Brote de tornados del 22 y 23 de mayo de 1981

Fuente: Grazulis (1981)

Fuente: Grazulis (1981)

El primer tornado se formó al noroeste de New Cordell, Oklahoma, a las 4:17 p. m. (CDT). El tornado dañó una casa móvil y varios graneros mientras se desplazaba hacia el noreste a lo largo de una trayectoria de seis millas. Un equipo de cazadores de tormentas fotografió el tornado cinco veces durante un proyecto realizado por el Laboratorio Nacional de Tormentas Severas y la Universidad Estatal de Mississippi . El tornado resultó ser un F2 significativo. No se registraron muertes ni heridos. Los cazadores de tormentas lo apodaron el tornado "El Mago de Oz " debido a su inusual forma alargada, que guardaba un gran parecido con el tornado de la película mencionada. De hecho, el tornado no tenía una curva prominente en la parte superior de su embudo, al igual que el tornado del Mago de Oz, cuando se acercaba a su fase de disipación.

A second thunderstorm formed south of the thunderstorm that produced the New Cordell tornado. The second thunderstorm moved northeast, causing some concern among officials and forecasters as the storm was heading directly towards Oklahoma City. The second thunderstorm produced 6–12 tornadoes across a wide area stretching from Fort Cobb Reservoir to Union City. The thunderstorm later encountered cooler, less unstable air and dissipated near Oklahoma City.^[1]

One of the group of the tornadoes, this violent tornado touched down north of Binger at 6:45 pm CDT. The tornado lifted west of Union City, Oklahoma.^[3] At the time of formation, it was weak; only causing F1 damage before rapidly intensifying as it approached Scott. A home 4 miles southwest of Scott had all of its walls collapsed, but supporting wood beams were rotten. East of this home, a different home had sustained F3 damage, only an interior room remained. A mile east, one home had some exterior walls destroyed. Nearby some hardwood trees were severely damaged. When the tornado was 4.5 miles west of Scott, multiple oil tanks were blown away at the Amoco Petroleum Corporation Lease. One oil tank was found 1,500 feet south of its original resting place. It reached F4 status as it passed east of town, one farm was hit at F4 intensity. A truck nearby was rolled 500 yards. The tornado weakened to F2 intensity, before intensifying back to F4 intensity SH 37^[3] until it dissipated at the Canadian River. Damage from the tornado was severe as it destroyed an old uninhabited house outside of Scott. addition, the tornado uprooted or damaged several trees and flipped over automobiles and farm equipment during its 16-mile duration. Damage losses were relatively low, since the tornado remained mostly rural. People impacted by the storm had ample warning time of the tornado also.^[4]

Después de que el tornado de Binger se disipó, un complejo de tormentas severas se regeneró más al oeste a través del centro-oeste de Oklahoma cerca del embalse de Foss . Las tormentas produjeron al menos cinco tornados, incluido un tornado F3 que afectó el área alrededor de Clinton, Oklahoma , hiriendo a 12 personas. En Alfalfa, Oklahoma , se reportaron dos tornados, uno que causó daños F2. ^{[ 1 ] [ 5 ]} Las tormentas a lo largo y al este de una línea desde Oklahoma City, Kansas City y Omaha, Nebraska produjeron 29 tornados el 23 de mayo a través de Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas e Iowa. El mismo sistema viajó hacia el noroeste y produjo un tornado F3 que golpeó Bowl Bay, Isla McCurdy el 25 de mayo.