Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 9, 2016

This report was relayed via Twitter.

A tornado developed 1.25 miles south of the community of Katie, OK, or about 3.4 miles north of Hennepin. The tornado was observed to be very dynamic as it moved east-northeast and east. Initially damage was confined to trees until the tornado crossed county road 1690 where a home was destroyed where only interior walls remained standing. To the east of this house, two mobile homes were damaged on the southern periphery of the tornado path. The tornado moved east-northeast damaging another mobile home, then east removing the roof from a home on Indian Meridian Road.

The tornado varied in movement between northeast and southeast as it approached and crossed county road 1680. A home was destroyed near county road 1680 and Indian Meridian Road where an EF4 rating was applied (DI 2, DOD 9). Further east, a fatality occurred when the tornado destroyed a modular home. After destroying another home, the tornado moved northeast and dissipated near Interstate 35.

After the Katie tornado dissipated, the storm produced another tornado that developed just west of US-77 between Wynnewood and Davis. Some tree damage was noted between the Washita River and US-77. The tornado moved about three miles through open land before damaging or destroying numerous houses and other structures along and near Palmer Road and Buel Green Road to the northwest and north of Sulphur. Through this time, the tornado grew to nearly one mile in width. Numerous houses from Meadow road to just east of US-177 received EF3 damage. Near Meadow Road and Burnside Road, cars parked near a destroyed barn were displaced about 280 yards to the east. Preliminary analysis of winds from the Doppler on Wheels mobile research radar provided by the Center for Severe Weather Research indicated approximately 218 mph (+/-) at 17 meters AGL near US-177 N of Buel Green Road, however there were no structures in the immediate vicinity of this wind maximum to give a corresponding damage rating.

The tornado moved east-northeast after crossing US-177 with the path width gradually diminishing. The tornado moved along the Murray-Pontotoc County line affecting both counties for the last three miles before dissipating about 2 miles south-southwest of Roff. The center line of the tornado did move into Pontotoc County approximately three miles southwest of Roff.

The tornado that passed north of Sulphur in Murray County moved along the Murray-Pontotoc County line for three miles affecting both counties before dissipating approximately 2 miles south-southwest of Roff. The center of the tornadic circulation moved east-northeast into Pontotoc County approximately 3 miles southwest of Roff.

A low-precipitation supercell produced a brief tornado/waterspout that was observed over Lake Thunderbird. The tornado remained over the lake and produced no damage.

The tornado formed near US-377/OK-99 in northern Johnston County about 4 miles south of Connerville. The tornado damage trees and power poles, and caused roof damage to a home as it crossed Tower Road. Passing Deadman Spring Road, the tornado destroyed a modular home where the fatality occurred. A truck parked at this house was carried 250 yards to the east. The tornado continued moving east-northeast with more tree damage, and light damage to a couple of houses at the edge of the tornado path. Fortunately as the tornado had weakened as it approached the town of Bromide with only light tree damage observed there.

From about 1.25 miles west of Bromide to where it dissipated just east of Bromide, the tornado moved down the Johnston-Coal county line affecting both counties. The center line of the tornado moved into Coal County in Bromide.

A mini-supercell that developed between the Katie-Sulphur storm and the Bromide-Atoka storm produced a tornado in northern Johnston County that was observed by spotters and chasers, including an NWS employee, and broadcast live on Oklahoma City television by a media helicopter. The tornado occurred in open grassland on a ranch and produced no damage. The specific path could be determined by the proximity to landmarks observed on the helicopter footage.

The centerline of the tornado crossed into Coal County from Johnston County within the town of Bromide. Although from about 1.25 miles west of Bromide to where it dissipated just east of Bromide, the tornado moved down the Johnston-Coal county line affecting both counties. Only light tree damage was observed in and near Bromide.

A tornado develop approximately 12 miles west-northwest of Atoka, near Blue Ribbon Road and less than one mile south of the Coal County line. An outbuilding was destroyed along Blue Ribbon Road. Although the center of circulation remained on the Atoka County side of the county line until moving into Coal County one-third of a mile west of US-75, the north side of the tornado expanded into Coal County before reaching NS376 Road as the tornado continue to produce tree damage across both counties.

A storm chaser observed a brief tornado south of the larger Atoka/Coal County tornado. This tornado may have been anticyclonic. No damage is known to have occurred with this tornado.

This tornado developed on or just northeast of Lake McMurtry with tree damage first observed along NS-3275 Road just northeast of the lake. A mobile home was destroyed, two home received roof damage and significant tree damage occurred as the tornado approached the Payne County line. The tornado crossed into Payne County near Glencoe Road.

This tornado moved into Payne County from Noble County near Glencoe road moving northeast and then north-northeast crossing back into Noble County between Country Club Road and Sangre Road. At least two houses and two outbuildings were damaged in Payne County in addition to tree and power pole damage.

Although the center line of this tornado did not move into Coal County from Atoka County until one-third of a mile west of US-75, the north edge of the tornado had expanded into Coal County producing tree damage 7 miles farther west, to the west of NS-376 Road. As the tornado approached US-75, the tornado produced slight roof damage to a house on Mockingbird Lane just north of the county line. The tornado damaged a radio station building at US-75 as the center line crossed into Coal County and began moving northeast. The tornado continued moving northeast through a rural area of southeastern Coal County before turning back to the east and moving into Atoka County near EW-177 Road.

This tornado moved back into Noble County from Payne County between Country Club Road and Sangre Road and moved north-northeast for about a mile and half. Damage was confined to trees and power poles, but broken wood power poles still support an EF2 damage rating.

The tornado moved back into Atoka County crossing Division Street near EW-177 Road after moving across southeastern Coal County. More tree damage was observed along Division Street and North Coal Creek Road before the tornado dissipated just east of North Coal Creek Road.

A tornado developed southeast of Bennington, and quickly became very large as it moved east-northeast. Widespread destruction of trees was observed across eastern Bryan County. The tornado moved into Choctaw County southwest of Boswell. See the eastern Oklahoma Storm Data entry from NWS Tulsa for information about this tornado in Choctaw County.

This report was relayed via the mPing (Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground) application.