Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 29, 2004

Several windshields and back windows of vehicles were damaged. A few roofs to homes were also damaged.

The tornado began 4.5 miles SW of Thomas, and touched down intermittently as it moved ESE. The tornado was wrapped in rain for much of its existence. It appeared to weaken/dissipate as it crossed Highway 54, 6 to 7 miles S of Thomas, where several power poles were snapped.

The second tornado of this storm began 3 miles NE of American Horse Lake, or 9 miles WNW of Geary. This tornado also was obscured by rain for much of its life cycle, but was documented at close range by the Doppler on Wheels (DOW). The center of the tornadic circulation initially moved ESE, approaching American Horse Road around 1824 (all times CST), 6-7 miles WNW of Geary, then turned to the ENE. Damage occurred over a wide swath to the right of the center of circulation, and was the combined result of the tornado and damaging winds from the very strong mesocyclone within which it was embedded. A peak instantaneous wind gust was measured by the DOW at 81 m/s (157 knots, or 181 mph) at a height of 6.5 meters AGL in the mesocyclone circulation just north of Geary at 1836. Four miles NW of Geary, several smaller-scale vortices developed around the initial circulation center - one of which became the dominant circulation and formed about a half a mile south of the original center at 1832. Due to continuity of the parent mesocyclone circulation and the continuous damage path, these circulation centers are considered to be sub-vortices within the same tornado, and not separate tornadoes. The newly-formed circulation center moved slightly south of due east, and crossed US270/281 at 1837 CST, 2 miles NNW of Geary. The tornado crossed into Canadian County at 1838 CST, 11.8 WNW of Calumet.The tornado caused widespread tree damage with trees downed or uprooted across the area. Several barns were also damaged or destroyed in Blaine county. A house sustained some roof damage and power lines were downed in the area. A stock trailer was found rolled and farm machinery damaged. An old church one mile north of Geary also lost its roof.

The tornado, 2.5 N of Geary in Blaine county, crossed into Canadian County at 1838 CST. Damage remained confined to the right side of the track of the circulation center. The tornado and the parent mesocyclone then turned to the NE, inflicting F1 and low-F2 damage to several rural homes northeast of Geary. Seven miles NE of Geary, the center turned back to the E at 1852, paralleling 220th Street (EW91 Road) for about 2 miles. It then turned to the NE at 1902 and eventually to the N by 1908. The tornado was wrapped in rain during its entire latter stages, and therefore was not visible. Doppler on Wheels (DOW) data indicate that the tornadic circulation crossed into Kingfisher County 11 miles west of Okarche.One farmstead, approximately 5-6 miles northeast of Geary, received heavy damage with the 100 year old farmhouse sustaining substantial damage and several outbuildings and barns destroyed.

This anti-cyclonic tornado formed from a new lowering that first developed WNW of Calumet. Unlike the earlier tornadoes, this one was not wrapped in rain and was documented visually by numerous spotters as well as the Doppler On Wheels (DOW). The tornadic circulation first formed at 1902 about 2 miles NNW of Calumet, based on DOW data, but spotters observed only a funnel cloud until debris was observed at 1904, 2 miles north of Calumet. The tornado tracked generally east near EW95 Road, with occasional jogs to the NE and SE. It ended 4-5 miles NE of Calumet at 1914 CST. This tornado was visible mainly as a debris cloud on the ground; the condensation funnel reached the ground only briefly at 1904 and again at 1910, otherwise it either remained aloft or was non-existent. The tornado had multiple vortices briefly.Two permanent homes received damage. One home towards the beginning of the tornado sustained minor roof damage with shingles blown off. Another home had an enclosure, that was built over the pool, destroyed. A nearby manufactured home also showed damage to its siding, roof, and windows. Damage was estimated at low end to middle F1.

Doppler on Wheels (DOW) data indicate that the tornadic circulation, 9.1 NNW of Calumet in Blaine county, crossed into Kingfisher County 11 miles west of Okarche at 1911 CST. The forward speed slowed as the parent mesocyclone occluded. The tornado then turned west, then south, and finally dissipated at 1915 CST, two miles east of the Blaine/Canadian/Kingfisher county junction. No damage was reported with this portion of the tornado.

This tornado, also anti-cyclonic, formed about 1 mile NW of the previous tornado (4.5 ENE Calumet) shortly after the latter dissipated. It touched down intermittently as it moved ESE, lifting 4 miles NW of Concho at 1920 after forming a very brief, needle-like condensation funnel seen by spotters and caught on video by local media (KWTV Ch. 9). Damage was reported by spotters at a location 3 miles north and 4 miles east of Calumet.

Hail broke the windshields of the Okarche Police Department cruisers. The large hail also heavily damaged school buildings breaking 61 windows and 26 skylights. The school roof and 4 vehicles were determined to be totaled. Several other homes and vehicles were also damaged.

This brief tornado was observed at close range by spotters 2 miles NW of Concho. It likely originated from the same parent circulation that produced the previous two anti-cyclonic tornadoes near Calumet and WNW of Concho, but was likely a separate event. No damage was reported.

Most of the damage in and around Piedmont appeared to be the result of strong straight-line winds - both inflow into the storm and strong winds within the mesocyclone. But local media (KOCO Ch. 5) showed video of and storm chasers observed a condensation funnel about 5 to 6 miles W of Piedmont. The tornado damaged a barn and downed several electric poles before crossing Northwest Highway near Banner Road. The tornado damaged several more barns before lifting 5 miles west of Piedmont.

Sporadic F1 to low-end F2 damage occurred in the Deer Creek area, from Council Road between 206th and 220th Streets, east-northeast to near Highway 74 (Portland Ave.) and Sorghum Mill Road. As with earlier tornadoes, much of the damage in this area may have been the result of strong straight-line winds, although the concentration and severity of damage in this area suggests a probable tornadic spin up.In the Deer Creek area, 135 homes sustained minor damage, 7 major damage, and 7 homes were destroyed. Six mobile homes were damaged. Three were reported to have minor damage, while three others sustained major damage. Two businesses were also destroyed. The Deer Creek/Edmond public school received damage along with the First Baptist Church which was heavily damaged.

Wind was measured near the intersection of Northwest 220th Street (also Coffee Creek Road) and May Avenue.

This nighttime tornado formed in rural areas 1 mile east of Indian Meridian Road and 2.5 miles north of the Oklahoma-Logan county line, or 5 miles SSE of Meridian, causing a small but concentrated area of tree and power line damage. Several large trees, with trunk diameters of 1 to 2 feet, were uprooted or snapped off near the base. Large tree limbs were snapped off from numerous other trees in the area. The damage was confined to mostly open country. No structural damage was found.

This tornado was described by spotters as having a large funnel and as a possible "wedge" tornado, but no damage was reported (although power flashes were observed). The estimated track, based on spotters and NSSL rotation track maps from the Twin Lakes radar, began 5 miles SE of Meridian and continued NE across rural areas, ending just inside the Logan/Lincoln County line at 2125 CST, 6 miles east of Meridian. The parent mesocyclone occluded shortly thereafter, with a new one forming to the southeast.

Rotation track maps from KTLX suggest that this was the first tornado from a new mesocyclone that formed southeast of the one that produced the two tornadoes near Meridian in Logan county. This tornado began 3.5 miles WSW of Carney and tracked generally east along Hamner Park Road for 2.5 miles, ending about a mile SW of Carney. The tornado was described by spotters as being quite large. Eyewitness accounts and damage patterns indicate that it was likely a multiple-vortex tornado, but straight-line winds likely contributed to the damage. Numerous large trees were snapped at the trunk or lost large branches. Several outbuildings and trailers were heavily damaged or destroyed. A 20 foot livestock trailer was rolled about 150 yards to the northeast. Impact marks indicate that the trailer bounced over two barbed-wire fences without damaging the fences. A riding lawn mower also was carried east about 50 yards over two chain-link fences with no significant damage to the fences. There were several permanent homes in the damage path, but all received minimal damage that was limited mostly to shingles, window frames, and impalement from wind-driven debris. Maximum path width was about 300 yards along Hamner Park Road about 2.5 miles west-southwest of Carney. Damage in this area was rated high-end F1.