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2017 Tulsa tornadoes

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2017 Tulsa tornadoes
Meteorological history
DurationAugust 6, 2017
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes4
Maximum ratingEF2 tornado
Duration54 minutes
Highest winds120–130 mph (190–210 km/h) (Estimated by damage survey)
Extratropical cyclone
Overall effects
Injuries30
Damage$50.240 million (2015 USD)[1]
Areas affectedNortheastern Oklahoma
Part of the Tornadoes of 2017

On August 6, 2017, a series of four damaging tornadoes occurred as a result of a bow echo that formed and moved through Tulsa, Oklahoma. Major damage was inflicted on a shopping and office area in midtown Tulsa due to an EF2 tornado. There were no fatalities, although 30 people were injured.

Meteorological synopsis

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The day of severe weather was first mentioned by the Storm Prediction Center on July 30 for the Day 7 outlook. At the time, it was given a "PREDICTABILITY TOO LOW" designation. It was downgraded to "POTENTIAL TOO LOW" for Day 5 on August 1, but was reupgraded to "PREDICTABILITY TOO LOW."[2]

The storms that formed in Kansas on the afternoon of August 5 moved southeastward into northeastern Oklahoma and was expected to weaken during the overnight hours. However, the bow echo unexpectedly restrengthened as it entered the Tulsa metropolitan area and spawned four tornadoes with the first one being the EF2 tornado that struck the southeastern part of Tulsa.[2]

Confirmed tornadoes

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Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating
EFU EF0 EF1 EF2 EF3 EF4 EF5 Total
0 0 3 1 0 0 0 4

August 6 event

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List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, August 6, 2017[note 1]
EF# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max width Summary
EF2 Southeastern Tulsa to N of Broken Arrow Tulsa OK 36°06′35″N 95°56′12″W / 36.1097°N 95.9367°W / 36.1097; -95.9367 (Tulsa (Aug. 6, EF2)) 06:19–06:25 6.9 mi (11.1 km) 550 yd (500 m) See section on this tornado – 30 people were injured and losses totaled $50 million.[3]
EF1 N of Broken Arrow Tulsa, Wagoner OK 36°05′31″N 95°47′37″W / 36.0919°N 95.7936°W / 36.0919; -95.7936 (Broken Arrow (Aug. 6, EF1)) 06:27–06:31 2.9 mi (4.7 km) 400 yd (370 m) Numerous homes sustained roof damage, and numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted. The roof of an outbuilding was blown off.[4][5]
EF1 E of Oologah Rogers OK 36°26′39″N 95°41′27″W / 36.4443°N 95.6908°W / 36.4443; -95.6908 (Oologah (Aug. 6, EF1)) 06:32–06:40 4.5 mi (7.2 km) 200 yd (180 m) Barns, trees, and a home were damaged. Power poles were snapped.[6]
EF1 S of Chelsea Rogers, Mayes OK 36°26′59″N 95°26′27″W / 36.4496°N 95.4409°W / 36.4496; -95.4409 (Chelsea (Aug. 6, EF1)) 07:11–07:13 0.9 mi (1.4 km) 400 yd (370 m) An agricultural building sustained minor roof damage.[7][8]

Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Tulsa, Oklahoma
Remington Tower in Tulsa heavily damaged by August 6, 2017 tornado
Meteorological history
FormedAugust 6, 2017, 1:19 a.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
DissipatedAugust 6, 2017, 1:25 a.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
Duration6 minutes
EF2 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Highest winds120–130 mph (190–210 km/h) (Estimated by damage survey)
Overall effects
Fatalities0
Injuries30
Damage$50 million (2017 USD)
Areas affectedTulsa County, Oklahoma

The tornado formed at 1:19 A.M. CDT (Or Local Time) (06:19 UTC) south of East 36th Street South and east of South Harvard Avenue and eventually shifted west before heading to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma at around 1:25 A.M. The worst damage along its 6.9-mile-long (11.1 km) path was in midtown Tulsa (between South Sheridan Road and South Yale Avenue, near East 41st Street South), where several buildings had their roofs removed and outer walls collapsed. The 18-story Remington Tower office building (near Skelly Drive and 41st Street) underwent dramatic facade and window damage. Many offices in the building were further damaged by having equipment and furnishings inside sucked through the windows and falling to the ground below. The tornado also caused roof and structural damage to Promenade Mall and impacted infrastructure at the BOK Financial Corporation operations center (near 41st and Sheridan), rendering its online, mobile and automated telephone systems inoperable. More than 7 people were rescued from T.G.I. Friday's at 41st and Yale Avenue, after the roof collapsed into the building.[9][10][11][12][13]

This was the first tornado to hit the Tulsa area in the month of August since 1958 (and only the 3rd to strike the area since 1950), the tornado injured 26 people – with two seriously injured – in the east part of the city. Even with the tornado detectable on radar, the Tulsa County Emergency Management Agency did not begin civil defense sirens in the area because the National Weather Service did not issue a tornado warning until 1:25 a.m., after which time an EF1 tornado had entered Broken Arrow, damaging multiple home roofs and several large tree branches.[14][15] A second EF1 tornado hit east of Oologah at 1:32 a.m. CDT (06:32 UTC), damaging several trees, barns and a home, downing multiple telephone poles.[10][16]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.

References

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  1. ^ "Tornado Summaries". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b "SPC Severe Weather Event Review for Saturday August 05, 2017". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Oklahoma Event Report: EF2 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  4. ^ "Oklahoma Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  5. ^ "Oklahoma Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  6. ^ "Oklahoma Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  7. ^ "Oklahoma Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  8. ^ "Oklahoma Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  9. ^ "2017 Tornado Events in Eastern Oklahoma Northwest Arkansas". ArcGIS StoryMaps. National Weather Service Tulsa OK. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b "NWS Damage Survey for 8/6/17 Tornado Event". Iowa Environmental Mesonet. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  11. ^ "Three Tornadoes Struck Green Country Early Sunday". KOTV-DT. Griffin Communications. August 7, 2017.
  12. ^ "NWS confirms EF-2 tornado damage in midtown Tulsa". KTUL. Sinclair Broadcast Group. August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  13. ^ Ken Miller (August 6, 2017). "Rare August tornado sends 30 to hospital in Tulsa; no deaths". KOKI-TV. Cox Media Group. Associated Press. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  14. ^ Paighten Harkins (August 7, 2017). "EF2 tornado that hurt 30, ripped through midtown, was rare in 2 ways". Tulsa World. BH Media.
  15. ^ "Why was there no warning before devastating Tulsa tornado?". CBS News. CBS Interactive. August 7, 2017.
  16. ^ Clayton Youngman (August 6, 2017). "NWS: 2 tornadoes touched down in Tulsa metro Sunday; 3rd tornado hit Rogers County". KTUL. Sinclair Broadcast Group. Retrieved August 7, 2017.


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