Tornadoes · United States · Oklahoma · 2025
EF1 tornado, Lehigh, Oklahoma, April 19, 2025
This EF1 tornado ran 0.5 miles across Coal County on April 19, 2025, touching down at 11:54 PM CDT and reaching 30 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $75,000 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 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
- April 19, 2025
- Touchdown
- 11:54 PM CDT (04:54 UTC)
- Lifted
- 11:55 PM CDT (04:55 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Path width
- 30 yards (27 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $75,000
- County
- Coal County
- Touchdown point
- 34.447, -96.152
- Lift-off point
- 34.451, -96.146
- Record number
- 2504192254-01
The damage survey
25 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS OUN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 95 mph.
- Damage to trees and house. Shed destroyed. Photos and coordinates from Atoka EM/Lehigh FD.
- Roof and steeple damage to church. Steeple damage on east side of steeple. Image courtesy OEM
- Old hay barn damaged (EM in NWSChat photos channel)
- Images courtesy Oklahoma Dept of Emergency Management
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 severe weather and flash flood episode occurred across central and southern portions of the WFO Norman Forecast Area from the evening of the 19th into the early morning hours of the 20th. A slow-moving upper system continued to approach the area on the 19th. This, along with strong/moist low-level ascent atop a quasi-stationary boundary, helped initiate widespread thunderstorms across the region mentioned above. Strong wind shear and instability, especially along and ahead of the surface boundary, promoted organized thunderstorms, producing hail, wind and tornadoes. A few strong tornadoes also occurred (near Courtney in Love County and Little City in Marshall County). This episode also observed the first fatal weak (F/EF0-1) tornado since 1988 across the WFO Norman Forecast Area. Flash flooding also became a concern by the late evening of the 19th, with two flood-related fatalities occurring in the city of Moore, as multiple vehicles were swept off of Eastern Avenue into a nearby creek.
The roof of a home was damaged, a shed destroyed and numerous trees were damaged just west of the Coal-Atoka County line near E1770 Road.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
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 Apr 19, 11:48 PM CDT, 6 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 1144 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
- Showers and thunderstorms expected through Sunday.
- Severe weather risk this afternoon and tonight, mainly across eastern portions of western-north Texas into south-central and southeast Oklahoma.
- Heavy rainfall potential increases this evening and overnight.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 11:48 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
1148 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1144 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
- Showers and thunderstorms expected through Sunday.
- Severe weather risk this afternoon and tonight, mainly across
eastern portions of western-north Texas into south-central and
southeast Oklahoma.
- Heavy rainfall potential increases this evening and overnight.
&&
.NEAR TERM...
(Rest of today and tonight)
Issued at 138 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
The cold front remains draped across western-north Texas into south-
central Oklahoma this morning with isentropic showers overrunning
the surface front into southern and central Oklahoma. Cool post-
frontal temperatures are expected to persist across much of Oklahoma
today, with persistent low-level moisture and stratus present.
Drizzle to light rain showers are expected to continue on and off
throughout the day across northern and western Oklahoma (behind the
front). Breaking in the clouds across portions of central and north
Texas ahead of the front is giving way to increasing temperatures
warming into the 70s. Initial convection late this afternoon will
develop along the front where a differential heating boundary exists
all the way down to the Permian Basin and up into western-north
Texas. Storms will move northeast across the Red River and into
southern and central Oklahoma this evening. Forcing for ascent and
instability will reside mostly along the front and ahead of the
boundary, respectively. Thus, there remains a small corridor across
north Texas and into southern Oklahoma where the severe threat
exists, including all hazards of large hail, damaging winds and a
tornado or two. Once storms move north of the cold front, the severe
weather threat will decrease, but large hail and damaging winds will
remain possible with the presence of elevated instability in the
cooler post-frontal airmass. Continuous showers and storms, along
with heavy rainfall rates with thunderstorms, along and south/east
of the I-44 corridor will give way to an increased potential for
flooding with widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain and localized higher
amounts up to 5+ inches possible.
As the upper trough approaches late tonight, the cold front will
begin to push southward. However, continued moist isentropic lift
coupled with the forcing from the upper low will give way to
continued shower and thunderstorm activity overnight tonight. The
severe weather threat will begin to decrease into the overnight
hours with the bulk of instability to the south. Strong to isolated
severe thunderstorms may persist with hail and damaging winds will
remain the main threats, but by the early morning hours, flooding
will become the primary hazards due to hours of continued
rainfall.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Sunday through Monday night)
Issued at 138 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
The upper trough will dig northeast across Oklahoma Sunday morning
with a Pacific front bringing in dry air from the west. Thus,
precipitation chances will diminish through the morning hours Sunday
from west to east. Lingering wrap around moisture may give way to a
few additional showers and thunderstorms across northern Oklahoma
through the early afternoon hours before all precipitation comes to
an end by Sunday evening. Clearing skies with the incoming dry
airmass will help to give way to daytime heating and highs in the
60s. Southerly return flow Monday under zonal flow aloft will give
way to pleasantly dry and warm weather with highs in the 70s.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday through Friday)
Issued at 215 AM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
The next broad mid-level trough develops over the Western United
States early in the week, and a series of shortwaves are expected
to move toward the southern Plains in the southwest flow aloft
through the week. As these shortwaves eject toward the Plains,
areas of showers and storms will again affect the area as early as
Tuesday afternoon, with chances persisting through the remainder
of the week. Specific timing of the most widespread precipitation
may shift as we go forward as timing of individual shortwaves is
challenging this far in advance.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1144 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
Repeated rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rain continue tonight,
particularly in southern and southeastern Oklahoma. The bulk of
the heavy rain should end between 10Z and 12Z, to be replaced by
IFR/LIFR ceilings across much of the area and winds shifting from
northerly back to easterly. A front will move west to east across
the area during the morning hours. Along the front, a final round
of showers and thunderstorms will push through. Behind the front,
winds will shift to westerly and skies will gradually become VFR.
Meister
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK 56 51 63 45 / 70 100 80 0
Hobart OK 54 47 65 44 / 40 100 80 0
Wichita Falls TX 68 53 69 47 / 80 100 30 0
Gage OK 50 41 64 41 / 20 90 100 0
Ponca City OK 54 47 61 41 / 70 100 90 0
Durant OK 73 62 72 49 / 90 70 80 0
&&
.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...Flood Watch through Sunday evening for OKZ008-012-013-018>020-
023>032-037>048-050>052.
TX...Flood Watch through Sunday evening for TXZ085-086-088>090.
&&
NEAR TERM...23
SHORT TERM...23
LONG TERM....26
AVIATION...04In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 19, 10:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
1012 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1005 PM Tornado 3 NE Ada 34.81N 96.62W
04/19/2025 Pontotoc OK Official NWS Obs
TDS noted on KTLX.
&&
21Local storm report, Apr 19, 10:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
1016 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0844 PM Flash Flood 1 SW Moore 35.33N 97.50W
04/19/2025 Cleveland OK Public
Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.
&&Local storm report, Apr 19, 10:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
1019 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0922 PM Flash Flood 3 S Moore 35.30N 97.48W
04/19/2025 Cleveland OK Public
Report from mPING: River/Creek overflowing;
Cropland/Yard/Basement Flooding.
&&Local storm report, Apr 19, 10:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
1020 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0941 PM Flash Flood 3 S Moore 35.30N 97.50W
04/19/2025 Cleveland OK Public
Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.
&&Local storm report, Apr 19, 10:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
1021 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0919 PM Hail 2 SW Ardmore 34.16N 97.16W
04/19/2025 M1.00 Inch Carter OK Public
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
&&Local storm report, Apr 19, 10:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
1023 PM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1002 PM Flood 2 N Ardmore 34.21N 97.14W
04/19/2025 Carter OK Public
Report from mPING: River/Creek overflowing;.
&&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), 00:00Z
4.9 hours before the tornado, 143 km from the path. April 20, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -150 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 436 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 78 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 442 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 522 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.8
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.3 K/km
Norman, OK (KOUN), 12:00Z
7.1 hours after it, 143 km from the path. April 20, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -96738 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1159 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 62 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 30 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 300 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 486 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.9 K/km
The surface observations
Mc Alester Regional (MLC), 59 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), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 04:53 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 2025 tornado in OklahomaEvery tornado in Oklahoma since 1950Warnings in force in Oklahoma nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 19, 2025
27 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | 1:54 AM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair, IL | 0.5 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| April 19 | 4:00 PM CDT | Unrated | Tom Green, TX | 2.0 | 200 | |||
| April 19 | 4:55 PM CDT | Unrated | Tom Green, TX | 0.1 | 25 | |||
| April 19 | 6:11 PM CDT | EF0 | Jack, TX | 1.8 | 300 | $75,000 | ||
| April 19 | 6:24 PM CDT | EF0 | Jack, TX | 0.6 | 200 | $20,000 | ||
| April 19 | 6:31 PM CDT | EF1 | Jack, TX | 2.5 | 250 | $150,000 | ||
| April 19 | 6:38 PM CDT | EF0 | Jack, TX | 2.1 | 100 | |||
| April 19 | 6:55 PM CDT | EF0 | Montague, TX | 4.8 | 250 | $500,000 | ||
| April 19 | 8:19 PM CDT | EF2 | Love, OK | 1.3 | 300 | $300,000 | ||
| April 19 | 8:20 PM CDT | EF1 | Erath, TX | 6.8 | 50 | $1.0 million | ||
| April 19 | 8:44 PM CDT | Unrated | Love, OK | 0.7 | 20 | |||
| April 19 | 8:45 PM CDT | EF0 | Montague, TX | 0.3 | 125 | $20,000 | ||
| April 19 | 8:55 PM CDT | EF2 | Hood, TX | 13.6 | 250 | $3.0 million | ||
| April 19 | 9:29 PM CDT | EF1 | Tom Green, TX | 0.2 | 100 | |||
| April 19 | 9:40 PM CDT | Unrated | Murray, OK | 0.5 | 100 | |||
| April 19 | 10:01 PM CDT | EF0 | Parker, TX | 4.1 | 25 | $12,000 | ||
| April 19 | 10:03 PM CDT | EF1 | Pontotoc, OK | 4.3 | 100 | 1 | $750,000 | |
| April 19 | 10:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Pontotoc, OK | 0.4 | 30 | $50,000 | ||
| April 19 | 10:10 PM CDT | Unrated | Johnston, OK | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| April 19 | 10:16 PM CDT | EF1 | Parker, TX | 3.5 | 250 | $750,000 | ||
| April 19 | 10:32 PM CDT | EF1 | Hughes, OK | 2.1 | 150 | 1 | 1 | $400,000 |
| April 19 | 10:34 PM CDT | EF1 | Marshall, OK | 10.0 | 500 | $300,000 | ||
| April 19 | 10:39 PM CDT | EF1 | Parker, TX | 4.4 | 110 | $600,000 | ||
| April 19 | 10:56 PM CDT | EF2 | Marshall, OK | 3.0 | 50 | $200,000 | ||
| April 19 | 11:01 PM CDT | EF1 | Parker, TX | 4.3 | 200 | $100,000 | ||
| April 19 | 11:06 PM CDT | EF1 | Johnston, OK | 12.0 | 300 | $150,000 | ||
| April 19 | 11:42 PM CDT | EF0 | Atoka, OK | 3.3 | 300 |
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.