Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
2009 Lone Grove–Ardmore tornado
Deadly Oklahoma EF4 tornado in 2009 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
During the evening hours of February 10, 2009, a deadly, long-lived, and violent nocturnal tornado tracked 37 miles (59 km) throughout Jefferson County, Love County, and Carter County in Oklahoma, after initially touching down in Montague County, Texas, near Spanish Fort. The tornado devastated the city of Lone Grove, killing eight people, injuring another 46, and severely damaging and destroying numerous businesses, mobile homes, and single-family homes throughout the area. Six of the fatalities occurred in mobile homes, with the seventh being in a well-built home that was destroyed at EF4 intensity. The eighth fatality occurred when a truck driving on Interstate 35 was directly hit by the tornado, resulting in the driver's death. Around 114 mobile homes were destroyed, with some reported to be completely obliterated. The tornado was the deadliest and most intense to strike Oklahoma during the month of February since reliable records began in 1950, and had the highest death toll of any tornado in the United States in 2009.
Remove ads
Meteorological synopsis
Summarize
Perspective
On February 7, 2009, the Storm Prediction Center highlighted a risk for severe weather in the Southern Plains for February 10. This turned into a Moderate Risk for much of central and southern Oklahoma by the morning of February 10 as low-level moisture, significant surface heating, and much colder air at higher altitudes created an incredibly unstable atmosphere, especially for the time of year. At 6:50 a.m. CST, the Norman Hazardous Weather Outlook warned the potential for tornadoes across central Oklahoma.[1]
As the day progressed, thunderstorms began to develop along a surface front, with the first signs of developing occurring around 1 p.m. CST. Two of these thunderstorms developed into tornadic supercells, with the first occurring over central Oklahoma and producing various tornadoes, the most significant of which was rated at EF2 intensity after striking the city of Edmond, Oklahoma. Following the first supercell, a second thunderstorm began to develop rapidly over the counties Young and Stephens in northern Texas, becoming supercellular by 5:30 CST. The supercell began to enter an environment primed for tornadic development, with the tornado that would later strike Lone Grove touching down near Spanish Fort, Texas, at 6:48 p.m. CST.[2][1]
Remove ads
Tornado summary
Summarize
Perspective
The tornado initially touched down after sunset in Montague County just south of Spanish Fort, Texas at 6:48 p.m. CST and began snapping pecan trees up to 30 inches in diameter at EF1 intensity. Around this time, a tornado warning was issued for portions of Love, Carter, and Jefferson Counties. The tornado reportedly organized from a multi-vortex tornado into a large, singular funnel as it crossed the Red River of the South into Jefferson County in southern Oklahoma. Due to these observations, the tornado warning continued for Carter County. The tornado tracked northeast into Love County, Oklahoma at EF2 intensity as it crossed rural farmland.
The tornado crossed into Carter County at 7:10 p.m. CST, where it began to inflict scattered damage across sparsely populated areas.[2] As the tornado crossed Highway 70, it struck a 2005 pickup truck, tossing it violently and causing significant damage to the vehicle. The driver, who was a member of the Lone Grove police department, sustained minor injuries.[3]
The tornado reached its maximum width of half a mile (0.80 km) and peak intensity of EF4 strength with winds of 170 mph (270 km/h) as it approached and struck the city of Lone Grove at around 7:25 p.m. CST, where the tornado inflicted its worst damage.[2][4][5] The tornado damaged and destroyed various homes, businesses and other buildings as it moved through the city, with some well-built residences sustaining EF4-level damage. Lone Grove's only furniture store was destroyed by the tornado.[6] Many vehicles within the city were lofted and rolled. The tornado damaged and snapped many power poles, resulting in around 3,500 people losing power within Carter County.[2] Numerous trees were damaged or toppled, with some being completely uprooted.[1] As the tornado continued moving through Lone Grove, it directly impacted the Bar K Mobile Home Park, destroying 37 of the 41 mobile homes within the park and killing six people.[7][8][5][9] Several mobile homes within Lone Grove were reduced to unrecognizable pieces of debris.[2] A seventh fatality occurred in Lone Grove when a well-constructed house was destroyed by the tornado at EF4 strength. At one point, the tornado tore a roof off a home and lifted a girl into the air, with her family managing to keep her from being carried away.[10] As the tornado crossed Interstate 35, the eighth and final fatality occurred when a tractor-trailer driving south on the highway was toppled by the tornado's winds, killing the driver.[11][2]
The tornado continued northeastward, with a new tornado warning being issued for eastern portions of Carter County and for southern portions of Murray County. The tornado then struck the Majestic Hills neighborhood just north of Ardmore at EF4 intensity, destroying numerous trees, at least eight well-built homes, and the Ardmore Adventist Academy, a small private school.[12] The tornado then continued northeast before rapidly weakening and dissipating at 7:43 p.m. CST, just past Deer Creek Road.[1][2]
Remove ads
Aftermath
Summarize
Perspective
The tornado caused widespread damage throughout Lone Grove and the Majestic Hills neighborhood, with at least 114 mobile homes and single-family residences being destroyed. This tornado became the deadliest and strongest to strike Oklahoma during the month of February, and was the deadliest tornado of 2009 in the United States. 8 people were killed as a result of the tornado, and 46 people were injured, with 14 sustaining serious injuries. Around 3,500 people lost electricity in the Carter County area, as the tornado downed many power poles. Numerous trees were destroyed and damaged, with some uprooted from the winds. During the evening of February 10, national and local emergency services started rescue and recovery efforts, confirming the 8 fatalities and numerous injuries. Three bodies were found outside of their leveled mobile homes. Two other bodies were discovered inside the remains of their homes. One body was discovered on a road within the trailer park, and another was found in a nearby field.[13][14] One woman was found to be injured but alive underneath the debris of her mobile home.[15] The emergency crews spray-painted an X on each building they searched before letting residents check for their belongings.[5] The tornado caused $3 million USD in damages.[2]
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry visited the area and toured the damage on February 11, declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties.[5] 28 members of the Oklahoma National Guard headed to Lone Grove after a briefing in Ardmore. The troops secured entry points near the hardest-hit areas, and aided local law enforcement.[16] The American Red Cross opened shelters at Heritage Hall in Ardmore, Waterloo Baptist Church in Edmond, and Messiah Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City for those affected by the storms. The Salvation Army opened a canteen in Lone Grove to provide food and drinks. Baptist Disaster Relief provided aid to those in Lone Grove by distributing food and offering emotional support.[17]
Following the tornado, it was discovered that some residents were caught off-guard, despite the tornado sirens going off and a tornado warning being issued 37 minutes prior.[18] The absence of storm shelters within the Bar K Mobile Home Park meant that the people within the park had no safe place to head to during the storm, as mobile homes are one of the most susceptible structures in high winds and severe weather. Oklahoma lawmakers discussed options in providing storm shelters to those in mobile home parks after John Bowman, the manager of the Lone Grove Mobile Community, appealed for action following the tornado, as a majority of the fatalities occurred when mobile homes were completely destroyed and overturned.[7]
Casualties
Eight people died as a result of the tornado, all within and around Lone Grove. 46 people were injured, and 14 sustained severe injuries. Six of the eight fatalities occurred within mobile homes in the Bar K Mobile Home Park. A seventh person was killed after their well-built house sustained EF4 damage. The tornado's final fatality was a driver whose tractor-trailer was struck and overturned by the tornado while driving on Interstate 35.[2] It was reported that a majority of the deaths were due to blunt-force trauma to the head.[19]
Remove ads
See also
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads