Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma · 2024
Unrated tornado, Burneyville to Overbrook, Oklahoma, May 25, 2024
From Burneyville to Overbrook, this Unrated tornado ran 0.3 miles across Love County on May 25, 2024, touching down at 7:54 PM CDT and reaching 30 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 mph
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.
Unratedthis tornado
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
- Unrated
- Date
- May 25, 2024
- Touchdown
- 7:54 PM CDT (00:54 UTC)
- Path length
- 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
- Path width
- 30 yards (27 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Love County
- Touchdown point
- 33.983, -97.263
- Lift-off point
- 33.983, -97.263
- Record number
- 2405251854-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A severe weather outbreak impacted portions of western Oklahoma and western-north Texas during the afternoon into evening of the 25th. At upper levels, a high-amplitude trough passed across the Plains during the day, with a focused jet ejection across portions of the Texas Panhandle/Oklahoma. The combination of strong dynamics/kinematics, locally extreme instability (objective analysis depiction >6000 J/kg CAPE) and unseasonably rich low-level moisture was sufficient for significant supercell thunderstorms. An initial round of supercells developed across portions of western-north Texas and eventually spread into portions of southwestern and southern Oklahoma through the evening. Additional supercells developed across northwestern Oklahoma, moving into northern Oklahoma by the late evening. All severe hazards, including multiple tornadoes, were observed with the most robust and longest-sustaining storms.
Storm chasers observed a tornado north-northeast of Burneyville. No damage was reported and the location is estimated.
Storm chasers observed a tornado to the west-southwest of Overbrook and northwest of Marietta. No damage was reported and the tornado path is estimated.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 20:09 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.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at May 25, 6:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 25, 6:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK Issued by National Weather Service Lubbock TX 631 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday) Issued at 218 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024 A Moderate severe risk will remain through much of our Oklahoma CWA to an Enhanced risk across our Texas CWA through midnight with the potential of severe storms rapidly growing to supercells initiating east of an approaching dryline and Pacific-based cold front. Increasing moisture will continue to destabilize the warm sector which includes our entire CWA while strong mixing off the surface may erode a weak cap as a low-level jet will be strengthening overnight. Steepening mid-level lapse rates will result in strong to extreme Mixed Layer CAPE values. The strong instability along with strong shear could start convective initiation later this afternoon into the evening hours with supercells producing very large hail while DCAPE values in excess of 1500 J/kg could produce over 80 mph downburst winds as well as a risk for tornados. Should it develop, it would be fairly fast moving across our CWA and exiting after midnight as the surface boundaries (dryline/cold front) start pushing in from the west. Expecting Sunday to be dry. && .LONG TERM... (Sunday night through next Friday) Issued at 218 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024 We are still expected to stay dry next week Monday but the forecast becomes "wetter" from Tuesday on with increasing storm probabilities through the latter half of next week. Although sunny and unseasonably warmer (upper 80s to lower 90s) but less humid on Monday, increasing afternoon cloud cover will be cooling temperatures to more seasonably average as next week progresses. However, could still feel muggy if the moister ECMWF solution is correct. Models in agreement with an upper ridge building over the western U.S. returning the Southern Plains to a northwest flow pattern expelling a series of shortwaves resulting in MCS activity coming down from the Central & Southern High Plains. As a result, will maintain POPs for elevated storms from this complex every evening/night starting Tuesday. Down in the lower levels, models also in agreement with increasing moisture transport reforming a dryline lee of the Colorado/New Mexico Rockies with each daytime punch only making it to the New Mexico/Texas state lines. Models do differ with the strength of the moisture return and instability into our area with the ECMWF more aggressive and unstable advecting upper 60s dew points by Wednesday along with a warm front lifting into our area on Friday. Meanwhile, moisture advection is slightly weaker (lower 60s dew points) with a less defined warm front passage with the GFS solution. Without the potential of a surface boundary until the end of the week, both models in agreement with moisture ascent seen in the isentropic fields from the lower through mid-levels for warm advection rain showers although may stay capped for any surface based convection. Thursday night/Fridays convection could be more widespread with a stronger vort-max coming through over a lifting warm front. As far as severe, the overall "moister" ECMWF would suggest a few strong storms with up to 1500 J/kg of MUCAPE although shear would be very weak for any severe organization. Long range models deviate at the end of this week with the handling of a large amplitude trough digging through this weekend as per the ECMWF with more of a short wave with the GFS solution. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 624 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024 Scattered to numerous TS will continue across much of the region through the remainder of the evening. Coverage of TS has already become more sparse and will continue to decrease over the next few hours across southwestern OK and western north TX. More widespread TS is expected to continue over northwest OK and along and east of I-35 through the mid to late evening hours. Outside of convection, VFR will prevail at all TAF sites. TS will exit the region late this evening, at which point a strong low level jet will result in LLWS at all sites which will persist through early Sunday morning. Some MVFR CIGs may also develop Sunday morning, especially north and east of OKC, but confidence is too low to include TAF mention at this issuance. Southerly winds tonight and early Sunday will become west-northwesterly by Sunday afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 70 91 61 87 / 40 0 0 0 Hobart OK 64 94 60 92 / 20 0 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 72 97 63 92 / 30 0 0 0 Gage OK 60 89 54 91 / 10 0 0 0 Ponca City OK 68 88 58 86 / 60 0 0 0 Durant OK 72 94 65 89 / 40 0 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. && SHORT TERM...68 LONG TERM....68 AVIATION...LUB/30
Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 2:52 PM CDT, 5 hours 2 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Norman OK 252 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-262000- 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- 252 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... .Thunderstorms... Severe thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon through the evening hours with supercells that could produce up to softball size hail and up to 80 mph or higher downburst wind gusts. Long track tornadoes will also be possible anywhere in the risk area. All of our area is within a risk for severe storms with the highest risk area across northern through central and southwest Oklahoma. .SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STATEMENT... Storm spotter groups and emergency management personnel across our entire area should prepare for severe weather operations through this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... .Thunderstorms... Thunderstorms chances will return on Tuesday and every day and night through Friday. A few of these storms could become strong to low-end severe. Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 25, 7:28 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 25, 7:46 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
746 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0728 PM Hail 1 SE Waukomis 36.26N 97.89W
05/25/2024 E0.75 Inch Garfield OK Public
Report from mPING.
&&
JHSpecial weather statement, May 25, 7:48 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Norman OK
748 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024
OKZ023-024-027-260115-
Grady OK-Canadian OK-Caddo OK-
748 PM CDT Sat May 25 2024
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Grady,
northern Caddo and southern Canadian Counties through 815 PM CDT...
At 748 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Binger, moving east at 55 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 30 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
El Reno, Union City, Minco, Binger, Lookeba, Cogar, Albert, and Cedar
Lake.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor NOAA Weather
Radio, local radio stations or available television stations for
additional information and possible warnings from the National
Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3519 9844 3536 9852 3560 9789 3535 9777
TIME...MOT...LOC 0048Z 249DEG 47KT 3530 9840
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
30The 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.
Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), 00:00Z
0.9 hours before the tornado, 128 km from the path. May 26, 2024.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 4676 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 5028 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1022 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 163 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 387 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 8.6
- Supercell composite
- 28.4
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 6.5 K/km
The surface observations
Ardmore Downtown Exec Airport (1F0), 22 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Norman radar (KTLX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:54 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.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2024 tornado in OklahomaEvery tornado in Oklahoma since 1950Warnings in force in Oklahoma nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 25, 2024
19 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 4:59 PM EDT | EF0 | Beaver, PA | 0.1 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:16 PM CDT | EF1 | Archer, TX | 3.4 | 200 | $20,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:33 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay, TX | 3.4 | 100 | $2,000 | ||
| May 25 | 5:42 PM CDT | EF2 | Eastland, TX | 2.5 | 70 | $100,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Woodward, OK | 2.6 | 50 | $40,000 | ||
| May 25 | 6:29 PM CDT | Unrated | Major, OK | 3.4 | 200 | |||
| May 25 | 7:15 PM CDT | EF0 | Barber, KS | 1.3 | 1 | |||
| May 25 | 7:29 PM CDT | EF2 | Harper, KS | 6.7 | 100 | |||
| May 25 | 8:06 PM CDT | Unrated | Love, OK | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| May 25 | 9:39 PM CDT | EF3 | Valley View tornado, TX | 47.3 | 1,400 | 7 | 80 | $19 million |
| May 25 | 10:46 PM CDT | EF1 | Denton, TX | 1.4 | 800 | $1.0 million | ||
| May 25 | 11:19 PM CDT | EF3 | Claremore–Pryor tornado, OK | 23.9 | 2,000 | 2 | 23 | $45 million |
| May 25 | 11:20 PM CDT | EF1 | Collin, TX | 8.3 | 800 | $10,000 | ||
| May 25 | 11:23 PM CDT | EF3 | Collin, TX | 0.7 | 175 | $1.2 million | ||
| May 25 | 12:07 AM CDT | EF1 | Mayes, OK | 6.1 | 2,000 | $1.0 million | ||
| May 25 | 12:15 AM CDT | EF1 | Hunt, TX | 1.1 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| May 25 | 12:25 AM CDT | EF1 | Mayes, OK | 2.4 | 300 | $3.8 million | ||
| May 25 | 12:36 AM CDT | EF1 | Delaware, OK | 1.8 | 650 | |||
| May 25 | 12:59 AM CDT | EF3 | Decatur tornado, Oklahoma and Arkansas | 7.9 | 3,200 | 2 | $6.2 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.