A narrow line of thunderstorms formed during the morning of the 9th along a fast-moving pre-frontal trough, producing numerous brief tornadoes along with a few wind and flood reports.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A narrow line of thunderstorms formed during the morning of the 9th along a fast-moving pre-frontal trough, producing numerous brief tornadoes along with a few wind and flood reports.
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 Oct 9, 5:22 AM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 622 AM CDT Tue Oct 9 2018 .DISCUSSION... 12Z TAF discussion. && .AVIATION... Widespread rain along with MVFR and IFR conditions expected to continue across much of the area into the afternoon hours. Much of the precip should push out this afternoon into the this evening from west to east, but MVFR ceilings will hang tough until after 06Z when CSM/LAW/SPS should see ceilings dissipate and VFR conditions return. Will also have a front that is currently in northwest Oklahoma push southeast across the area this afternoon and evening. This will bring a shift in surface winds from south/southwest to the northwest. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 318 AM CDT Tue Oct 9 2018/ DISCUSSION... Continuing threat of heavy rain and flooding through Tuesday evening remains the main forecast concern. After a brief break from rain on Wednesday and Thursday, rain chances will return going into the weekend. Details for both of these events are below. A deep trough continues to trudge eastward over the four corners region around toward western Kansas. As this system makes its way out, we'll see one last batch of rain through the day. This will develop over western Oklahoma and push eastward through the day with rain ending west to east this afternoon and evening. Heavy rainfall continues to be the main concern with these showers and storms. PWATs are hovering around 1.5 inches. With this rainfall falling on already saturated ground (due to the extensive rainfall we've already received over the last several days), flash flooding will continue to be a risk. Will keep the flood watch going with no changes. There will also be enough instability and wind shear to support a few strong to severe storms this afternoon and evening across south central and central Oklahoma. A cold front will move through late Tuesday evening and overnight, clearing the area of moisture. We'll have a few dry days (Wednesday and Thursday) before rain chances pick back up again. In addition, this front (and a subsequent one on the weekend) will usher in some cooler weather with highs in the 50s and 60s. Moisture returns from the gulf on Thursday. This will interact with a long wave trough and associated front to bring rain chances back for through the weekend starting late Thursday night. In addition, models currently show the remnants of hurricane Sergio moving up through our area on Saturday. After the cold front moves through Sunday, we'll see next week likely start out cool and dry. Day && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 72 47 63 44 / 100 40 0 0 Hobart OK 71 45 64 45 / 100 10 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 74 50 68 48 / 100 10 0 0 Gage OK 59 40 60 42 / 100 0 0 0 Ponca City OK 73 47 61 41 / 100 60 0 0 Durant OK 78 56 70 49 / 90 80 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...Flood Watch through this evening for OKZ004>048-050>052. TX...Flood Watch through this evening for TXZ083>090. && 30/14/30
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Norman OK 412 AM CDT Tue Oct 9 2018 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-100915- Harper-Woods-Alfalfa-Grant-Kay-Ellis-Woodward-Major-Garfield- Noble-Roger Mills-Dewey-Custer-Blaine-Kingfisher-Logan-Payne- Beckham-Washita-Caddo-Canadian-Oklahoma-Lincoln-Grady-McClain- Cleveland-Pottawatomie-Seminole-Hughes-Harmon-Greer-Kiowa-Jackson- Tillman-Comanche-Stephens-Garvin-Murray-Pontotoc-Coal-Cotton- Jefferson-Carter-Johnston-Atoka-Love-Marshall-Bryan-Hardeman- Foard-Wilbarger-Wichita-Knox-Baylor-Archer-Clay- 412 AM CDT Tue Oct 9 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... .Thunderstorms... There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms across portions of central and southern Oklahoma and portions of western north Texas. Location... The slight risk is south and east of a line from Stillwater to Lawton Oklahoma to Burkburnett and Holliday Texas. A marginal risk surrounds the slight risk and is east of a line from Alva to Elk City to Mangum Oklahoma to Quanah to Knox City Texas. Timing... Most likely time for severe storms will be from noon through 8pm. Impacts... Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph, hail to the size of quarters and locally heavy rainfall will be the main impacts. A tornado or two is also possible. Discussion... Showers and scattered thunderstorms will develop over western Oklahoma this morning and move eastward through the day. Some of these storms could become strong to severe during the afternoon across central and southern Oklahoma. Storms are expected to weaken after sunset. .Heavy rain... Heavy rainfall is likely through tonight, especially across the western half of Oklahoma and parts of western north Texas. This will likely result in flooding and flash flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday... .Thunderstorms... Chances for thunderstorms will return Thursday night through Sunday. .Heavy Rain... Moderate to heavy rainfall will be possible with any showers and storms that develop this weekend. These rains in addition to all the rain that has fallen over the last several days will make localized flooding possible. Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.
The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:59 UTC.
8 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water was over roadways with multiple cars stranded.
A tornado moved southwest to northeast across Marietta producing tree damage, and creating significant roof damage to at least a couple of homes.
A small, weak tornado developed near NE 23rd Street and Kelley Avenue and moving northeast to an area just southeast of NE 36th Street and Prospect Avenue. This tornado produced damage to a power pole just south of NE 23rd Street and a snapped a few tree branches along the path. One tree snapped falling onto a carport and car along Prospect Avenue.
A tornado touched down near Interstate 40 between Air Depot Boulevard and Town Center Drive, then moved northeast through the Town Center Plaza shopping area in Midwest City. Although no structure damage was noted in the shopping center, several trees were snapped, and three employee cars were blown about 50 yards into bollards in front of JC Penney. Sporadic tree damage was noted as the tornado moved northeast to near Hiwassee Road and Wilshire Boulevard intermittently causing damage. The only structure damage noted along the path was to an aviation plant which suffered significant roof damage northeast of SE 15th Street and Midwest Boulevard in Midwest City, and some roof damage along Post Road.
The tornado developed just north of Lindsey Street near the southwestern part of Lake Thunderbird between 84th Avenue SE and 108th Avenue SE, then moved northeast across the western part of Lake Thunderbird. The tornado moved off the lake south of Alameda Drive and 108th Avenue NE and continued northeast before dissipating just east of 120th Avenue SE and Rock Creek Road. Damage was confined to trees along the path.
This tornado touched down in far northern portions of Norman just southwest of 84th Avenue NE (Anderson Road) and SE 164th Street and moved northeast into southeastern Oklahoma City dissipating northeast of SE 149th Street and Hiwassee Road. Many trees were snapped or damaged along the path. Some homes in a neighborhood along Edwin Road just east of Anderson Road suffered damage, with one receiving significant roof damage.
Initial damage was observed near NE 122nd Street and Interstate 35 in northeastern Oklahoma City. The tornado moved generally northeast across east Edmond, crossing the northwestern portion of Arcadia Lake, then dissipating southeast of Danforth Road and Midwest Boulevard. Except for power pole and fencing damage at the beginning of the path, damage was limited to sporadic tree damage.
An outbuilding was damaged as a tornado developed just south of NE 23rd Street and Choctaw Road. The tornado then produced sporadic tree damage as it move northeast to near NE 63rd Street and Peebly Road.
Large grain bin was blown over.
Siding removed from a house. Time estimated by radar.
A tornado touched down briefly on the south side of Prague. The tornado flipped a car over a truck into another truck in a parking lot in Prague.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 2018Warnings in Oklahoma, October 2018
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: 790163, 790183, 790165, 790184, 790186, 790191, 790193, 790195, 790203, 790167, 790605, 790209.