Weather service confirms two tornadoes

By Matt Dinger

Published: March 31, 2008

March went out like a lion. The first few days of April aren't looking so good either.

It's all a part of springtime in Oklahoma.

"The weather wakes us up to the fact that spring is here," said Patrick Burke, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Norman. With more severe weather expected Wednesday and Thursday, Burke said it's "time for people to review their emergency plans and make sure their weather radios are working."

April is second only to May in Oklahoma tornado production.

The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes occurring Monday morning and Monday afternoon.

The first touched down in northwest Oklahoma City near NW 178 and Pennsylvania Avenue about 1:40 a.m. The tornado caused most of its damage in the Valencia neighborhood, where many homes sustained roof, window, garage door, and fence damage, according to a weather service site survey.

One home sustained especially heavy damage, with a large portion of the roof being lost and extensive damage to the inside of the home. The tornado continued northeast and appeared to have dissipated just northeast of the subdivision, where some tree damage was noted. After a gap, additional damage was observed near the intersection of NW 192nd Street and Western Avenue, where several large power transmission poles were blown down, and some fence damage was also observed.

While there was not a continuous damage path between the two damage sites, they do appear to be in line with the storm's path, the report said.

The weather service said it was an EF-1 tornado, "likely toward the higher end of the EF-1 category," according to the report. EF-1 tornadoes are associated with winds 86-110 mph.

The tornado was 50 to 100 yards wide, the weather service said, and the main damage path was one-third mile.

The second tornado struck just northwest of Lake Texoma State Park in Marshall County about 5 p.m. Monday, but no damage was reported, meteorologist Kevin Brown said.

Today is expected to be calm with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. A threat for severe weather is expected to return Wednesday when severe storms are forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

"It should be a nice day, though a bit cooler than we've seen the past few days ... late Tuesday night into Wednesday and possibly Thursday, we may see another round of severe weather," Brown said

Tornado warnings were issued throughout the day and into the early evening Monday, with funnels spotted in Marshall, Atoka, Johnston, and northern Bryan counties, he said.

The weather service also is investigating two possible tornado sites, one near Lookeba and Binger in Caddo County, and a second just south of Union City in Canadian County, Brown said.

Those sightings occurred Sunday night.

Most of the storms left the state by Monday evening, but the threat of severe weather lingered and in some places people were still cleaning up.

Flooded roadways were reported in northeastern Oklahoma and shelters were opening in Tulsa County.

Approximately 15 to 20 rural county roads in southern Washington County were under water Monday afternoon, said Kary Cox, Washington County emergency management director. Thunderstorms produced 60 mph winds in Washington and Ottawa counties. Golf ball-size hail was reported in Washington County, with quarter-size hail reported in Nowata County and pea-size hail reported in Rogers and Ottawa counties.

The roof was blown off a bus barn still under construction in the Miami, OK, School District, said Gary Brooks, Miami emergency management director.

High waters in Pawnee County flooded roads, topped eight bridges and forced several residents to evacuate their homes, said Joe Allenbaugh, the county's emergency management director.

The floods hit before sunrise on Monday. By evening, Allenbaugh said things were beginning to dry and some roads were re-opening. School was closed Monday due to power outages.

"The water is receding and the sun shined here today, so we were fortunate of that," he said.

Heavy rain prompted officials in the Tulsa metro area to open up a shelter. Parts of the Tulsa area received up to five inches of rain over a 24-hour period, and the Red Cross opened a single shelter late Monday afternoon at the Assembly of God Church on east State Highway 51.

At 6:30 p.m., Red Cross spokeswoman Nellie Kelly said one couple had showed up at the shelter but soon left to go check on their home.

"And they haven't come back," Kelly said.

Large hail hit the state Monday as the storms moved through the state.

Golf ball-size hail was reported Monday afternoon in Norman and hail the size of tennis balls was reported in Bryan and Atoka counties.

There were reports of damaged roofs in Coweta in Wagoner County and a barn destroyed near Slick in Creek County.

In Piedmont, Mayor Mike Fina said golf ball-size hail slammed the area along with torrential rain early Monday.

"It dumped a lot of water on us real fast," Fina said. "I saw areas flood I've never seen flood before."

March is one of the wettest months on record, said Gary McManus, assistant state climatologist.

Statewide, the state has received an average of 4.25 inches of rain this month, making it the sixth-wettest March on record.

An area of southeastern Oklahoma, including Choctaw, Pushmataha, Latimer, Le Flore and McCurtain counties received 11 inches of rain in March, McManus said. Final rainfall totals for March won't be available until today, McManus said.

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