA OF SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE.  THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE FURTHER
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY.  SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREAT DAMAGING WINDS.

STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE...THEREFORE A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR ALL OF
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.  PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE TULSA /NPWTUL/ FOR MORE INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED OVER FAR NORTHEASTERN
OKLAHOMA AROUND 9 PM.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED
CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY.

.DISCUSSION...
THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS IT
PROGRESSES EASTWARD.  THE SURFACE LOW OVER THE OKLAHOMA/KANSAS BORDER WILL
MAXIMIZE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OVER NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA...WHILE
AREAS FURTHER SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO BE INHIBITED BY A WARM LAYER
ALOFT.  STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS AS STRONG WINDS ALOFT OVERSPREAD THE AREA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC SATURDAY

AREA 1...NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...70
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...30

AREA 2...SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...80
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...40
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...10

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK. PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREATER WIND/TORNADO DAMAGE
AND/OR GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

Local storm report, Mar 8, 10:39 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1039 PM CST FRI MAR 08 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0955 PM    CECIL                     AR    WIND DAMAGE
03/08/02   FRANKLIN                        SPOTTERS REPORTED
                                           SEVERAL TREES DOWN

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 11:40 PM CST, 15 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053-069-072-074>076-090630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1140 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 13 HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR SOUTHEAST
   OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...

THE INITIAL AREAS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE SHIFTED EAST OF
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES DIMINISHING.
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS: BENTON
...CARROLL...WASHINGTON...MADISON...CRAWFORD...FRANKLIN AND
SEBASTIAN COUNTIES.

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA: ADAIR...SEQUOYAH...HASKELL...LATIMER...LE
FLORE...PUSHMATAHA AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES.

A SECONDARY LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
AND SOUTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT...IN ASSOCIATION WITH A STRONG COLD
FRONT.  SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE STRONG WITH WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST ON THIS DEVELOPING SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. ADDITIONAL
WEATHER INFORMATION...INCLUDING RELATED GRAPHICS CAN BE FOUND AT:
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:56 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When: March 8, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Tulsa County, Glenpool
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 35.950, -96.000

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a few trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tulsa

When: March 8, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Tulsa County, 1 mi E of Collinsville
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 36.367, -95.817

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tractor trailer off the road near the intersection of Highway 169 and 136th street north. The tractor trailer tipped over.

Thunderstorm Wind, Craig

When: March 9, 12:05 AM CST
Where: Craig County, 7 mi E of Centralia
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.800, -95.217

Thunderstorm Wind, Craig

When: March 9, 12:05 AM CST
Where: Craig County, Welch
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.867, -95.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When: March 9, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Ottawa County, Miami
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.883, -94.883

Thunderstorm Wind, Wagoner

When: March 9, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Wagoner County, Porter
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.867, -95.517

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour damaged a mobile home and destroyed a shed and a barn.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mayes

When: March 9, 12:36 AM CST
Where: Mayes County, Pryor
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.300, -95.317

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew shingles off a roof of a home.

Thunderstorm Wind, Delaware

When: March 9, 12:50 AM CST
Where: Delaware County, 2 mi NW of Eucha
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.383, -94.883

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a few trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mayes

When: March 9, 1:02 AM CST
Where: Mayes County, Pryor
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.300, -95.317

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

Thunderstorm Wind, McIntosh

When: March 9, 1:10 AM CST
Where: McIntosh County, 5 mi W of Eufaula
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.283, -95.667

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When: March 9, 1:15 AM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 2 mi S of Tahlequah
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.883, -94.967

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Adair

When: March 9, 1:20 AM CST
Where: Adair County, Bunch
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.683, -94.767

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pittsburg

When: March 9, 1:40 AM CST
Where: Pittsburg County, Dow
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.867, -95.583

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sequoyah

When: March 9, 1:45 AM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, Vian
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.500, -94.967

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Haskell

When: March 9, 1:52 AM CST
Where: Haskell County, Stigler
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.250, -95.133

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew a power line down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sequoyah

When: March 9, 1:56 AM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 3 mi S of Muldrow
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.367, -94.600

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a few trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pushmataha

When: March 9, 2:08 AM CST
Where: Pushmataha County, Antlers
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.233, -95.617

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When: March 9, 2:45 AM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Wister
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.967, -94.717

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When: March 9, 2:48 AM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Poteau
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.050, -94.617

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Choctaw

When: March 9, 2:50 AM CST
Where: Choctaw County, Ft Towson
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.017, -95.267

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, March 2002

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: 5286448, 5286449, 5286450, 5286451, 5286551, 5286552, 5286447, 5286452, 5286453, 5286553, 5286554, 5286555, 5286556, 5286557, 5286558, 5286559, 5286560, 5286562, 5286563, 5286561.