Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma · 2017

EF1 tornado, Collinsville to Sageeyah, Oklahoma, May 11, 2017

From Collinsville to Sageeyah, this EF1 tornado ran 1.5 miles across Rogers County on May 11, 2017, touching down at 2:01 PM CDT and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $500,000 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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
May 11, 2017
Touchdown
2:01 PM CDT (19:01 UTC)
Lifted
2:08 PM CDT (19:08 UTC)
On the ground
7 minutes
Path length
1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$500,000
County
Rogers County
Touchdown point
36.304, -95.795
Lift-off point
36.311, -95.770
Record number
1705111301-01

The damage survey

32 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS TSA, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 107 mph.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

A slow-moving upper level storm system moved from the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains during the 10th and 11th. Warm, moist, and unstable air was in place across eastern Oklahoma ahead of this system. Several disturbances translated across the Southern Plains ahead of the main system, resulting in multiple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorm development along the associated frontal boundary that slowly progressed eastward and southward through the region. These storms produced several tornadoes, hail up to golfball size, damaging wind, and locally heavy rainfall.

A supercell thunderstorm rapidly developed near Owasso. A tornado developed as the storm approached N 161st E Avenue to the south of 106th Street N where tree limbs were snapped and barns were damaged. The tornado moved northeast damaging the roofs of about 70 homes, destroying outbuildings, uprooting trees, rolling camper trailers, and blowing down power poles between 106th Street N and 109th Street N. The tornado turned more east at about N 173rd E Avenue and then dissipated to the east of N 177th E Avenue. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 90 to 100 mph.

The Owasso tornado dissipated and the supercell thunderstorm that produced it cycled another tornado southeast of Oologah. The first damage from this tornado was on Northaven Road, north of the E 445 Road, where trees were damaged. From there, the tornado moved north-northeast uprooting and snapping trees. It crossed Highway 88 west of the N 4133 Road, where large tree limbs were snapped, and then dissipated north of Highway 88 where trees were uprooted just south of Lake Oologah. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 100 to 110 mph.

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. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 18:00 UTC and running to 02:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
03:33 UTC04:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
18:00 UTC02:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchTSA
18:00 UTC01:56 UTCFlash Flood WatchTSA
18:43 UTC19:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
18:52 UTC20:45 UTCFlood AdvisoryTSA
18:53 UTC19:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
19:02 UTC19:30 UTCTornado WarningTSA
19:24 UTC20:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
19:29 UTC19:44 UTCTornado WarningTSA
19:33 UTC20:30 UTCFlood AdvisoryTSA
20:17 UTC00:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningTSA
22:05 UTC22:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
22:06 UTC22:30 UTCTornado WarningTSA
22:24 UTC22:42 UTCTornado WarningTSA
22:42 UTC23:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
22:52 UTC23:15 UTCTornado WarningTSA
23:04 UTC23:33 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSA
23:10 UTC23:21 UTCTornado WarningTSA

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 Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:37 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), 12:00Z

7.0 hours before the tornado, 189 km from the path. May 11, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2017-05-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -79352, lifted condensation level 1011 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2017-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 74 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 40 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-79352 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1011 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 00:00Z

5.0 hours after it, 189 km from the path. May 12, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2017-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 586 joules per kilogram, CIN -38, lifted condensation level 762 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2017-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -107 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 55 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
586 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Surface CAPE
528 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
762 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-107 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.4
Supercell composite
-2.3
0-3 km lapse rate
6.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Tulsa International Airport(Aw) (TUL), 15 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
17:05 UTC130° 5 kt1009.5
17:10 UTC90° 4 kt1009.5
17:15 UTC140° 6 kt1009.5
17:20 UTC0° 0 kt1009.8
17:25 UTC 1009.8
17:30 UTC150° 5 kt1009.8
17:35 UTC140° 5 kt1009.8
17:40 UTC160° 6 kt1009.8
17:45 UTC150° 7 kt1009.8
17:50 UTC150° 9 kt1009.8
17:53 UTC8070160° 6 kt1009.8
17:55 UTC150° 10 kt1009.8
18:00 UTC180° 10 kt1009.8
18:05 UTC170° 11 kt1009.5
18:10 UTC160° 9 kt1009.5
18:15 UTC180° 9 kt1009.1
18:20 UTC180° 9 kt1009.1
18:25 UTC170° 11 kt1008.8
18:30 UTC180° 10 kt1008.8
18:35 UTC 1008.8
18:36 UTC8066170° 12 kt1008.8VCTS
18:40 UTC150° 11 kt1008.5
18:45 UTC170° 10 kt1008.1
18:46 UTC7966170° 11 kt1008.1TS
18:50 UTC170° 11 kt1008.5
18:53 UTC7866180° 11 kt1008.8TS
18:55 UTC 1009.1
19:00 UTC 1009.1-RA
19:05 UTC 1009.5-RA
19:06 UTC7263170° 24 kt341009.5-TSRA
19:10 UTC 1009.8-RA
19:15 UTC 1009.5-RA
19:20 UTC 1009.8-RA
19:23 UTC6663160° 28 kt371010.5TSRA BR
19:25 UTC6563150° 28 kt371010.2+TSGRRA
19:28 UTC6462130° 22 kt371010.2+TSRA BR
19:30 UTC 1010.5+RA BR
19:34 UTC6462130° 20 kt371010.5TSRA BR
19:35 UTC120° 19 kt1010.5-RA BR
19:40 UTC 1010.2-RA BR
19:42 UTC6664130° 13 kt1009.8-TSRA BR
19:45 UTC130° 10 kt1009.8-RA
19:50 UTC140° 9 kt1009.5-RA
19:53 UTC6965150° 12 kt1009.5-TSRA
19:55 UTC140° 12 kt1009.5-RA
19:56 UTC6965140° 12 kt1009.5-RA
20:00 UTC140° 13 kt1009.1
20:05 UTC140° 13 kt1009.1
20:10 UTC130° 15 kt1008.8
20:15 UTC150° 13 kt1008.8
20:20 UTC150° 13 kt1008.8
20:25 UTC140° 13 kt1008.8
20:30 UTC140° 14 kt1008.8
20:35 UTC140° 14 kt1008.8
20:40 UTC160° 12 kt1008.8
20:45 UTC160° 13 kt1008.8
20:50 UTC 1008.8
20:53 UTC7467160° 13 kt241008.5
20:55 UTC160° 13 kt181008.5
21:00 UTC160° 15 kt1008.1

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 18:58 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
18:55 UTCHAIL 15 Nnw Broken ArrowTulsa, OKPEA TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL. HAILED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. ACCUMLATED ON THE GROUND.
18:55 UTCHAIL 15 Nnw Broken ArrowTulsa, OKPEA TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL. HAILED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. ACCUMULATED ON THE GROUND.
18:56 UTCHAIL 13 Nw Broken ArrowTulsa, OKNICKEL TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL ON THE BROKEN ARROW EXPRESSWAY AT 129TH EAST AVENUE.
18:59 UTCHAIL 0.882 Sse CatoosaWagoner, OKAT INTERSTATE 44 AND HIGHWAY 412.
19:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Nnw Broken ArrowTulsa, OKSMALL TREE LIMBS SNAPPED, ABOUT 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
19:00 UTCHAIL 1.752 S CatoosaWagoner, OK
19:05 UTCTORNADO5 Ne OwassoRogers, OKNUMEROUS PHOTOS OF FUNNELS OR TORNADOES. PHOTOS OF DAMAGE TO TREES...SOME BUILDINGS....AND FENCES. ALSO RADAR INDICATIONS OF A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN.
19:09 UTCHAIL 1OologahRogers, OKHAIL CAUSED QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE TO THE CAR OF THE OOLOGAH POLICE CHIEF.
19:27 UTCTORNADO4 Se OologahRogers, OKPRELIMINARY NWS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT INDICATES EF1 DAMAGE WITH WIND SPEEDS OF 100-110 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED/SNAPPED.
19:30 UTCHAIL 1OwassoTulsa, OK
21:20 UTCTSTM WND DMGHominyOsage, OKNUMEROUS TREE LIMBS UP TO 3 INCHES DOWNED. SEVERAL BIG TREES BLOWN DOWN. ONE HOME WITH ROOF DAMAGE. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR.
21:33 UTCTSTM WND DMG6 Sw BarnsdallOsage, OKLARGE TREE BRANCHES DOWN.
22:01 UTCTSTM WND GST 755 Sw SperryOsage, OK

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2017 tornado in OklahomaEvery tornado in Oklahoma since 1950Warnings in force in Oklahoma nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 11, 2017

10 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 112:27 PM CDTEF1Rogers, OK3.1350
May 113:13 PM CDTUnratedPayne, OK0.150
May 113:55 PM CDTEF0Van Zandt, TX2.150$4,000
May 115:11 PM CDTEF0Washington, OK0.150
May 116:09 PM CDTEF1Upshur, TX1.3175$60,000
May 116:23 PM CDTEF1Gregg, TX2.7220$50,000
May 117:03 PM CDTEF1Rusk, TX5.3280$15,000
May 118:15 PM CDTEF1Caddo Parish, LA2.3215$10,000
May 118:31 PM CDTEF1Caddo Parish, LA0.8110
May 118:33 PM CDTEF2Nacogdoches, TX4.6800$1.0 million

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.