Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma · 2010
EF2 tornado, Catoosa to Chouteau, Oklahoma, May 13, 2010
From Catoosa to Chouteau, this EF2 tornado ran 8.7 miles across Rogers and Mayes counties on May 13, 2010, touching down at 5:17 AM CDT and reaching 1,000 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 2, and did $350,000 of property damage.
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 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado
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
- EF2
- Date
- May 13, 2010
- Touchdown
- 5:17 AM CDT (10:17 UTC)
- Lifted
- 5:26 AM CDT (10:26 UTC)
- On the ground
- 9 minutes
- Path length
- 8.7 miles (14.0 km)
- Path width
- 1,000 yards (914 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- $350,000
- Counties
- Rogers and Mayes counties
- Touchdown point
- 36.141, -95.511
- Lift-off point
- 36.194, -95.370
- Record number
- 1005130417-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A line of thunderstorms intensified as it moved into eastern Oklahoma during the early morning hours of the 13th. A number of tornadoes developed on the leading edge of the bowing line of storms over northeastern Oklahoma. The storms also produced damaging wind gusts.
A tornado developed near the Port of Catoosa where it damaged a metal building structure and blew down trees and power poles. The tornado moved northeast across portions of Verdigris, severely damaging several homes, destroying barns, snapping or uprooting numerous trees, and blowing down power poles. The estimated peak wind in the tornado based on this damage was 120 mph.
A tornado developed just south of Inola and moved northeast into Mayes County. The tornado damaged several homes, damaged a barn, and blew down trees and power poles in Rogers County. The estimated peak wind in this tornado segment based on this damage was 95 mph. The tornado intensified further east in Mayes County and produced EF2 damage there.
The tornado that developed near Inola in Rogers County moved northeast toward Chouteau. In Mayes County, the tornado severely damaged several homes, destroyed a metal shop, snapped or uprooted numerous trees, and snapped numerous high tension wire poles. The estimated peak wind in this tornado based on this damage in Mayes County was 115 mph. Two people were injured by flying debris.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:35 UTC | 10:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA |
| 09:56 UTC | 10:39 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA |
| 10:09 UTC | 10:51 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA |
| 10:22 UTC | 10:49 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA |
| 11:00 UTC | 11:47 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | TSA |
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 General Thunderstorms Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 05:23 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.
Springfield, MO (KSGF), 00:00Z
10.3 hours before the tornado, 168 km from the path. May 13, 2010.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1283 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -126 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2755 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1221 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 179 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 306 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 9.5
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.8 K/km
Springfield, MO (KSGF), 12:00Z
1.7 hours after it, 168 km from the path. May 13, 2010.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 139 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -135 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 35 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 570 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 70 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 259 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 313 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 10.4
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.7 K/km
The surface observations
Claremore Regional Airport (GCM), 14 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:33 UTC | 73.4 | 68 | 250° 3 kt | 1010.8 | ||
| 08:53 UTC | 71.6 | 68 | 190° 3 kt | 1010.8 | VCTS | |
| 09:13 UTC | 73.4 | 68 | 160° 4 kt | 1010.5 | ||
| 09:34 UTC | 73.4 | 68 | 160° 10 kt | 1010.8 | ||
| 09:53 UTC | 73.4 | 68 | 170° 15 kt | 1010.8 | ||
| 10:14 UTC | 73.4 | 68 | 160° 14 kt | 25 | 1010.2 | VCTS |
| 10:34 UTC | 73.4 | 66.2 | 290° 19 kt | 44 | 1012.5 | |
| 10:54 UTC | 62.6 | 60.8 | 270° 10 kt | 17 | 1014.2 | |
| 11:14 UTC | 62.6 | 60.8 | 280° 9 kt | 15 | 1014.6 | -TSRA |
| 11:34 UTC | 62.6 | 60.8 | 260° 7 kt | 1015.2 | RA | |
| 11:53 UTC | 60.8 | 59 | 0° 0 kt | 1014.9 | -TSRA | |
| 12:13 UTC | 60.8 | 59 | 80° 6 kt | 1013.9 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Tulsa radar (KINX), 11 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 10:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Sapulpa | Creek, OK | NUMEROUS REPORTS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN. |
| 09:46 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | POCKETS OF SIGNIFICANT TREE...POWERLINE AND ROOF DAMAGE ACROSS THE TULSA METRO...BETWEEN 446 AM AND 503 AM ESTIMATED BY RADAR |
| 09:46 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Ne Sapulpa | Creek, OK | NWS SURVEY TEAM IN THE FIELD AND WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION LATER TODAY |
| 09:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Jenks | Tulsa, OK | PARTIAL ROOF COLLAPSE WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO HOME...7800 SOUTH 26TH WEST AVE |
| 09:50 UTC | TSTM WND GST 62 | 4 W Hectorville | Okmulgee, OK | |
| 09:52 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | NUMEROUS TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE NEAR 61ST AND LEWIS |
| 09:53 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | NUMEROUS TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE NEAR 51ST AND LEWIS |
| 09:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 S Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | LARGE TREE BLOWN OVER ONTO A HOUSE AT 53RD AND SANDUSKY. RELAYED BY KOTV. |
| 09:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | NUMEROUS REPORTS OF POWER OUTAGES AND DAMAGE TO HOMES FROM TREES FALLING ON THEM. |
| 09:56 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | POWER POLE SNAPPED 101ST BETWEEN MINGO AND GARNETT |
| 09:57 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | BRICK/STONE FENCE BLOWN DOWN...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN...NEAR 41ST AND MINGO |
| 10:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Se Catoosa | Wagoner, OK | 1.5 MILES EAST OF 193RD EAST AVE AND 11TH ST. LARGE TREES UPROOTED. POWER OUT. ESTIMATED WINDS OF 80 MPH. |
| 10:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 S Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | 52ND AND SOUTH OSWEGO IN TULSA. TWO FOOT DIAMETER TREE BLOWN DOWN ON TOP OF TWO VEHICLES...ON A POLICE PATROL CAR. NUMEROUS OTHER TREES DOWN AND LIMBS BROKEN. |
| 10:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Glenpool | Tulsa, OK | LARGE TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES DOWN. DAMAGE BLOWN NORTHEAST. TREES SNAPPED AT BASE IN DOWNTOWN GLENPOOL. |
| 10:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN. WIND GUSTS ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH. REPORTED AT 55TH AND YALE. |
| 10:00 UTC | TSTM WND GST 65 | 6 Se Broken Arrow | Wagoner, OK | |
| 10:03 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Ese Oneta | Wagoner, OK | NWS TEAM STILL IN THE FIELD ASSESSING DAMAGE AND DETAILS. PRELIMINARY EF2 RATING. 250 TO 300 YARDS WIDE. HOME DESTROYED. LENGTH NOT YET DETERMINED. |
| 10:03 UTC | TORNADO | 5 N Broken Arrow | Tulsa, OK | BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN JUST NORTHWEST OF 21ST AND LYNN LANE ROAD....167TH EAST AVE. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE EF0. DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS TREES. SHINGLES PEELED BACK ON HOUSE. SHED LIFTED AND WRAPPED ONTO A TREE ABOUT 15 FEET UP |
| 10:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 E Broken Arrow | Wagoner, OK | ROOF BLOWN OFF BARN. WOOD PRIVACY FENCE DOWN. LARGE TREE UPROOTED. OTHER LARGE TREE LIMBS BROKEN AND DOWN. |
| 10:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Sapulpa | Creek, OK | TREE LIMBS DOWN IN THE SAPULPA AREA |
| 10:09 UTC | TSTM WND GST 62 | 5 Sse Haskell | Muskogee, OK | |
| 10:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 E Haskell | Muskogee, OK | HIGHWAY 104 GOING EAST OUT OF HASKELL INTO WAGONER COUNTY IS BLOCKED DUE TO DOWNED POWER POLES AND TREES. |
| 10:10 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 3 E Broken Arrow | Wagoner, OK | REPORTED NEAR THE JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY 51 AND THE CREEK TURNPIKE |
| 10:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Coweta | Wagoner, OK | THREE HOMES WITH MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AT 108TH AND MIDWAY NEAR THE COWETA AREA. |
| 10:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Verdigris | Rogers, OK | ROOF BLOWN OFF A HOUSE. POWER LINES DOWN. |
| 10:19 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 S Claremore | Rogers, OK | MULTIPLE POWER POLES DOWN FROM LARGE TREE FALLING ON LINES. |
| 10:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 W Wagoner | Wagoner, OK | HIGHWAY SIGNS BLOWN OVER |
| 10:25 UTC | TSTM WND GST 58 | 3 Sse Inola | Rogers, OK | |
| 10:26 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Muskogee | Muskogee, OK | TREE LIMBS DOWN IN MUSKOGEE |
| 10:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Pryor | Mayes, OK | NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWNED...AS WELL AS STRUCTURAL ROOF DAMAGE. REPORTED COUNTY WIDE. |
| 10:30 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Chouteau | Mayes, OK | |
| 10:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Ketchum | Craig, OK | NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWNED...AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO OUTBUILDINGS. |
| 10:49 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 N Tahlequah | Cherokee, OK | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN THE MOODYS AREA |
| 10:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Leach | Delaware, OK | TREE LIMBS DOWN IN LEACH. |
| 11:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Leach | Delaware, OK | TREE LIMBS DOWN IN LEACH. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2010 tornado in OklahomaEvery tornado in Oklahoma since 1950Warnings in force in Oklahoma nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 13, 2010
15 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13 | 4:19 AM CDT | EF1 | Creek, OK | 20.0 | 1,000 | $75,000 | ||
| May 13 | 4:43 AM CDT | EF2 | Tulsa, OK | 22.7 | 500 | $750,000 | ||
| May 13 | 4:45 AM CDT | EF1 | Tulsa, OK | 14.1 | 500 | $125,000 | ||
| May 13 | 4:52 AM CDT | EF2 | Okmulgee, OK | 6.0 | 300 | $200,000 | ||
| May 13 | 5:04 AM CDT | EF2 | Wagoner, OK | 5.1 | 550 | 2 | $400,000 | |
| May 13 | 5:05 AM CDT | EF2 | Rogers, OK | 6.0 | 450 | $750,000 | ||
| May 13 | 5:09 AM CDT | EF0 | Rogers, OK | 3.1 | 700 | $10,000 | ||
| May 13 | 5:37 AM CDT | EF1 | Cherokee, OK | 4.0 | 200 | $10,000 | ||
| May 13 | 5:51 AM CDT | EF1 | Cherokee, OK | 4.0 | 200 | |||
| May 13 | 6:05 AM CDT | EF1 | Ottawa, OK | 8.0 | 500 | $25,000 | ||
| May 13 | 6:24 AM CDT | EF1 | Washington, AR | 0.1 | 75 | |||
| May 13 | 7:00 AM CDT | EF1 | Barry, MO | 2.2 | 200 | $500,000 | ||
| May 13 | 7:42 AM CDT | EF0 | Stone, MO | 0.3 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| May 13 | 8:00 AM CDT | EF0 | Christian, MO | 4.3 | 200 | $50,000 | ||
| May 13 | 1:47 AM EDT | EF1 | Van Wert, OH | 2.1 | 150 |
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.