Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma · 2009
EF1 tornado, Seward to Meridian, Oklahoma, February 10, 2009
From Seward to Meridian, this EF1 tornado ran 1.0 miles across Logan County on February 10, 2009, touching down at 3:24 PM CST and reaching 10 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF1
- Date
- February 10, 2009
- Touchdown
- 3:24 PM CST (21:24 UTC)
- Lifted
- 3:26 PM CST (21:26 UTC)
- On the ground
- 2 minutes
- Path length
- 1.0 miles (1.6 km)
- Path width
- 10 yards (9 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Logan County
- Touchdown point
- 35.861, -97.285
- Lift-off point
- 35.871, -97.277
- Record number
- 0902101524-01
What the Weather Service recorded
Thunderstorms developed early in the afternoon, from near the Lawton area, northeast toward the Oklahoma metro area. Thunderstorms became severe relatively quickly as they moved through Caddo and Grady counties, and began to show signs of rotation as they moved toward western Oklahoma City. One supercell thunderstorm spawned several tornadoes as it moved through western and northern Oklahoma. Sporadic damage was reported along its path, some of it significant as it moved through northern Oklahoma county and southern Logan county. Other supercells developed near the same areas of Caddo and Grady counties and moved northeast. Some locations received several rounds of very large hail through the afternoon. ||Later in the afternoon, a second area of thunderstorms developed over northern Texas. Several supercell thunderstorms developed and moved northeast toward the Red River. One supercell thunderstorm moved northeast over Clay county and northwest Montague county. A tornado developed as it moved into Jefferson county near the Red River. It continued northeast through western Love county and into Carter County. Significant damage was reported in and around the Lone Grove area and over the far north sides of Ardmore. There were eight fatalities in and around Lone Grove. The tornado crossed Interstate 35 and eventually crossed into southern Murray county. Wind damage was reported in Coal and Atoka counties. Minor injuries were reported with the Atoka county thunderstorms. Monetary damages were estimated.
This tornado crossed into Logan County from Oklahoma County. An auto body repair shop just west of Broadway and Waterloo was completely destroyed. One man, near Broadway and Waterloo, was blown out of his home and carried across the street where he landed near a creek. A mobile home on the same property of this man was completely destroyed and the frame was turned on its side and slightly bent. Monetary damage estimates were not available.
A small tornado, witnessed by spotters and several members of the public, did damage to trees and two homes. One home lost its roof completely, while another sustained shingle damage to about one quarter of the roof. Most tree damage was confined to light limb damage; however, one pine tree was snapped in two at the trunk. Monetary damage estimates were not available.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
11 minutes of warning. NWS OUN issued a tornado warning for this county at 21:13 UTC, 11 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 21:45 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:49 UTC and running to 01:49 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:49 UTC | 01:49 UTC | Tornado Watch | OUN |
| 20:44 UTC | 21:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | OUN |
| 20:56 UTC | 21:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
| 21:13 UTC | 21:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | OUN |
| 21:43 UTC | 22:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
| 22:01 UTC | 22:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
| 22:03 UTC | 22:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
| 22:16 UTC | 01:15 UTC | Flood Advisory | OUN |
| 22:29 UTC | 23:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
| 22:47 UTC | 23:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
| 23:28 UTC | 23:43 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:50 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Norman, OK (KOUN), 12:00Z
9.4 hours before the tornado, 73 km from the path. February 10, 2009.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -67410 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2044 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 248 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 210 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.1 K/km
Norman, OK (KOUN), 00:00Z
2.6 hours after it, 73 km from the path. February 11, 2009.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1279 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -27 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1670 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1053 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 218 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.7
- Supercell composite
- 7.2
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 7.6 K/km
The radar
The Norman radar (KTLX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:21 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:22 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Yukon | Canadian, OK | REPORTED BY KWTV-TV |
| 20:25 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | Yukon | Canadian, OK | |
| 20:35 UTC | HAIL 1.5 | 11 W Edmond | Canadian, OK | |
| 20:37 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 2 Nnw Warr Acres | Oklahoma, OK | A BRIEF TORNADO OCCURRED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY AND ROCKWELL AVENUE. SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE OCCURRED AT TWO LARGE SHOPPING CENTERS, WITH ADDITIONAL ROOF AND WINDOW DAMAGE REPORTED TO A SMALLER RET |
| 20:40 UTC | HAIL 2 | 5 Ne Yukon | Canadian, OK | OCCURRED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 3 AND 4. |
| 20:42 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 4 N Bethany | Oklahoma, OK | OCCURRED 1 MILE EAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 3 AND 4. |
| 20:43 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | Yukon | Canadian, OK | AT I-40 AND MUSTANG RD |
| 20:48 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Wsw Edmond | Oklahoma, OK | TORNADO LASTED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES. TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED BY BROADCAST MEDIA. TORNADO APPEARED TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE NW SIDES OF EDMOND. RECEIVED DAMAGE REPORTS ON PENNSYLVANIA AVE. BETWEEN 149TH AND 156TH. THIS TOR |
| 20:50 UTC | HAIL 1 | 4 Nw Edmond | Oklahoma, OK | |
| 20:53 UTC | TORNADO 2 | 3 Wnw Edmond | Oklahoma, OK | *** 1 INJ *** A TORNADO FORMED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF 192ND AND WESTERN AVENUE AND LIFTED 5 MILES NORTH OF EDMOND ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE INTO LOGAN COUNTY. SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED AS THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEAST, S |
| 21:00 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Yukon | Canadian, OK | |
| 21:03 UTC | HAIL 1.25 | 3 Nw Lake Hefner | Oklahoma, OK | GROUND COVERED 1 INCH DEEP WITH MOSTLY QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT INTERSECTIONS OF N COUNCIL AND NW 113TH ST |
| 21:05 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Wsw Edmond | Oklahoma, OK | TORNADO LASTED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES. TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED BY BROADCAST MEDIA. TORNADO APPEARED TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE NW SIDES OF EDMOND. RECEIVED DAMAGE REPORTS ON PENNSYLVANIA AVE. BETWEEN 149TH AND 156TH. THIS INF |
| 21:24 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 2 Wnw Meridian | Logan, OK | A BRIEF TORNADO FORMED 2 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MERIDIAN, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO TWO HOMES AND SEVERAL TREES. ONE OF THE HOMES COMPLETELY LOST ITS ROOF. MOST OF THE TREE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO LIMB DAMAGE, ALTHOUGH A PI |
| 21:35 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | 2 N Langston | Logan, OK | |
| 21:35 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Edmond | Oklahoma, OK | SANTA FE AND COVELL |
| 21:50 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 10 S Guthrie | Logan, OK | |
| 21:53 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | Guthrie | Logan, OK | REPORTED BY KFOR TV |
| 21:55 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Coyle | Logan, OK | REPORTED BY COYLE POLICE |
| 22:00 UTC | HAIL 1 | 6 N Bethany | Oklahoma, OK | |
| 22:00 UTC | HAIL 1.5 | Coyle | Logan, OK | |
| 22:00 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 3 Sse Seward | Logan, OK | |
| 22:05 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Stillwater | Payne, OK | 2 BLOCKS WEST OF PERKINS AND LAKEVIEW IN STILLWATER. |
| 22:10 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 5 Nnw The Village | Oklahoma, OK | QUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL COVERED THE GROUND. |
| 22:10 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Bethany | Oklahoma, OK | |
| 22:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Wnw Perkins | Payne, OK | WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN AND AROUND THE PERKINS AREA. MOST OF THE DAMAGE OCCURRED WEST AND NORTHWEST OF PERKINS, WITH SEVERAL TIN ROOFS REMOVED. A RADIO TOWER WAS DESTROYED. SEVERAL POWER POLES/LINES WERE BLOWN |
| 22:25 UTC | HAIL 1.25 | 6 Nnw The Village | Oklahoma, OK | |
| 23:21 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | 4 Sw Stillwater | Payne, OK | HAIL ACCUMULATION ON GROUND CAUSING TRAVEL PROBLEMS AT INTERSECTIONS OF 80TH AND COUNTRY CLUB |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2009 tornado in OklahomaEvery tornado in Oklahoma since 1950Warnings in force in Oklahoma nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of February 10, 2009
9 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 10 | 2:36 PM CST | EF1 | Oklahoma, OK | 0.7 | 75 | $1.0 million | ||
| February 10 | 2:53 PM CST | EF2 | Oklahoma, OK | 5.7 | 250 | |||
| February 10 | 3:39 PM CST | EF1 | Payne, OK | 9.6 | 50 | |||
| February 10 | 4:35 PM CST | EF0 | Pawnee, OK | 2.6 | 400 | $30,000 | ||
| February 10 | 6:25 PM CST | EF0 | Montague, TX | 0.4 | 35 | $20,000 | ||
| February 10 | 6:45 PM CST | EF4 | Lone Grove tornado, Oklahoma | 37.0 | 880 | 8 | 46 | $3.0 million |
| February 10 | 9:15 PM CST | EF1 | Tarrant, TX | 0.5 | 100 | $750,000 | ||
| February 10 | 10:43 PM CST | EF1 | Greene, MO | 5.4 | 75 | $350,000 | ||
| February 10 | 11:16 PM CST | EF1 | Wood, TX | 7.1 | 300 | $400,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.