–55 NWS, Central Region HQ. Famous Large Tornado Outbreaks in the United States. 2005.[1]

–51 Blanchard tally of State and locality breakouts below.

–47 Mathis. Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado. 2007, p. 184.

–46 NCDC. Storm Events Database. Search Results for all U.S. States…Tornado…May 3.[2]

–46 National Severe Storms Laboratory, NOAA. May 3, 1999 OK/KS Tornado Outbreak.”

–45 NWS WFO Norman, OK, NOAA. “The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999.”[3]

–42 NOAA. “NOAA’s Top U.S. Weather, Water and Climate Events of the 20^th Century.”

Kansas ( 6)

–6 State. Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

–6 Grazulis, Thomas P. “`Worst’ Tornadoes.” The Tornado Project. 4-26-2000.[4]

–5 NWS WFO, Norman, OK, The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999.

Breakout of May 3, 1999 Kansas Tornado Fatalities by Location:

–2 Sedgwick Co., Haysville (19:35). Peck tornado, 19:30-19:55, female, 43, grandson, 1, mobile home.[5]

–1 Sedgwick Co., Haysville (19:35). Peck tornado, 19:30-19:55, elderly man later from injuries. NCDC.

–1 Sedgwick Co., Haysville (19:35). Peck tornado, 19:30-19:55, elderly man, mobile home, S. 75^th St.[6]

–2 Sedgwick County, Wichita (19:43). Peck tornado, 19:30-19:55, mobile home parks. NCDC.[7]

Oklahoma (45)

— 45 National Severe Storms Laboratory, NOAA. Oklahoma tornado Deaths – 3 May 1999.[8]

— 45 OSDH. “Investigation of Deaths…from…May 3, 1999 Tornadoes.” Injury Update, 7-21-2000, p2.[9]

–12 Bridge Creek

— 5 Del City

— 1 Dover

— 1 Guthrie

— 3 Midwest City

— 2 Newcastle

— 5 Oklahoma City (Southeast)

–14 Oklahoma City/Moore (Southwest)

— 1 Perry

— 1 Shawnee

— 41 NCDC. Storm Events Database. Search Results for all U.S. States…Tornado…May 3.[10]

— 41 NWSFO, Norman, OK. Top Ten Deadliest Oklahoma Tornadoes (1882-2009).

— 40 Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.

— 40 NWSFO, Norman, OK. The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999.

— 40 Grazulis, Thomas P. “Oklahoma Tornadoes 1950-2012.” Tornado Project Online. 2015.

–36 Grady County. Grazulis.

— 1 Kingfisher County. Grazulis.

— 2 Logan County. Grazulis.

— 1 Pottawatomie County. Grazulis.

— 38 Grazulis, Thomas P. “`Worst’ Tornadoes.” The Tornado Project. 4-26-2000.[11]

— 36 Brooks and Doswell. “Deaths in the 3May1999 Oklahoma City Tornado…”7-6-2001.

— 36 NWSFO, Norman, OK. Table of Tornadoes Which Have Occurred in the Oklahoma City

— 36 NWSFO, Norman, OK. Violent Tornadoes (F4/F5) in Oklahoma (1950-2008). 2009.

— 11 Cleveland County, 6WSW Moore to 4NC Moore, 18:12-18:30, F5. NCDC Storm Events.

Males, 24, 26, 28, 33 and 36; females 4, 26 (outdoors), 30, 36, 89 and 94. In homes.

— 12 Grady County, ~Amber to ~Tuttle, tornado, 17:26. F5. NCDC, Storm Events Database.

Females, 1, 25, 41, 44, 53, 55, 59, 59, 73; males, 39, 50, and 73.

— 1 Kingfisher Co., 4SSW Dover to 7ESE Hennessey F4 tornado, 20:20-20:38. Female, 46, home.[12]

— 1 Logan Co., 7SW Crescent to 4NE Mulhall. F4 tornado, 20:25-21:20. Female, 76, home.[13]

— 1 McClain County, 8N Blanchard to 4NE Newcastle, 18:00, F4. Female, 40, outdoors.[14]

— 12 Oklahoma County, 4S Del City to 2W Midwest City, 18:30-18:48, F4. NCDC SED.

Males, >1, 62, 67, 80, 86, at homes; males 37, 52, business;

Females, 43, 49, 50, 60, 75, at homes.

— 1 Payne Co., 15W Stillwater to 13WNW Stillwater, F2, 21:20-21:27. Male (direct), 45, vehicle.[15]

— 1 Pottawatomie Co., Shawnee F2 tornado, Valley View Drive. Female, 41, mobile home.[16]

Breakout of: National Severe Storms Laboratory. Oklahoma tornado Deaths – 3 May 1999.

Age Location

26 Emerald Springs apartments (near Westmoore HS)
24 Emerald Springs apartments (near Westmoore HS)
94 Emerald Springs apartments (near Westmoore HS)
37 Permanent building (trucking company)
52 Permanent building (trucking company)
55 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
44 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
59 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
41 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
39 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
73 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
73 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
50 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
59 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
25 Mobile home (Bridge Creek)
26 Under Shields overpass
40 Under I-44 overpass
36 Permanent home
3 wks Under the staircase of home (Bridge Creek)
53 Under the staircase of home (Bridge Creek)
36 Bathroom of 2-story home (car fell through roof)
50 In home (OKC)

23 75 In bathtub of Del City home

49 Midwest City home (SE 15 and Sooner Road)
80 Midwest City home (SE 15 and Sooner Road)
33 At home in Moore
60 In home (Del City)
30 In bathtub (permanent home – 15^th & Cavalier)
86 In home (Del City)
28 Permanent home between Penn & Western
43 In bathroom of Del City home
89 In home (Greenbriar Eastlake)
62 In Del City home (Del Aire)
4 Home in Moore
4 mo. In crib at Midwest City permanent home
67 In home Del City.

Other Oklahoma tornado deaths

41 Mobile home (Shawnee)
45 In vehicle under overpass on I-35 (Perry)
76 Frame home (Abell)
46 Permanent home (Dover)

Indirect deaths (all OKC storm)

51 Heart attack
23 Burns from candle-started fire.
54 Heart attack
79 Wheelchair dropped down stairs
68 Heart attack

Narrative Information — Kansas and Oklahoma

NOAA: “Oklahoma/ Kansas Tornado Outbreak, May 3- 4, 1999. This was the most expensive tornado outbreak in U. S. history. In less than 48 hours, a total of 74 tornadoes touched down across the two states, with as many as four tornadoes from different storms on the ground at once. An F-5 tornado, the strongest on the Fujita Tornado Scale, tracked for 40 miles, skirting south of Oklahoma City through the communities of Moore and Chickasaw. The tornadoes killed 42 people, injured 800, and caused $1 billion in damage, including the destruction of portions of Oklahoma City.

“Technology Sidebar: The event proved the effectiveness of the modernized National Weather Service and its improved tornado warning system where the average lead time was 21 minutes (up from an 11 minute average), with some areas receiving more than 30 minutes notice before being hit. NOAA storm researchers estimate that more than 600 people would have died in the absence of warnings. During this tornado outbreak, a mobile Doppler radar on wheels recorded the strongest winds ever measured on earth—318 mph.” (NOAA. “NOAA’s Top U.S. Weather, Water and Climate Events of the 20^th Century.” 1999.)

NSSL/NOAA: “A total of 74 tornadoes touched down across the two states in less than 21 hours. At one point, there were as many as four tornadoes reported on the ground at the same time. The strongest tornado, rated a maximum F-5 on the Fujita Tornado Scale, tracked for nearly an hour and a half along a 38-mile path from Chickasha through south Oklahoma City and the suburbs of Bridge Creek, Newcastle, Moore, Midwest City and Del City. As the skies cleared, the states counted 46 dead and 800 injured, more than 8000 homes damaged or destroyed, and total property damage of nearly $1.5 billion.” (National Severe Storms Laboratory, NOAA. May 3, 1999 OK/KS Tornado Outbreak.”)

NWS WFO, Norman OK: “On May 3, 1999, multiple supercell thunderstorms produced many large and damaging tornadoes in central Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening hours. Some of these storms were killers, including the twisters which moved through and/or near Dover, Shawnee, Perry and Bridge Creek, and the Moore and southern Oklahoma City metropolitan areas. Additional tornadoes also hit areas in south central Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and northern Texas, with over 70 tornadoes being observed across the region. The total tornado count makes this tornado outbreak the largest ever recorded in Oklahoma.

“Statistics show that 40 people have died in Oklahoma due to the twisters and 675 were injured. Many homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed throughout the affected areas with a total damage estimate of $1.2 billion. Five deaths, 100 injuries and heavy damage were also incurred in the Wichita, Kansas metro area.” (NWS WFO, Norman, OK, NOAA. The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999.)

NWS WFO, Norman, OK: Oklahoma — Bridge Creek, Moore, Oklahoma City, OK, F5, 583 injured, 36 fatalities.
“This violent, long-lived tornado was the most infamous of nearly 60 tornadoes that struck central Oklahoma during an unprecedented outbreak on this Monday afternoon and evening of May 3, 1999. The tornado was the 9th of 14 tornadoes produced by a supercell thunderstorm during the tornado outbreak. It formed around 526 PM CST about 2 miles south-southwest of Amber, and grew rapidly to monstrous proportions as it headed NE, paralleling I-44. It moved across Bridge Creek and rural parts of northwest Newcastle, causing continuous F4 and sporadic F5 damage. The tornado was estimated to be a mile in diameter in this area.

“It weakened to F2/F3 intensity and narrowed to less than 1/4 mile in width as it crossed I-44 and the South Canadian River northeast of Newcastle and entered far south Oklahoma City SW of 149th and May Ave. around 612 PM CST. But it regained F4/F5 intensity and widened again to 1/2 to occasionally 3/4 mile as it moved northeast across south Oklahoma City, entering Moore just west and north of 12th and Santa Fe.

“Still moving northeast and still producing F4 and occasional F5 damage, it crossed I-35 at the Shields Blvd. junction and moved into northeast Moore, at which point it weakened slightly to F3/sporadic F4 intensity and began a gradual turn to the left. This turn took the tornado more to the north-northeast as it crossed I-240 between Bryant Ave. and Sunnylane Rd. It crossed southeastern Oklahoma City and entered Del City as an F4 tornado, width 1/3 to 1/2 mile, along SE 44th between Sunnylane and Sooner Rds, and continued north-northeast to the northwestern part of Tinker Air force Base, near SE 29th and Sooner Rd.

“Continuing to turn slowly, it moved almost due north but maintained F4 intensity as it crossed I-40 just east of Sooner Rd. and continued north to between SE 15th and Reno Ave. The tornado then weakened rapidly to F0/F1 intensity as it crossed Reno Ave., and at 648 PM CST dissipated about 3 blocks north of Reno between Sooner Rd. and Air Depot Blvd.

“Totals from this tornado include 36 direct fatalities (12 in Bridge Creek, 1 in Newcastle, 9 in southern and southeastern Oklahoma City, 5 in Moore, 6 in Del City, and 3 in Midwest City), 5 indirect fatalities during or shortly after the tornado, 583 direct injuries, numerous indirect injuries (too many to count), 1800 homes destroyed, and 2500 homes damaged. The tornado was also the 100th tornado to strike the Oklahoma City area since 1890.” (NWS WFO, Norman, OK. “Top Ten Deadliest Oklahoma Tornadoes (1882-2009).”

NWS WFO, Norman, OK: May 3, 1999 17:60 F5, 36 fatalities, 583 injuries; Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Oklahoma Counties.

“This violent, long-lived tornado was the most infamous of nearly 60 tornadoes that struck central Oklahoma during an unprecedented outbreak on this Monday afternoon and evening of May 3, 1999. The tornado was the 9th of 14 tornadoes produced by a supercell thunderstorm during the tornado outbreak. It formed around 526 PM CST about 2 miles south-southwest of Amber, and grew rapidly to monstrous proportions as it headed NE, paralleling I-44. It moved across Bridge Creek and rural parts of northwest Newcastle, causing continuous F4 and sporadic F5 damage. The tornado was estimated to be a mile in diameter in this area.

“Totals from this tornado include 36 direct fatalities (12 in Bridge Creek, 1 in Newcastle, 9 in southern/southeastern Oklahoma City, 5 in Moore, 6 in Del City, and 3 in Midwest City), 5 indirect fatalities during or shortly after the tornado, 583 direct injuries, numerous indirect injuries (too many to count), 1800 homes destroyed, and 2500 homes damaged. The tornado was also the 100th tornado to strike the Oklahoma City area since 1890.” (NWS WFO, Norman, OK. “Violent Tornadoes (F4/F5) in Oklahoma (1950-2008).” 2009.)

Brooks and Doswell: “Abstract: The 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City tornado was the deadliest in the United States in over 20 years, with 36 direct fatalities. To understand how this event fits into the historical context, the record of tornado deaths in the United States has been examined. Almost 20,000 deaths have been reported associated with more than 3600 tornadoes in the United States since 1680. A cursory examination of the record shows a break in 1875. Prior to then, it is likely that many killer tornadoes failed to be reported. When the death toll is normalized by population, a near-constant rate of death is apparent until about 1925, when a sharp fall begins. The rate was about 1.8 people per million population in 1925 and was less than 0.12 people per million by 2000. The decrease in fatalities has resulted from two primary causes: a decrease in the number of killer tornadoes and a decrease in the number of fatalities in the most deadly tornadoes. Current death rates for mobile home residents, however, are still nearly what the overall national rate was prior to 1925 and are about 20 times the rate of site-built home residents. The increase in the fraction of the U.S. population living in mobile homes has important implications for future reductions in the death toll.” (Brooks, Harold E. and Charles A Doswell III. “Deaths in the 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado from a Historical Perspective.” Weather and Forecasting, Vol. 17, June 2002, 354-361.)

Sources

Brooks, Harold E. and Charles A Doswell III. “Deaths in the 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado from a Historical Perspective.” Weather and Forecasting, Vol. 17, June 2002, pp. 354-361. Accessed at: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/users/brooks/public_html/papers/deathhist.pdf

Grazulis, Thomas P. “Oklahoma Tornadoes 1950-2012.” Tornado Project Online. 2015. Accessed 12-7-2015 at: http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/oktorn.htm

Grazulis, Thomas P. “`Worst’ Tornadoes.” The Tornado Project. 4-26-2000. Accessed 12-7-2015 at: http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm

Mathis, Nancy. Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado. NY: Simon & Schuster, 2007.

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado Search Results for all U.S. States…May 3, 1999. Accessed 12-6-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=03&beginDate_yyyy=1999&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=03&endDate_yyyy=1999&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, Kansas, Sedgwick County, May 3, 1999. Accessed 12-7-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5690169

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F5, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, May 3, 1999. Accessed 12-6-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705286

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F5, Oklahoma, Grady, May 3, 1999. Accessed 12-6-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705284

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, Oklahoma, Kingfisher County, May 3, 1999, 20:10.20:38. Accessed 12-7-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705860

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F4 Tornado, Oklahoma, Logan County, May 3, 1999, 20:25-21:20. Accessed 12-7-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705409

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, Oklahoma, McClain, May 3, 1999. Accessed 12-6-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705285

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, Oklahoma, Oklahoma County, May 3, 1999. Accessed 12-7-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705287

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F2 Tornado, Oklahoma, Payne, May 3, 1999, 21:20-21:27. Accessed 12-7-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705410

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F2 Tornado, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Shawnee, May 3, 1999, 20:05-20:20. Accessed 12-7-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5705627

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “NOAA’s Top U.S. Weather, Water and Climate Events of the 20^th Century.” NOAA News, 12-13-1999. Accessed at: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s334c.htm

National Severe Storms Laboratory, NOAA. “May 3, 1999 Oklahoma/Kansas Tornado Outbreak.” March 16, 2009 update. At: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/news/may3rd/outbreak.html

National Severe Storms Laboratory, NOAA. Oklahoma tornado deaths – 3 May 1999 (webpage). Accessed 12-8-2015 at: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/users/brooks/public_html/okcdeath.html

National Weather Service Central Region Headquarters. Famous Large Tornado Outbreaks in the United States. Kansas City, MO: NWS, NOAA, DOC. November 2, 2005 modification. Accessed 12-7-2015 at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/climate/torout.php

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Norman, OK, NOAA. “The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999.” Accessed 10-11-2009: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/storms/19990503/index.html

Oklahoma State Department of Health. “Investigation of Deaths and Injuries Resulting from the May 3, 1999 Tornadoes.” Injury Update (A Report to Oklahoma Injury Surveillance Participants). Oklahoma City: OSDH Injury Prevention Service, 7-21-2000. Accessed 12-8-2015 at: https://www.ok.gov/health2/documents/Tornado_1999.pdf

[1] No. 20 of 32 tornadoes listed: “Oklahoma Outbreak, May 3, 1999, Oklahoma, Kansas, 70 tornadoes (50 in OK), largest outbreak in OK on record. 55 deaths, 2000 injuries. Damage $2 billion; 2:00pm-10:00pm.” We have not been able to confirm 55 fatalities. There was a May 4 tornado in Texas near Winfield, killing one, and tornadoes on May 5-6 in Linden, Tennessee, killing three. If included, these would bring the death toll to 55. We do not know if this is how the number of 55 deaths was derived however.

[2] Results show direct tornado deaths in Oklahoma and Kansas.

[3] “A total of 40 people in Oklahoma were killed by the tornadoes on May 3-4, 1999 and another 675 persons were injured…Five deaths, 100 injuries and heavy damage were reported from the Wichita, Kansas metro area.”

[4] “May 3, 1999 7:30 pm 6 dead 150 injured. An F4 tornado cut a half-mile wide swath across Haysville and south Wichita.”

[5] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, Kansas, Sedgwick County, May 3, 1999. Notes they were running for shelter.

[6] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, Kansas, Sedgwick County, May 3, 1999.

[7] One was a twenty-seven year-old male, and the other was an elderly male (either 68, 78, or 83).

[8] See breakout below – represents 40 direct and 5 indirect deaths.

[9] “Forty-five persons were killed as a result of the tornadoes. Of those deaths, 40 persons died from direct tornado injuries, one person died from injuries preparing for the tornado, one person died from injuries following the tornado, and three persons died from heart attacks as a result of the tornado.”

[10] “The Oklahoma State Department of Health in Oklahoma City recorded 36 direct fatalities. In addition, 5 persons died of illness or accident during or shortly after the tornado and were not considered in the direct fatality total.” We, do, however, note the five indirect fatalities in our tally.

[11] “May 3, 1999 5:23 pm 38 dead 800 injured. A massive F5 tornado devastated Bridge Creek (10) parts of Moore (8), Del City (5), and Oklahoma City (12).”

[12] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F4, Tornado, Oklahoma, Kingfisher County, May 3, 1999, 20:10-20:38.

[13] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F4 Tornado, Oklahoma, Logan County, May 3, 1999, 20:25-21:20.

[14] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, Oklahoma, McClain County, May 3, 1999.

[15] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F2 Tornado, Oklahoma, Payne, May 3, 1999, 21:20-21:27.

[16] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. F2 Tornado, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Shawnee, May 3, 1999.

1999 — May 3, Tornadoes (74; 58 in OK); KS (6 deaths) & especially OK (45 deaths) –51-55