May 1960 tornado outbreak sequence
Weather event in the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On May 4–6, 1960, a large tornado outbreak sequence affected parts of the Midwestern and Southern United States.[nb 2] The severe weather event produced at least 71 confirmed tornadoes, including five violent tornadoes in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Major tornado activity began on the afternoon of May 4, with strong tornadoes affecting the Red River Valley and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Two tornadoes struck parts of southern Oklahoma, causing significant damage to the Konawa and Soper areas. In all, at least 22 tornadoes formed between the early afternoon and late evening hours, with two more tornadoes forming early on May 5, shortly after midnight CDT. A much more significant tornado outbreak began on the afternoon of May 5 and continued overnight, spreading from eastern Oklahoma into portions of southern Missouri and Central Arkansas. At least 35 tornadoes developed between 6:00 a.m. CST on May 5–6, including a long-tracked F5 that struck rural areas in Northeastern Oklahoma and killed five people. Two other tornadoes killed 21 people in and near Sequoyah County in the eastern portion of the state. Other strong tornadoes affected the Little Rock metropolitan area early on May 6 in Arkansas. In all, the tornado outbreak sequence killed 33 people and injured 302.
| Type | Tornado outbreak sequence |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 4–6, 1960 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 71 confirmed |
| Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 2 days, 1 hour, 50 minutes |
| Fatalities | 33 fatalities, 302 injuries |
| Damage | $32.618 million (1960 USD)[nb 1] $347 million (2025 USD) |
| Areas affected | Midwestern and Southern United States, primarily Oklahoma and Arkansas |
Part of the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1960 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
Background
Confirmed tornadoes
Summarize
Perspective
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 20 | 26 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 71 |
| "FU" denotes unclassified but confirmed tornadoes. | |||||||
May 4 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes – May 4, 1960 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
| Texas | ||||||
| F0 | W of Matador | Motley | 2040 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Funnel sighted, but only hit unpopulated land.[8] | |
| F2 | W of Dublin | Erath | 0010 | 0.3 miles (0.48 km) | Two roofs damaged.[8] The tornado is not listed as significant by tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis.[9] | |
| F1 | SW of Dublin | Erath | 0020 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | A brick dairy farm and a garage were destroyed. Some roof damage occurred as well.[8] | |
| F0 | NE of Mineral Wells | Palo Pinto | 0120 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown with numerous other funnels observed nearby. | |
| F3 | E of Lake Worth to NE of Blue Mound | Tarrant | 0120 | 7.4 miles (11.9 km) | Eight homes were seriously damaged and five entirely destroyed.[8] Two of the homes lost all except their interior walls.[9] | |
| F1 | NE of Garner | Parker | 0300 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Major damage to farm machinery, outbuildings, and a home.[8] | |
| F1 | S of Flower Mound | Denton | 0400 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Five minor[8] injuries to people in a trailer home.[9] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis. | |
| F1 | S of Sulphur Springs | Hopkins | 0515 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Two barns were destroyed, two others damaged, and two homes unroofed[9] during "widespread" thunderstorms.[8] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis. | |
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| F1 | SW of Grandfield | Tillman | 2340 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Trees were uprooted and one home damaged.[10] | |
| F1 | S of Grandfield | Tillman | 2340 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Only damaged outbuildings.[10] | |
| F2 | N of Walters | Cotton | 0000 | 4.9 miles (7.9 km) | Storm hit the western edge of town.[10] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[9] | |
| F1 | E of Medicine Park | Comanche | 0030 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Three people were injured as a tornado unroofed a barn and destroyed two trailers.[10] | |
| F1 | S of Temple | Cotton | 0043 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Brief touchdown. | |
| F1 | SW of Central High | Comanche | 0045 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Two outbuildings destroyed and a home unroofed.[10] | |
| F3 | E of Marlow | Stephens | 0058 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | One home was shifted off its foundation and severely damaged.[10] The tornado may have moved concrete blocks 100 yards (300 ft) from a gas station.[9] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis. | |
| F2 | Noble area | Cleveland | 0145 | 5.2 miles (8.4 km) | A restaurant and a barn were destroyed in Noble. The tornado also damaged a house and a gas station.[9] | |
| F3 | NW of Ada to NE of Konawa | Pontotoc | 0145 | 10 miles (16 km) | A large wedge tornado injured five people as it destroyed three homes and damaged 12.[9] | |
| F3 | E of Bethany to N of The Village | Oklahoma | 0155 | 5.1 miles (8.2 km) | A tornado destroyed 12 homes and damaged 25. It then struck and damaged a new terminal at Tulakes Airport.[9] | |
| F4 | W of Konawa | Pottawatomie, Seminole | 0205 | 8 miles (13 km) | Four farms were destroyed and a newly built home "completely swept away".[9] | |
| F4 | S of Soper to S of Snow | Choctaw, Pushmataha | 0316 | 30.8 miles (49.6 km) | A third of Soper was destroyed, including two farms and "up to 100 homes."[9] Two farms were also damaged near Snow.[10] The path near Snow may have been that of a separate tornado.[9] | |
| Kansas | ||||||
| F? | N of Edson to NW of Brewster (1st tornado) | Sherman | 2320 | 7 miles (11 km) | ||
| F? | SW of Arnold | Ness | 2343 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | ||
| F2 | W of Brownell | Ness | 2345 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Brief tornado coincided with significant hail-related damage to crops.[8] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[9] | |
| F? | N of Edson (2nd tornado) | Sherman | 0030 | unknown | ||
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F2 | W of Amagon | Jackson | 0300 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A shed was destroyed and a house damaged.[8] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[9] | |
| Sources:,[11] Storm Data[8][10] | ||||||
May 5 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes – May 5, 1960 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
| Texas | ||||||
| F2 | E of Marshall | Harrison | 0700 | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) | Trees were damaged and a vehicle overturned.[8] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[9] | |
| F0 | SW of Carrollton | Dallas | 0400 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Brief touchdown reported.[8] | |
| F0 | NE of Addison | Dallas | 0437 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Only hit one building and caused minor damage.[8] | |
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F2 | Enola | Faulkner | 1000 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | A home and a barn were destroyed. Two other buildings were damaged.[8] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[9] | |
| F2 | NW of Winslow to Elkins | Washington | 0330 | 16.9 miles (27.2 km) | Formed south of West Fork.[8] Six homes and three stores were damaged in the Blackburn community. Only one home was completely destroyed.[12] | |
| F2 | NE of Goshen to Alabam | Madison | 0445 | 13.2 miles (21.2 km) | Farm homes and outbuildings were entirely destroyed.[12] | |
| F2 | NW of Scotia | Johnson | 0530 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A brief tornado destroyed three homes.[8] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[12] | |
| Alabama | ||||||
| F1 | NW of Chunchula to SE of Satsuma | Mobile | 1300 | 11.5 miles (18.5 km) | Thousands of trees were downed and many homes and other structures were damaged.[8] | |
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| F? | S of Frederick | Tillman | 1938 | unknown | ||
| F3 | NE of Wallville to NE of Maysville | Garvin | 2045 | 7.3 miles (11.7 km) | One frame home was destroyed, a few trailers, a general store, and a church were destroyed in the Wallville area. The tornado also damaged farms and a pipe yard near Maysville.[12] The parent supercell produced the next event below.[10] | |
| F3 | NE of Wayne to W of Sand Springs | Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Lincoln, Creek, Tulsa | 2100 | 101.9 miles (164.0 km) | A long-lived tornado family destroyed five homes[12] and hit a cemetery[10] near Corbett, then destroyed two more homes and an oil tank in Tribbey.[12] Six homes were hit in Depew and two more were destroyed west of Bristow. Near the end of the path, three homes and a trailer were destroyed.[10] | |
| F5 | S of Shawnee to Prague to Iron Post to NE of Sapulpa | Pottawatomie, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Creek | 2300 | 71.8 miles (115.6 km) | 5 deaths — See section on this tornado [13].[12] | |
| F2 | McAlester | Pittsburgh | 0007 | 4.1 miles (6.6 km) | Most damage was at the rooftop level. One 208-foot (63 m) radio tower was reportedly "snapped off".[10] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[12] | |
| F3 | S of Hoffman | Okmulgee | 0016 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | 2 deaths — About 25 homes were destroyed, some of which were swept away. Even underbrush was cleared from the homesites in south Hoffman. Grazulis gave this an F4 rating.[12] | |
| F2 | SE of Haskell | Muskogee | 0020 | 4.9 miles (7.9 km) | Most damage from hail up to 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter.[10] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[12] | |
| F2 | NE of Vinita to W of Loma Linda, Missouri | Craig, Ottawa | 0030 | 36.6 miles (58.9 km) | A large tornado nearly leveled a newly built[10] brick farmhouse, leaving only one wall standing.[12] The tornado also destroyed "two truckloads of boats"[10] on the Will Rogers Turnpike, injuring two drivers.[12] This tornado destroyed many farms[10] and may have been an F3 in intensity.[12] | |
| F2 | S of Wynnewood | Garvin | 0100 | 5.9 miles (9.5 km) | "General damage" was observed near Wynnewood,[10] with two homes, a barn, and a warehouse having been unroofed.[12] | |
| F4 | S of Wilburton to SW of Sallisaw | Latimer, Haskell, Sequoyah | 0110 | 62.4 miles (100.4 km) | 16 deaths — A major tornado family caused severe damage to 15 square blocks[14] in Wilburton, destroying 82 homes and damaging or destroying 600 structures.[12] Thirteen people died as the tornado family hit Wilburton. The tornado family then destroyed six more homes north of Wilburton, 25 in Keota, and 10 more near Sallisaw.[12] | |
| F2 | E of Eufaula to NE of Texanna | McIntosh | 0110 | 11.7 miles (18.8 km) | 2 deaths — Three homes were reported destroyed and six others damaged. All deaths and injuries were in vehicles. This tornado may have been an F3.[12] | |
| F2 | SW of Wagoner | Wagoner | 0120 | 5.1 miles (8.2 km) | A tornado destroyed seven[10] homes, many businesses, and a radio tower in western Wagoner.[12] | |
| F1 | S of Tiawah | Rogers | 0130 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Outbuildings were destroyed on a farm.[10] | |
| F3 | W of Moffett | Sequoyah | 0130 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) | 1 death — Pavement was torn from U.S. Route 64, several homes were destroyed, and a truck driver was killed.[12] | |
| F4 | SW of Roland | Sequoyah | 0140 | 5.4 miles (8.7 km) | 5 deaths — One home was swept away and two trucks carried 300 yards (274 m). Three of the occupants were injured and five people died in the home that was swept away.[12] | |
| F1 | NE of Park Hill to NW of Briggs | Cherokee | 0240 | 4.6 miles (7.4 km) | A home, two stores, and numerous trees were damaged.[10] | |
| F2 | Eufaula | McIntosh | 0250 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | This was the second tornado to hit near Eufaula. 12 homes were damaged.[12] | |
| F2 | NW of Langley to SW of Cleora | Mayes | 0300 | 6.4 miles (10.3 km) | A tornado destroyed 12[10] cabins and three homes. A store, a church, and a school were also destroyed.[12] | |
| F3 | SE of Bokoshe to NW of Akins | Le Flore, Sequoyah | 0330 | 23.7 miles (38.1 km) | 1 death — This was the fourth F3+ tornado to hit Sequoyah County this day. Numerous homes were destroyed and a woman was killed in one of them.[10] Some of the homes were reportedly swept away.[12] | |
| Nebraska | ||||||
| F? | Leigh | Colfax | 2230 | unknown | ||
| Missouri | ||||||
| F0 | NE of Urbana | Dallas | 2250 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | Two outbuildings were unroofed.[8] | |
| Iowa | ||||||
| F2 | SE of Carroll to N of Scranton | Carroll, Greene | 0100 | 13.8 miles (22.2 km) | Destroyed homes and barns along a skipping path.[12] | |
| F1 | SE of Dallas Center | Dallas | 0330 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | $10,000 damage to farms was estimated.[8] | |
| Sources:,[11] Storm Data[8][10] | ||||||
May 6 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes – May 6, 1960 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
| Missouri | ||||||
| F1 | Macks Creek | Camden | 0630 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) | There was damage to many farms and trees.[8] | |
| F2 | SW of Ava | Christian | 0645 | 5.7 miles (9.2 km) | A tornado struck eight farms and shifted one home on its foundation. Many other homes and barns were heavily damaged. This tornado may have been an F3.[12] | |
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F3 | NW of Toad Suck to S of Enders | Conway, Faulkner | 0700 | 26.7 miles (43.0 km) | 1 death — Developed west of Conway, in the Portland Bottoms area. The tornado then hit Menifee, destroying a large school complex, 31 houses, a pair of churches, a post office, and 32 other structures. Much damage was also reported in Greenbrier. 30 people were injured.[12] | |
| F2 | NE of Austin to E of Choctaw | Van Buren | 0730 | 8.2 miles (13.2 km) | A tornado destroyed a small home.[15] | |
| F1 | W of Cammack Village | Pulaski | 0735 | 3.3 miles (5.3 km) | A tornado damaged many homes and trees in west Little Rock.[8] | |
| F2 | College Station | Pulaski | 0800 | 10.3 miles (16.6 km) | A tornado passed 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Little Rock, unroofing structures, destroying barns, and damaging homes.[8][15] | |
| F2 | W of Prescott | Nevada | 0815 | 2.6 miles (4.2 km) | A tornado uprooted many trees and destroyed three homes. It also destroyed a cotton gin and a garage.[15] Other garages, outbuildings, and 60 other homes were reported damaged.[8] Two people were injured. | |
| F2 | NE of Kingsland to NW of Glendale | Cleveland, Lincoln | 0915 | 19.3 miles (31.1 km) | A tornado destroyed one home near the end of its path. A nearby high school was badly damaged.[15] | |
| F2 | S of Antioch to E of Searcy | White | 2000 | 14.6 miles (23.5 km) | A tornado unroofed or damaged many homes and businesses in the business district of Searcy.[15] | |
| F1 | W of Dell to NW of Yarbro | Mississippi | 2200 | 14 miles (23 km) | A tornado skipped through the Blytheville area, causing minor damage to farms, small buildings, roofs, and windows. It, or another member of its tornado family, may have touched down in Pemiscot County, Missouri. It was attended by approximately 15 funnel clouds, eight of which may have been brief tornadoes.[8] | |
| Illinois | ||||||
| F1 | SE of Flora | Clay | 1430 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | An airport hangar was damaged.[8] | |
| F1 | E of Long Creek | Macon | 1540 | 0.3 miles (0.48 km) | Three farms were damaged.[8] | |
| F1 | E of Carrollton to NW of Chatham | Greene, Macoupin, Morgan, Sangamon | 1905 | 43.5 miles (70.0 km) | Isolated patches of scattered damage were reported.[8] | |
| F2 | W of Loxa to NE of Oakland | Coles, Douglas | 2230 | 20.9 miles (33.6 km) | Only one barn and grain bins were destroyed.[15] | |
| Mississippi | ||||||
| F1 | Lexie to S of Kokomo | Walthall | 1930 | 12.3 miles (19.8 km) | A tornado destroyed five homes and eight other buildings.[15] Twenty homes were severely damaged.[8] The tornado may have been an F2 rather than an F1.[15] | |
| Sources:,[11] Storm Data[8][10] | ||||||
Prague—Iron Post—Sapulpa, Oklahoma
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 5, 1960, Before 5:27 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Dissipated | May 5, 1960, ~7:00 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Duration | 1 hour, 45 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 261–318 mph (420–512 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Injuries | 81 |
Beginning its path of destruction at around 5:27 p.m., it moved forward mostly N-NE first impacting part of Shawnee before affecting Prague. A new Kerr-McGee oil facility was destroyed near the NE side of Prague near Paden at great financial cost with some equipment thrown great distances or mangled, and the small community of Iron Post was obliterated at F5 intensity. While pictures of some of this most extensive damage are withheld or lost, the damage inflicted by this F5 has been compared with other upper #okwx F5's outside of exceptionally strong examples such as the Bridge Creek—Moore tornado (1999) and Piedmont (2011). As mentioned, it began near Shawnee and finally lifted to NE of Sapulpa during the afternoon hours of that early May day. On the ground roughly 1hr., 45 minutes, the 800-yard wide funnel was described as a rapidly moving white barrel that never "left the landscape." Sadly, 2 of the 5 killed were at the Iron Post community. Multiple homes and farms were swept away and granulated or heavily damaged with destruction of the trees nearby and fields torn to shreds with heavy scour. The tornado then tracked through parts of Sapulpa around 6:32 pm, claiming 3 more lives and injuring dozens more (81 overall). Over 300 homes were destroyed or damaged along with many buildings such as schools, churches, and businesses over a 15 city block area, though the most intense phases of the tornado occurred over mostly rural land, it could not have been any lower than F4/F5 at Sapulpa. In Sapulpa, some homes were swept away along with their old foundations and porches. Overall casualties were 5 killed, 81 inj. As of now, this is also the most intense tornado to occur within the Tulsa area. The hardest hit major population area was Sapulpa. The tornado lifted shortly before 7 pm, and was observed aloft over Tulsa. The tornado was the main tornado of a potent days long outbreak.
See also
Notes
- All losses are in 1960 USD unless otherwise noted.
- An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1][2][3][4][5]
References
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